Aging is a battle with gravity, and gravity always wins. While many body parts become droopier with each passing year, there’s one that often seems to get bigger with time — our ears. Will it make you feel any better if we tell you they’re not really growing, but just, um, “elongating” themselves? Yeah, we didn’t think so.

We looked into the scientific reasons for this more-or-less-universal human phenomenon. Dr. Nina Shapiro is a pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist at Los Angeles’ Westside Head and Neck, and a professor emerita at UCLA. She explains it this way: “Just as the other facial tissues, such as cheeks and jowls, tend to stretch, so do the ear structures.”

“What’s actually changing is the soft tissue, meaning the cartilage of the external ear or auricle, and the lobule, or ear lobe,” Shapiro says. “Aging reduces our levels of collagen, which gives integrity to skin and cartilage, which leads to stretching of those tissues. The functional parts of the ear, including the ear drum, ear bones and inner ear structures, aren’t affected.”

Shapiro offered a few theories about how this can play out for different people. “Those with more laxity to the facial muscles and skin may have more tendency to elongation of the ear cartilage and ear lobes,” she said.

And there may even be a reason you suddenly look in the mirror and see your grandpa — especially around the ears. “Ear size and contour do tend to run in families, so while there may not be an actual ‘gene’ for big ears, you’ll probably find ear shape and size to be similar from one family member to another,” Shapiro suggested.

Another culprit may be your longtime love of layering on the jewels.

“Individuals with multiple piercings, or those who wear heavier earrings, may develop longer and stretchier ear lobes as they age,” Shapiro noted. “If you wear earrings, be mindful of changing out the heavy ones, and try not to sleep with them on.”

In many cultures, big ears are considered an indication of longevity or even prosperity.

Some scientists have investigated whether big ears do indeed play a role in how long people live… with inconclusive results. (A 1995 study, “Why Do Old Men Have Big Ears,” excluded women, but the phenomenon of stretched-out tissues happens pretty much equally for all.)

So far, it seems like those ears are just one more sign of years lived ― not an indicator of how long you’re going to be alive, or how much money is heading your way.

Shapiro did note one ear irregularity that might be linked to overall health.

“The one factor we’ve seen as a health marker from the ears is a crease that can be seen in the earlobe,” she said. “While it is not a direct cause by any means, this crease may be associated with a higher risk of heart disease.”

Steven Picciano, a hair stylist and national artist for Goldwell, has noticed a slight difference in the way men and women treat the issue.

“In the many years I’ve been behind the chair, male clients have rarely expressed concern about the size of their ears,” he said. “But female clients can be a bit more self-conscious, especially with the pressure to wear shorter hair as they age.”

“If clients are concerned about the size of their ears, I always make sure to create a shape that’s tapered through the nape,” he said. “It’s important for the cut to maintain some length and fullness through the top and sides, so a long pixie cut, bob or shag are all great options.”

Another trick you may want to mention to your stylist: “A lot of times it’s necessary to remove the extra weight right above the ear, so the hair can lay closer to the head shape, creating the illusion of less density or bulk in the area,” Picciano suggested.

Shapiro notes that big ears are not necessarily a negative feature. And just like the rest of you, they deserve some care and attention.

“What’s most important is that one protects the ears when it comes to noise exposure, which may lead to permanent hearing loss,” she said. “In addition, as ears often are well-exposed to the sun, any scab or growth that doesn’t heal, or any pigmented lesion, needs to be addressed by your physician or dermatologist to rule out skin cancer. And please remember that ears — of any size — need sunscreen.”

If you think that aging is tough, more prominent ears and all, just consider the alternative and try to be grateful.

“At the end of the day, there are just some things in life we cannot change,” Picciano said. “Truthfully, I hope I live long enough that I can say, ‘Wow, these big ol’ ears are really showing my age.’”

Our real age may be just a number, but our biological age may say a lot more about our longevity.

Last year, the American Heart Association released its updated list of Life’s Essential 8, which the organization defines as “key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.” This year, the nonprofit went a step further, releasing a report based on the analysis of over 6,500 adults concluding that following the guidelines may actually reduce a person’s “biological age” ― also known as phenotypical age ― by up to five years. That’s a lot.

