Assuming that your first question wasn't rhetorical: for the same reason that grey hair on a man is "distinguished", while grey hair on a woman is "old and ugly". Cultural sexism leaves men with a much wider range of acceptable options for appearance -- you'll never see a woman as old as Sean Connery being widely hailed as "sexiest actor on screen"!

That said, jtdiii's comment about making sure your cane doesn't make you hunch over is also valid, both for health and appearance reasons.

I had to use a cane for several months after the Really Awful Wreck when I was in college. What I recall bothering me the most was the reduction in my ability to put on a burst of speed when necessary; I nearly got squashed when I stupidly tried to negotiate a gap in traffic that I would have been able to cross easily pre-wreck. At least I only made that error once!