By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
August 3, 2002
Aging gracefully can be pretty … if you’re Tina Turner. But for the rest of us who never foresaw a future of thinning hair, wrinkles and expanding feet, growing older might be easier to deal with if we knew what we were in for. With that in mind, we asked some experts to warn us about what we may expect as we approach middle age.
Problem: You scoffed at the clueless men with their comb-overs. But now you’re noticing your own hairline is receding or even thinning on top.
Prognosis: Diet, stress, perms or relaxers and new medication can cause temporary hair loss. Genetics also play a role. “Male pattern baldness is something we’re familiar with, and there’s not much you can do for that,” Dr. Jeffrey Dugas says. “But women and men can develop alopecia–unexplained hair loss. Because women don’t tend to think of themselves as one day going bald, they worry about it more if it happens. And that just makes it all
worse.”
Solution: If the thinning is minimal, Tiffani Kim stylist Jill McCormick suggests salon treatments for volumizing to give the illusion of thickness. But if it’s more drastic, see a doctor. It may be as simple as excessive dandruff, which attacks the hair roots. But if the hair loss is more serious, your doctor may prescribe Rogaine to induce hair regrowth. And some dermatologists may even suggest steroid injections in the scalp.
Problem: You can work out all you want, but your skin will give away your age. You’re not just dealing with crow’s feet, but rather falcon claws.
Prognosis: “As women grow older, the hormonal balance is going to affect a lot of factors, and one of them is the oiliness in their skin is going to decrease,” says Dr. Daniel Maes, an Estee Lauder spokesman. “When you are in your 40s, you start to lose that oil and, when skin is dry, lines are more visible.” Nance Dickinson of the skin care company Aura Science adds, “We all know about our metabolism slowing down as we grow older. The same kind of thing happens with our skin cells. This results in a lack of glow and radiance, which can lead to lines and wrinkles.”
Solution: Moisturize, use sunscreen and eat well. We’re not promising that’ll net you a gorgeous face like the one on Karen Graham, the still dewy, 50ish face behind Estee Lauder’s Resilience Lift Creme campaign–but it’s a start.
Problem: Ever wonder why your Size 8 Via Spigas from a few years ago now are cramping your style? There’s a good chance your feet have grown–or, more accurately, flattened.
Prognosis: “Your arches flatten as you get older, so your shoe size goes up,” says Dr. Karona Mason of the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine. “This starts to happen anywhere from your late 20s to early 30s, depending on how much activity a person does. Anyone who’s on their feet a lot–athletes, flight attendants, hairdressers–go through this.” And there’s more. Literally. Your foot may flatten up to an inch, which can increase your shoes by a full size.
Solution: Take heart, though, all you potential Bigfoots. Just as clothes sizes vary, shoe manufacturers don’t have consistent sizing either–which means you may still find a large Size 8 that fits. To be on the safe size, get fitted every time you buy, Mason says. And if the sales clerk doesn’t suggest it, take the initiative and stand up when you put your foot down. It flattens the arches.