“A person’s chronological age can be assessed in years, months and days, but biological age is a reflection of chronological age and things like genetics, lifestyle and environment,” Dr. Satyajit Reddy, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Arizona, told HuffPost.

A 27-year-old who smokes, doesn’t exercise and eats poorly may, for example, have a biological age of 32. The opposite is also true: A 49-year-old who sleeps properly and has a healthy diet may have a biological age of 44.

Generally speaking, Reddy explained, there are a set of factors that contribute to one’s biological age that cannot be changed ― think genetics and, in some cases, a person’s environment.

But there are also a slew of modifiable lifestyle aspects that can help minimize one’s biological age. A lot of these are part of the American Heart Association’s checklist.

“Having high cardiovascular health may slow the pace of biological aging, which may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular and other age-related diseases while extending life,” reads an official statement by the American Heart Association.

So, what behaviors should you prioritize? Here’s what the American Heart Association includes on its checklist:

Try to consume mostly whole foods, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, nuts and seeds.

“I advise people to moderate the intake of processed foods, especially processed carbs and sugars,” Reddy said. “Processed foods are often designed for overindulgence and cravings. Sugar is found in so many processed food products in our grocery stores and even in foods at restaurants, that we often need to be mindful and vigilant to avoid excessive consumption.”

More specifically, the cardiologist suggested paying attention to how you feel after you consume a meal. “If, within one to two hours, you feel hungry again or tired, then it probably was not an optimal [meal],” he said.

The American Heart Association differentiates between adults and children when it comes to exercise. Adults should opt for 75 minutes of vigorous activity or 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. Kids, on the other hand, should move around for about 60 minutes a day, including structured activities and regular play.

According to Reddy, scheduled exercise like going to the gym is “an excellent way to maintain health,” but a lot of people do feel anxiety surrounding the practice, especially if they lack the time to partake regularly.

His advice? Do what you can.

“Finding a physical activity that you enjoy and look forward to is so important for sustainability,” he said. “Things like dance exercise and yoga, as free videos are easily found on YouTube, walking while listening to a podcast, and more.”

Overall, Reddy suggested, you should try not to be sedentary on a day-to-day basis, “whether that means parking further from the store entrance, or avoiding the elevator and taking stairs, or going for walks with your kids instead of watching a TV show, or setting an hourly timer at work to move from your workstation.”

Smoking is known to contribute to poor cardiovascular health, but according to the American Heart Association, secondhand smoke and vaping can be incredibly dangerous as well. “Traditional” cigarettes aren’t the only issue.

“In modern America, we’ve been led to believe that vaping is better than smoking, and that’s actually not true,” Dr. Leslie Cho, the section head of preventive cardiology at Cleveland Clinic, told HuffPost last year, listing vaping-related health issues that include lung problems, cancer and addiction to nicotine.

Conversations about how many hours of sleep people should get nightly have been going on for decades now.

The American Heart Association claims that adults should aim for an average of between seven to nine hours of sleep a night because “too little or too much sleep is associated with heart disease, studies show.”

Experts and the American Heart Association also note that maintaining a proper weight for your specific body type can help you increase your longevity and improve your biological age. This doesn’t mean extreme dieting and fixating on how your body looks ― this approach is often the opposite of good health. Instead, focus on eating nourishing foods and moving your body in a way that feels good. Every body is different.

High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, also known as bad cholesterol) have been linked with heart disease, strokes and more, which is why it’s important to monitor your numbers at least once a year (a history of high cholesterol and genetics play a role in how often you should be getting a blood test).

Dr. David Samadi explained to HuffPost that the American Heart Association checklist’s suggestions will also help you keep your cholesterol in check — remaining physically active, maintaining a healthy body weight and quitting smoking if you’re a smoker.

“Foods that are high in soluble fiber and phytosterols have been found to be helpful in lowering LDL cholesterol,” Samadi explained, listing foods like nuts, avocado, olive oil, beans, soy, apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruits. Fiber supplements containing psyllium, such as Metamucil and other bulk-forming laxatives, may also help.

On a biological level, just about anything we eat is turned into glucose or blood sugar, which is what our bodies use as energy.

