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Is There a “Tipping Point” of Aging?

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Attractiveness by Age

Originally uploaded by manitou2121

Recently, the Procter & Gamble-owned company SK-II identified that skin’s elasticity and resilience decreases by the greatest amount at age 35.  The company measured skin quality in 100 women between ages 25 and 55, and while elasticity and resilience decreased throughout a woman’s twenties and early thirties, it was found to precipitously drop at age 35.  As dermatologist Dr. Jeannie Downie, M.D. tells Elle magazine, “I totally notice a tipping point with my patients.”  And Professor Osamu Kuwazuru at Fukui University (who participated in the study) confirms in the Bangkok Post: “Many women seem to experience a sudden onset of skin ageing at a certain age in their 30s…With ageing, each layer of the skin undergoes different changes. While they may not seem prominent at the start, the accumulative changes lead to a certain critical point when the skin layers start to collapse, causing a variety of ageing signs to become more obvious.”

However, this is not to say that the “tipping point” is universal.  Many dermatologists and anti-aging experts claim that healthy, balanced living can slow the aging process (especially if that living includes lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, anti-inflammatory whole grains, hydrating water…and tons of sunscreen and smart sun avoidance)!   As the skin is the largest organ, a good rule of thumb I’ve learned is the healthier you are on the inside, the more your skin will glow from the outside.

In addition, don’t fear aging to 35 and beyond just yet:  According to Forbes magazine, the most attractive age for women is 36, with women in their late 30’s and early 40’s like Halle Berry, Carmen Electra and Demi Moore ranking very high in internet search popularity.  Furthermore, if beauty is how you feel, then youth is pretty ugly:  according to a British study amongst 1500 women aged 40 to 60, 38% of women felt most attractive at 32, while another 20% felt most attractive at 40 – leaving a minority feeling most beautiful before their thirties.

As a 25-year-old woman, I know that I grew up wanting to look like Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, or Kristi Yamaguchi…and they have aged so well, I still want to look like them!  🙂  With that said, even though the aforementioned SK-II study certainly is interesting, keep in mind that age really is just a number…and aging a state of mind.

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