Our appearance changes as we age and that is a normal part of aging. About 60% of men develop male- pattern baldness as they age. Hair starts growing from their nose and ears. Women on the other hand do not go bald but their hairs starts thinning. They may notice thicker and darker hairs on their chins and upper lips. So why does this happen when we age?
The balance of hormones is changed due to aging. Because of this, hair follicles produce thick, dark and coarse hairs instead of soft and barely noticeable hairs like before.
Most people develop gray hairs in their 40s and 50s. Some can have them earlier and others later depending on genetics. Some individuals even have gray hairs in their teens. The pigments in the hair provide color and as we age, those pigments stop working and hence the strands are left gray.
Skin: As we age, so does our skin. It is the largest organ of our body. In our younger years, our skin is vibrant, glowy and firm. In our 20s we slowly start to lose collagen, a fibrous protein responsible for firmness and strength for the skin. It becomes less elastic as we age resulting in lines and furrows. This reduction in elasticity becomes more apparent in our 50s and 60s.
Sun does a number to our skin. It is to be blamed for the development of freckles and brown spots as we grow older. We attribute it to normal part of aging. That is the reason why our skin must be protected from the sun. Using sun screen and spf products is really important in the reduction of sun damage to our skin.
During the aging process, the skin becomes dull and translucent. Fine-lines start appearing in 30s around eye areas because skin is quite thin there. Various things such as freckles, wrinkles, warts, age-spots, and spider-veins start to appear.
So what can we do to look better and feel younger as we age?
While we cannot turn the clock back, there are few things we can do can make us feel healthier and age gracefully.
- Wear Sunscreen
- Get enough sleep
- Stay hydrated
- Exercise regularly
- Eat healthy
- Consume more healthy fat
- Take less stress