“Over time, high levels of blood sugar can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves,” the American Heart Association states in its guidelines. “As part of testing, monitoring hemoglobin A1C can better reflect long-term control in people with diabetes or prediabetes.” The main way to manage your blood sugar is to monitor your levels and follow a healthy diet.

According to the American Heart Association, optimal blood pressure levels are lower than 120 over 80 (120/80 mmHG). The more you stay within an acceptable range, the healthier you’ll be.

In addition to eating healthy foods and regularly exercising, the Mayo Clinic suggests lowering the amount of sodium in your diet, limiting alcohol intake and reducing stress.

Make sure to also monitor your blood pressure at home (you can buy a monitor without a prescription) and get regular check-ups.

If you haven’t been practicing these habits, don’t panic: Reddy said that there’s always time to make a switch.

“It is our exposure to things like smoking, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, excess blood sugar, excess weight, etc. over many years that leads to accumulated harm to our health,” Reddy said. “Following as many of these eight guidelines [as possible] helps reduce that exposure over time. I believe in the concept that our bodies adapt to what we repeatedly do and are exposed to every day. Improving habits and health parameters lead to healthier bodies over a lifetime.”

That being said, genetics obviously play a big role ― in everything from how our body holds weight to our disease risk ― which is why it’s also important to regularly visit your doctor.

“An analogy that is often used is that ‘genetics load the gun but behaviors pull the trigger,’” Reddy said. “Aside from particular cardiac disorders, we know that lifestyle and behavior [play] a vitally important role in whether a particular cardiac predisposition will manifest.”

Follow as many healthy lifestyle guidelines as you can for as long as you can ― they will all make a difference.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the American Heart Association’s recommended exercise guidelines.

It’s the morning after a night out, and you can’t stop stressing. Maybe you’re overwhelmed by all the errands you need to run or can’t shake the feeling of embarrassment over your tipsy choices.

This is a common experience ― and you may have noticed this happens more as you age. “I just can’t drink like I used to,” you’ll hear people say.

Case in point: One social media user shared how their anxiety was extra-affected by alcohol as they got older. TikTok creator and therapist Amanda White responded, explaining that as we age, our bodies become less efficient at breaking down alcohol, especially as you hit your 30s, 40s and 50s.

Hello, “hangxiety,” or hangover anxiety. Teri Wilder, a licensed mental health counselor with Thriveworks in Lafayette, Indiana, who specializes in addiction and anxiety, said there’s a real connection between the two.

“The ability to tolerate alcohol actually reduces as you age, resulting in an increase in anxiety symptoms and the reduced ability for the liver to manage alcohol effectively,” she explained.

What is behind that? According to Josh New, clinical director at Renewal Lodge by Burning Tree in Texas, “this could be a mixed bag of things for different people.” He and Wilder shared a few of those factors below.

Muscle mass typically decreases over time, and that plays a role in how we break down alcohol, Wilder said. “Adults tend to have reduced muscle mass as they age, resulting in less water in the body overall to help dilute the effects of the alcohol.”

Further, since having less muscle mass can mean having a slower metabolism, your body can’t process alcohol as quickly in that sense, either.

GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that lessens a cell’s ability to receive or create messages, and it’s known for having a calming effect. Unfortunately, GABA levels decline both with intense alcohol use and with age.

“Alcohol is a depressant, which means that as it affects the GABA chemicals within the brain, it results in providing relaxation and stress reduction initially,” Wilder explained. “However, when an individual engages in heavy drinking, GABA levels become depleted and the brain utilizes its reserves of the relaxation chemical, resulting in an increase in anxiety, tension and potentially even creating feelings of panic.”

The liver also doesn’t work as well over time. “The liver’s ability to detox the body and cleanse it of toxins becomes less efficient, which could contribute to more acute withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, as we age,” New said.

Drinking too much also affects brain health and mood. According to New, “As we drink excessively and consistently, the body becomes used to the suppressant effect that alcohol produces in the body and can lead to long-term disruption in serotonin production.”

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects several factors in your brain and body, like your happiness and mood, ability to sleep and more. A lack of serotonin is often a contributor to anxiety or depression. Data suggests people who excessively use alcohol do experience reduced serotonin levels in the brain.

