The Surprises of Aging
Posted April 7, 2009 1:26 PM
Losing and Gaining Hair
Many of us will lose hair on our heads and sprout hair where we don't want it.
Fifty to 60 percent of men will undergo male-pattern baldness, Celestino said. "They will grow it extensively out of their noses and ears." Women don't usually go bald, but their hair can thin as they age. And they may notice dark, bristly hairs appearing on their chins and upper lips. The hairs aren't new, he said. But the changing balance of hormones that comes with aging cause the hair follicles to produce "terminal" hairs, thick, coarse and dark, rather than the soft, downy "vellus" hairs that were there before.
Even as we are producing dark hairs on our faces, we are likely to be growing gray hair on our heads. People go gray because the pigment-producing cells in the hair stop their work, Celestino said. How soon and how much we gray is determined by genetics. We might begin to turn gray in our teens, as did Taylor Hicks, an American Idol winner. Or we might be able to hold on to our natural hair color well into middle age. Most people have developed at least some gray hair by their 40s and 50s.
Skin
Our skin starts to age while we are still young, Hess said. In our 20s, we start to slowly lose collagen, a fibrous protein that provides firmness and strength to our skin. In our 30s and 40s, gravity and repetitive movements, such as frowning and squinting, begin to affect the skin, causing lines and furrows. The decreased elasticity of the skin becomes more apparent when we reach our 50s.
The older we get, the more saggy and fragile our skin becomes. We bruise more easily, Palmer said. We develop all sorts of unsightly things on our faces, such as freckles, age spots, spider veins and keratoses, thick, wart-like growths. The tips of our noses start to droop, and our ears elongate. Our eyelids sag and the fat pads beneath our eyes become more prominent.
People who undergo cosmetic surgery on their eyes often look significantly younger, Celestino said, "just because eyes are such a window of youth."
Source: YellowBrix, Winston-Salem Journal
Comments (12)
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Posted June 16, 2009 9:22 PM
You should have titled this article "Depression 101". You have to live under a rock not to know that exercise and healthy eating is good for you. As I approach my 60th birthday next week, this article did no more than to make feel like crawling under that rock and I look pretty good!
Posted June 16, 2009 2:40 PM
This article forgot to mention that one should stay out of the sun for great skin! I think good genetics does have a bit of an influence, also.
Posted June 16, 2009 2:40 PM
This article forgot to mention that one should stay out of the sun for great skin! I think good genetics does have a bit of an influence, also.
Posted June 9, 2009 1:35 AM
eat healthy food - you can learn to cook and season healthy food so that it's yummy; continue to exercise and walk or run, if possible to stay trim and strong; keep your mind sharp - read about subjects which interest you or have never explored before - participate in new and interesting endeavors - the body and mind will change - it's inevitable - there is no magic to deter the changes - however, if you care for your body and mind, you will experience a difference - i am 80 years old and have practiced what i've advised all my life when able - people tell me all the time that i don't look anywhere near my age and that i have a much younger attitude and spirit than a woman of my years - also, cultivate friendships with some younger people - it truly helps keep your mind and attitude young -
Posted June 8, 2009 11:35 PM
thanks all you "on the ball" people out there who exercise, eat healthily and feel good about yourselves -- and not let some negative article distort your view of how we should age. it's all in the mind. i'm 51 and yes, some little aches i've never had before creep up but that just propels me to go into more ACTIVE mode with the body.... working that limb or painful area even more. i was 48 and weighed 104 lbs - just 3 yrs ago - the healthiest i'd ever been in my life -- drank moderately, ate organically and exercised daily. the sex life wasn't bad either. cut to now, at 51: have gained 12 lbs [lack of carbs for 3 yrs caused me to gorge on peanut butter & jelly sandwiches like they were going out of style!], still have awesome BP {110/62}, great HDL/ liver and kidney function, great skin [people tell me i look 38], am well into menopause and the only thing i'll complain about is too little sex. a guy as healthy and well rounded as I would be nice to have around so we can work our bodies in- and out- of the bedroom. you are definitely as 'old as you feel' and i'll be putting on stilettos to go dancing til i'm too old to bend over to buckle them.
Posted June 4, 2009 3:37 PM
how can you slow all this down.. is there some something we can take with collagen in it... Ineed to know
Posted April 11, 2009 10:16 AM
Gee Janice Gaston, I'm with the other girls here. I think I look fabulous at 62. The things that you describe can happen but to a lesser degree if you watch what you eat and exercise. Happiness and laughter play an important role also.Think yourself healthy.
Posted April 10, 2009 4:31 PM
I really like this article. There are many things - changes - in me that I thought were something wrong. Now after reading this I find that they are perfectly normal and I am A-OK. Old and pretty beat but normal!! Thanks for the article.
Posted April 9, 2009 5:08 PM
I'm 70, so what would you have me do if I haven't deteriorated as you have written? People think I am 45 to 50. My BMI is 23.5. My BP is 100/60.
I think articles like you wrote are cruel. Anyone who has a brain knows if he/she is out of shape and fully understands what to do if they are not. Whether they do something about it...or not...is up to them to decide.
I think your article may have been meant to be helpful but you should consider your audience more carefully. Many of us take good care of ourselves. Make that many MANY.
I can't say that I am shocked because AOL often publishes articles that are not helpful and can be mean and cruel. Your's is one of those.
Posted April 9, 2009 4:47 PM
I'm 63,do step aerobics,pilates,yoga,powerwalking,hiking & weight training.Gym membership for over 30 years & lifetime membership in Weight Watchers. I never smoked or drank .I have NO WRINKLES,NO BOWEL PROBLEMS, not too much gray hair & can still wear tank tops & shorts because I'm well toned. People think I'm in my 40's. I'm surgically post menopausal & fought off that sudden weight gain thanks to weight watchers & WATCHING THE CARBS. Over the years I've watched my contemporaries gain massive amounts of weight,get knee replacements,deal with bad backs,high blood pressure ( MINE IS 92-100/60.Same as high school)diabetes, acid reflux,bowel problems,etc. Every one of them is sedentary,smokes,eats anything not nailed down, & does not exercise or care too. I will NOT let that happen to me !
Posted April 9, 2009 4:12 PM
Great, is there anything else more depressing you want to add. I will say exercise and good food does make difference. I am 58 and people think I am still in 40's. I think they are being nice. I have to say I feel good.
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