For example, they no longer have that cast iron stomach they once did, and the days of going to IHOP at 3 o'clock in the morning and not paying for it the next day are over.
A lot of guys notice those physical changes when they play sports too.
Just a few years prior, most guys in their 30s and 40s could easily compete with the 20-somethings who would show up for a pickup game. But as the years went by, most had to develop a new tactic in order to defeat the younger ones.
And that new tactic was simply pacing oneself to keep up, which is something a lot of guys never had to do before.
The 'hair thing'
Then, of course, there's the whole hair thing.
In their 30s and 40s, a lot of guys either lose it completely; just start losing it or their hair begins to turn gray. For many men this period can be a crossroad of sorts, in terms of deciding what their new appearance will be for the foreseeable future.
Those who've completely lost their hair have the easiest decision because there's not much to decide.
Guys who are just beginning to suffer fall-out have to decide whether to go with the receding-hairline-look or shave their head -- obviously, not an easy decision to make.
Dealing with the gray
It's the same for those just starting to go gray.
They have to figure out if they'll embrace their gray or go with a hair coloring product. Again -- not an easy decision.
There are also those whose gray is confined to their beard and mustache. Some won't mind it, some will use dye and others will simply shave -- and that's where electronic trimmers come in.
Clearly, there are a lot of different trimmers on the market these days, from the inexpensive $14.99 variety -- that you can purchase at a drug store -- to the more professional tools that plenty of barbers use.
The test drive
It runs on one AAA battery that comes inside the package and you can pick one up on the company's website for about $15.00. You can get it at places like Rite Aid for about $10 as well.
The MicroTouch Max isn't a new device, but it seems the company is doing a new marketing push and releasing commercials again, which made us want to give it a try.
First off, the size of the MircoTouch is of some benefit, because I was able to trim areas of my face that are hard to get to with a traditional trimmer -- like near my nose and around my ears.
So if you're someone who needs to trim hairs in between your eyebrows or remove nose hairs, the MicroTouch is a good size to do that with.
But besides being a good size, how well did its blades actually trim?
The creators of the MicroTouch never said there's anything special about the blades, as the commercial mainly talks about the device's shape and size and how it can reach places other trimmers can't.
But it's not the size that's most important with an electronic trimmer, it's how sharp the blades are and if those blades will be safe to the touch. You certainly want a trimmer that cuts with precision, but you don't want to get any nicks or cuts along the way.
The verdict
And what was the ruling?
All the hairs were removed pretty easily, although there was a little tug and pinch, which didn't feel great. Yes, the gray hairs were removed with little effort, but not without a very slight feeling of discomfort.
However, I didn't feel that same pinch when I used the MicroTouch on my arm. After using the device on the upper part of my arm I noticed the hairs came out easier and a lot faster, without any discomfort.
Apparently, the hairs on my face that are coarser -- because I shave them more often -- were a little harder to remove than the hairs on my arm, which I never shave.
That suggests the MicroTouch Max might work better for those areas you don't trim everyday like your nose, chest, back or eyebrows. It comes with a couple of guards as well, so you can adjust how much hair you would like to trim.
In short, the blades on the MicroTouch aren't incredibly sharp, but they're sharp enough to do a decent job. And as far as the slight pinch I felt, the same thing might not happen to every user, since there are all kinds of hair types and textures.
Plus, the pinch I felt wouldn't keep me from using the device on my mustache and beard, but I would probably go with a regular trimmer instead, since the blades on the MicroTouch seem to be better for removing hair completely than it is for trimming.
But all in all, it's not a bad buy. Especially for people who need it for those hard to reach places. However, I wouldn't get rid of your regular trimmer completely, because they're still the best go-to when it comes to keeping yourself groomed.