So, in the midst of the anxiety, what can help you deal? New said, “a lot of the same practices to help in general anxiety would be beneficial for an individual here.” He and Wilder shared some advice to help get you out of that funk.

Besides feeling anxious, you may also feel physically sick the next morning (which can also worsen your mental health). Taking care of yourself is crucial. Wilder recommended resting, rehydrating and eating comfort food that’s easily digestible.

New also encouraged adding nutrient-rich foods to your plate to “help the body restore vital nutrients depleted during a night of drinking.” For example, bell peppers have lots of water content and antioxidants, and strawberries are high in water, fiber and vitamin C.

“Being hydrated is key, as being dehydrated will only worsen anxiety,” he explained.

How else can you help your body chill out? Wilder suggested taking a warm bath, listening to calming music, walking outside, getting a massage, practicing deep breathing, engaging in progressive muscle relaxation, using essential oils and resting your eyes in a darkened room.

New is a fan of breathing exercises, too. “If anxiety persists, one can take time to practice some basic breathing exercises, such as box breathing … or any other breathing techniques the individual may know,” New said.

Here’s a video on box breathing to get you started. “This will help ground an individual and regulate that feeling of panic.”

Bringing in your support system is often a smart move. “Talk to friends or family about your anxiety or what is giving you cause for concern,” Wilder encouraged. “Allow them to talk you down and help reduce your anxiety as you focus on assessing your current situation.”

New added that talking to others can also help you just feel supported and less alone. If you’ve ever gotten this kind of encouragement before, you know how good it can feel.

Side note: If no one is picking up, consider calling a warmline, which is like a crisis line but for people who just need comfort.

While receiving others’ love can be meaningful, receiving our own love and understanding is important, too. “Try not to overthink or focus too much on what is creating anxiety for you,” Wilder said. “Try not to focus on your actions while engaged in using alcohol, and don’t beat yourself up for any mistakes that you may have made during that time.”

This is a tip to try if you can’t stop ruminating. Wilder recommended redirecting your mind. “Using mindfulness to focus on your senses and engage in tuning them into what is happening around you can be a useful grounding tool to help bring you back down,” she said.

If drinking less and these tips aren’t helping — or even if they are — what’s your best bet? “Overall, if anxiety persists and is the reason for continuing drinking,” New said, “you should always seek out professional help to be assessed to see if professional services may benefit you.”

Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.

Vera Wang just revealed that her youthful glow doesn’t have anything to do with maintaining a clean diet.

The famed fashion designer, 74, talked about her fast-food habits and her aging philosophy with Page Six at Thursday’s DKMS gala in New York, an annual event run by the Deutsche Knochenmarkspenderdatei nonprofit.

Revealing how she’s not one to keep to a restricted meal plan, Wang admitted to sometimes eating fast food for days on end.

“I do eat McDonald’s, absolutely,” said the bridalwear visionary, who has previously been photographed with a burger and french fries from the chain. “I order it every day, like two weeks on it, and then I’ll change.”

She’s not averse to sweet things either, telling Page Six about some of her go-to Dunkin’ orders.

“I like the cream-filled, sugar-coated donut,” she said. “I like the pink with sprinkles, too.”

While eating lean doesn’t seem to factor into Wang’s wellness plan, she actually credits her high-stakes fashion career with maintaining her ageless appearance.

“Work keeps you young and stimulated,” she told Page Six, adding that her hectic schedule has also included raising two daughters. “Keeping busy is the best antidote [for] good health.”

The designer has dressed some of the most famous brides of all time, working on wedding looks for celebs like Victoria Beckham, Gwen Stefani, Hailey Bieber and Ariana Grande.

Wang previously attributed her clock-stopping looks to not only her job, but the occasional cocktail.

Back in 2020, she told an Instagram follower that her self-care routine included “work, sleep, a vodka cocktail, [and] not much sun.”

The fashion legend is also the proprietor of the adult beverage brand Vera Wang Party, which sells both a classic prosecco and bubbly rosé.

There’s a reason why you more often rely on cozy blankets or sweaters for warmth as you get older ― and it’s safe to say you aren’t the only person who feels like you’re running colder and colder.

Doctors say having a harder time getting warm is to be expected for people as they age. In fact, it’s a natural part of aging. Below, experts share why this happens and what you can do about it.

