Age is a matter of perspective. You're older than some. You're younger than some. How you feel about that depends on how you feel about yourself. While you can't change your age, understanding why and how your body changes can help you adjust to those changes or result in new ways of doing things to increase your satisfaction with your age.

Hair

While hair can gray at any age, most people associate gray hair with aging. As you age, hair follicles produce less melanin (pigment) that gives your hair color and hair strands become smaller, so the thick hair of youth becomes thin, fine, light-colored hair. Body and facial hair also turn gray, but usually later than scalp hair. The hair in armpits, chest, and pubic area may gray less or not at all.

By age 30, about a quarter of men begin to show signs of baldness and by age 60, two-thirds are significantly bald with hair loss at the temples or at the top of the head. Eyebrows may become longer and coarser. Women may also lose hair as they age and the scalp may become visible while coarse facial hair develops, especially on the chin and around the lips. Talk with your hair stylist or barber to see what you can do to make the hair you have as healthy as possible.

Finger and toenails

You might not think of your nails aging, but they do. They grow more slowly, become more brittle, lengthwise ridges form, and nail color may change from clear to yellowish. The tips of your fingernails may fragment. Toenails become thick and ingrown toenails become more common. While all of these are part of the normal aging process, some nail changes can indicate an infection or other problems. If you have a question, contact your physician.

Heart

Your heart grows larger with age—not only because you have more to fill your heart, but because the walls and valves of your heart thicken. This can hinder the pumping action and blood flow from your heart. Your heart cells that act as natural pacemakers decline, meaning your heart pumps slower and not as regularly (atrial fibrillation). Talk to your physician to find out what condition your heart is in and what you need to do counteract some of the negative effects of aging. A good start is to eat a healthy diet, stop smoking, and get regular exercise.

See Issue 4 of Well&Good for more information about how your body ages.