My Today Your Tomorrow

You’ve seen the guys at the carnival who guess your age, and we’ve all marvelled at how they do it. They’re not always correct, but they have a relatively good track record. So, how do they guess a person’s age? Relax, no one is following you around the amusement park waiting for you to give away your age, and there isn’t a crystal ball tucked behind the booth that you can’t see. There’s no magic involved at all. The truth is, your age is evident on your face. Here are ten ways your face changes as you age.

1. Over time, the distribution of fat in your face changes

As a teenager, you probably still had plenty of baby fat that slowly disappeared by age 20. This is generally when girls and boys begin to transform into women and men. As we get even older, we have less collagen and hyaluronic acid production which causes the fat distribution to continue to change, making our faces appear thin and angular.

2. Ear lobes get longer through the years

Part of this is due to wearing heavy earrings, but even if you’ve never had your ears pierced, you’ll be affected. Our ears are made of collagen, which continues to grow as we age. The ear lobes lose elasticity and begin to droop as we mature.

3. The end of your nose can also be a clue to your age

Around 40 the tip begins to droop because of weakening ligaments. This weakening takes away the soft tissue support, causing the tip of your nose to dip.

4. Thinning eyebrows and lashes

These are a result of our bodies producing fewer hormones over time that slows down hair growth. If you have sparse eyelashes and barely there brows, it’s a good indicator that you aren’t a spring chicken anymore.

5. Your smile can have subtle signs of aging

Tooth enamel erodes as you get older, so dentin beneath the surface begins to show through, making your teeth darker. Your gum line will also recede with age.

6. The skin on your neck thins out as you age

This is because your skin loses elasticity and makes your skin crepe like and paper thin.

7. Broken Blood Vessels

As you age, broken blood vessels may begin to appear on the cheeks and around your nose and chin. These can be hereditary but have contributing factors such as sun exposure and alcohol.

8. Skin Blotches

The older you are, the blotchier your skin will appear. The difference in skin tone is usually due to years of sun exposure but can be caused by a buildup of dry or irritated skin.

9. Rough, scaly patches

These usually show up on fair skinned individuals over 50 and are caused by sun exposure. This condition is called actinic keratosis.

10. Age Spots

The dreaded age spots can show up no matter how old you are, but are most common in adults over 50. Age spots are simply areas of skin that are darker and are usually due to sun exposure.