“The skin thins as we age, it loses some cells, but in addition, it loses fat padding,” explained Dr. June McKoy, a geriatrician at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.

McKoy equated our skin’s fat padding to home insulation: It’s meant to keep us warm. As we lose some of that padding, our body then loses the ability to stay as warm as it used to be.

This fat loss happens particularly in the legs and arms, said Dr. James Powers, the program director for the Geriatric Fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Center for Quality Aging. So you may notice that these areas, in particular, feel colder than the rest of your body.

“We tend to lose … 3% to 8% of muscle each decade starting at age 30. So by age 65, many individuals have lost 10% or more of their muscle mass, and by age 80, [they’ve lost] 30%,” said Powers.

Not only does this impact your strength, but it impacts your warmth, too. Muscle is “your most actively metabolizing organ … muscle tissue uses more oxygen and metabolizes and creates the heat that keeps us warm,” Powers explained.

“Very rarely, feeling colder can be part of a health condition — so, not part of normal aging,” said Dr. Ariel Green, an associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and vice chair of the American Geriatrics Society’s clinical practice and models of care committee.

“But I think … it’s unlikely to have only feeling colder as a symptom of that,” Green pointed out.

According to Green, people with diabetes, poor circulation or heart failure, for example, may feel cold, and so may people with hypothyroidism or anemia. But you would likely notice other symptoms first if it’s the result of an underlying condition, Green noted.

“It’s good to ask your doctor about it, but not something really to worry about too much,” Green said.

It goes without saying, but blankets and sweaters are always a good way to keep warm — especially as we head into late fall and winter. Additionally, Powers said layering and getting into a warm environment can be helpful, too.

Fitness can also be a big help. You can slow down one of the culprits of that colder feeling — muscle mass loss — by exercising, according to Powers. Plus, it’s a good way to just feel warmer in general, too.

“We all tend to feel colder if we’re sedentary, and so if you already, with aging, have a tendency to feel colder, just keep moving,” Green added.

This could mean going for a walk, a bike ride or doing some simple strength exercises as you sit in a chair. For chair strength training, Green suggests using a full water bottle or can of soup and raising it a few times for an effective workout.

Just doing something to get your blood flowing can help you feel warmer, added Green.

“I think the main thing is just move as much as [you] can,” Green said. Beyond staying warm, exercise can help with your heart health, mental health and can help reduce your injury risk. In other words, exercise is a win all around.

Aging is a privilege, and it comes with some responsibilities — and if you’re concerned with the health of your skin, adjusting your skin care routine is one of them.

You may see some loss of volume, or more noticeable lines and wrinkles and drier skin. If you’re wondering what you can do to support and complement your skin through the various changes you will experience from age 40 onward, we have some expert suggestions. Read on to find out what products you can add to (or remove from) your skin care and makeup routines.

“The major changes can be described in two words ― gravity and laxity,” said Dr. Kenneth Mark, a cosmetic dermatologist. “The face begins to sag, resulting in loss of jawline definition, early jowling, loss of volume in the mid-face, and loose skin around the eyelids.”

“People in their 40s experience significant dryness of the skin, so hydration is key,” said Dr. David Kim, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York. At this age, deeper lines and wrinkles also start to develop, and collagen production slows down, resulting in decreased facial volume. “These changes occur due to aging and menopause, when you lose the ability to hold on to moisture and lipids to keep your skin hydrated,” Kim explained.

The production of collagen ― an essential part of the skin’s building blocks (together with elastin, fat cells and muscles) that gives the skin a plump appearance ― actually starts decreasing from the age of 25.

Fine lines become more prominent around the eyes, which means some changes may need to be made when it comes to your makeup routine as well, explained Elaina Badro, a celebrity makeup artist.

Eyelids can also become more hooded with age, noted Jamie Greenberg, a celebrity makeup artist. “I often adjust eye looks on clients based on that, too,” Greenberg said. “Skin care and prep is also important, and I always recommend a retinol among other skin care products.”

Of course, hormonal changes can’t be avoided, with perimenopause making an appearance in your early 40s. Discoloration and pigmentation can become more prominent.

