Many
people wrongly assume that we start ageing only when grey hair sprouts
here and there on our heads, or when wrinkles start to appear on certain
parts of the body, especially on the foreheads, corners of the eyes, or
around the mouth. Scientists say this is not necessarily the case, as
some parts of the body actually wear out long before we look old.
For some — and, depending on lifestyle —
physical effects of ageing are not immediately pronounced on their
physique, especially the face. They are still able to flaunt their
‘ageless’ looks well after their 40th birthday; but even at that, it is
an undeniable fact that after age 35, many parts of the body start
declaring independence and they embark on south-ward movement, even if
gradually, but surely.
For women, age 35 is as tricky as it is
decisive. Experts say by mid-30s, women’s breasts start losing tissue
and fat, reducing in size and fullness. They contend that sagging starts
properly at 40 and the areola (the area surrounding the nipple) can
shrink considerably.
For men, researchers say, the penis
undergoes significant changes as a man moves from his sexual prime —
around age 30 — into middle age and on to older age. The Journal of Sexual Medicine
reports that blood flow to the head of the penis reduces at this age,
and there is a slow loss of pubic hair. “As testosterone wanes, the
penis gradually reverts to its prepubertal, mostly hairless, state,” the
journal claims.
