Hi Joe,

Firstly, if you have hang ups about yourself and want to change them do them for you- not because of what you might think women will think of you on the dating scene. Doing things for others does not bring as much satisfaction as doing things for yourself.

That said, yes a receding hairline and a slight belly are common of men your age and any woman worth her salt would not hold this against you and be attracted to you regardless. Women also encounter changes to their bodies at this age too so it would be unfair to be judgemental about such things.

Perhaps internet dating is not working for you because it is not tackling your shyness. Maybe you need to get out there and practice, practice, practice to get your self-esteem in a good place when it comes to meeting women.

Could you attend some meet and greet nights that are run by pubs and clubs or by a dating site for example. If you research it, a lot of places hold events that cater for singles to get to know each other.

Have you tried speed dating? This gives you only a small window of time to impress and its great fun too! Do your friends have anyone that they think will be suited to you? Often this can work in your favour because it is likely you have things in common, given that you are both friends with the same person or can bond overs stories of your mutual friend to break the ice.

Whatever way suits you, then doing it regularly will likely mean you meet lots of different people- some you might click with, others not- but every experience is a learning curve. Perhaps, try to see dating as fun rather than a chore or something you dread, everyone is in the same game, so you have an instant bond to begin with.