“The accumulated sun damage really starts to become apparent — this might include more brown spots, textural irregularities as well as fine lines and wrinkles becoming more pronounced,” said Dr. Carmen Castilla, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical instructor at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

“There is also a decline in the skin’s ability to heal,” Castilla said. “Small scratches or acne that may have not left marks previously are more likely to scar or leave behind lingering dark marks.”

“The onset of perimenopause triggers fluctuations in estrogen, a vital hormone for the production of collagen, and the maintenance of the skin’s barrier,” Castilla explained. “This is what contributes to drier, lax and more thin skin.”

She also noted that lifestyle factors can play a huge role in how the skin ages. If you spend an excessive amount of time in the sun, the damage will accumulate. The same goes for smoking. Genetics, of course, affect how the skin ages as well.

Adding certain treatments and ingredients to your skin care routine is an important step, and dermatologists suggest that if you haven’t already, you could consider using retinol (another name for vitamin A).

“Vitamin A boosts collagen production, and helps with hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and keeps your skin cells engaged and stimulated,” Kim said. For age spots and pigmentation, pick products with vitamin C, tranexamic acid or licorice root. Castilla explained these ingredients work by “incorporating an antioxidant that can help protect the skin from free radicals and pollution damage.”

Let’s not forget the basics of the routine: moisturizing and sunscreen. You may want to opt for heavier moisturizers to support the skin, which will likely be drier because of a “natural decrease in oil production and weaker skin barrier,” Castilla suggested. And sunscreen will “help prevent UV-induced damage” and “help with hyperpigmentation and keeping the skin healthy, with an even complexion,” Kim said.

“It’s important to remember that ‘less is more’ when applying makeup to clients 40-plus,” Badro said. “Too much makeup can actually appear to age the face.”

The makeup artists said their over-40 clients prefer a more natural base ― think light to medium coverage, with lighter products on the face and the eyes. After all, glowing skin can give the illusion of lift and plumpness.

Shimmer can still be used, but more sparingly, as it can accentuate the fine lines and wrinkles. “Keep it on the lid of the eye, versus the crease and brow bone,” Badro said.

Creamy products and proper skin prep are your friend. Moisturizers and primers should be used before foundation, especially those containing hualuronic acid and peptides, said makeup artist Nicole Walmsley.

“The more natural eye looks also help to brighten the face up and lift the eyes a bit,” Greenberg said. “That doesn’t mean you can’t still rock a cat eye past 40, though! One tip I use is making the cat eye wing flick upwards. It has a great lifting effect for the eyes, and individual false lashes are a major game changer.”

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Isn’t there something so thrilling about finding a truly stellar and game-changing beauty product? It’s a huge joy, and you want to tell everyone how great it is and use it all the time and bask in its glory and congratulate yourself for choosing it and see other people experience it, too. It’s so satisfying to see good results that make a purchase truly worth it — especially when it’s a luxury beauty product that happens to be on sale during Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.

That’s how I feel about Revision Skincare’s YouthFull Lip Replenisher, which I bought last month while on a mission to find something that would care for and address my aging lips. My lips have gotten just as much sun damage as the rest of my face over the last nearly-five decades, and it was starting to show in fine lines. I’m not overly bothered by signs of aging, but I do want to take care of my face, and lip skin is wildly delicate.

I figured one of the most promising lip-safe active ingredients would be peptides, given that certain peptides can have skin-restoring abilities and help address things like loss of firmness, dullness and fine lines, and others are solid antioxidants. Although they don’t produce quick miracles — no skin care does — peptides can be effective, and some are gentle enough to be included in lip products.

Revision’s peptide treatment is currently 20% off during Amazon’s big sales event. Designed to target visible signs of lip aging, it not only has several peptides including palmitoyl tripeptide-1 and palmitoyl tripeptide-38, but also other research-backed ingredients like vitamins E and C and green tea that can work well in tandem with peptides, plus very solid moisturizers like shea butter. I put it on overnight — more on that choice below — and let me tell you, I could actually tell a difference the very next morning.

My lips hadn’t been in terrible shape, but they definitely seemed smoother than they’d been in years. They weren’t puckery. They didn’t look wrinkly. And they certainly felt supremely healthy. I kept going with overnight use, and within days felt like this it was making a real difference. I was honestly floored when I woke up each morning, and kept being reminded during the day when they just felt so freshly smooth all the time. And given how little of it I have to squeeze out to give my lips a solid coat, I feel like this one tube is going to last for an almost comically long time (a relief given that $40 is way more than I typically spend on a lip balm).

I will note that when I first put this on, I immediately knew it wasn’t going to be a product I’d wear much during the day, despite Revisions’s guidance of applying it three times daily. It’s pretty thick and sticky (if you are constantly pulling your hair out of your lip gloss, you know the struggle). But as one reviewer noted, this is actually the product’s superpower, because it absolutely does not budge, even if you wear it overnight. “Although some reviews complain about the tackiness of the balm, that’s actually what is so great about this product!” wrote a Dermstore customer named Lizzie. “It sticks to lips better than any other balm I’ve tried.”

I can attest to this. Each morning when I wake up, it’s still there as if I just applied it. I sleep on my side, but it doesn’t melt off or get on my pillow. The fact that it clings so hard and lasts so long gives me some assurance that all those little peptides really are hard at work while I sleep, safely ensconced on my lips in a very stay-put formula.

Although some reviewers do enjoy it wearing this formula as a daytime gloss, many others are using it overnight only, too, and say it makes their lipstick easier to apply the next day. Some aren’t so concerned with fine lines, and simply use it for dry, cracked lips in winter or desert climates (and they say it’s hugely effective for that). Read some promising thoughts from verified Dermstore purchasers and Amazon reviewers below:

“Love this product. The day it arrived I used it twice, at noon and before bed. When I woke up in the morning I did a double take in the mirror. My 46 year old lips were reminded me of the 18 year old lips in my senior pictures! They were more defined on the edges, and a bit more plump. The results after one night were amazing!” — Julie at Dermstore

“I have a pretty epic lip balm graveyard in my beauty cabinet so I was not expecting much from this, but it knocked my socks off! It’s so good. Very thick and sticky, but that helps it stay on all night. I just wipe off the residue in the morning and my lips look amazing. I have not had a single skin flake since I started using this. I also love the smell, which is very delicate. Will definitely repurchase.” — Anonymous at Dermstore

“There are tons of lip moisturizers and masks and I’ve tried many of them. They essentially have the same end result…temporary hydration of the lips. None of them have ever really wowed me until I tried Revision! What makes it different? It adheres to the lips unlike any product that I’ve ever tried. I apply it at bedtime and it is STILL there in the morning! That kind of adherence means that the active ingredients make contact with the lips longer so they can work their magic. My lips are hydrated and plumped all day long with just a night time application so it’s very cost effective as well.” — Laura at Dermstore

“It actually works! My Dermatologist recommended this to me. Results are noticeable some in the beginning but with daily use (throughout the day) my lips are fuller, less wrinkles! (age 46)” — Amy Gragg at Amazon

“I am embarrassed to say how many of these tubes I’ve purchased since first using it after lip injections in August. There is absolutely nothing that comes close in both appearance and function. It stays on for hours and my lips are plump, hydrated and regaining their natural healthy tone and texture. My only complaint is that there isn’t a punch card because I will be buried in this lip treatment.” — Jessica at Dermstore

“I’ve tried so many lip masks. Laneige, Tatcha, First Aid Beauty (was amazing and now discontinued), Bite, Fresh, Ole Henricksen, Kiehl’s (tastes and smells fantastic, lasts on lips for 4 minutes)…Tarte, Buxom, Dior, was a Burt’s Bees fan for a decade. BB is nice and keeps the moisture in, but no active ingredients to nourish. Revision is serious business… I travel for work, am on planes and changing climates weekly. My lips are soft and nourished. I’m over 50, and no lip lines. **Can’t recommend strongly enough. 10/10**” — Kimberly S at Amazon

“Didn’t want to love this product due to the price point but it really works. Gives me a plump lip filler look when left on overnight. Definitely prefer this to the laneige lip mask. It does have a sticky/tacky feel so best to use overnight vs during the day.” — Lindsey at Dermstore

Vanna White isn’t interested in turning back the clock.

“I’m not trying to look 30 years old again because I’m not,” the “Wheel of Fortune” favorite told People in an interview published on Monday.

“I think wrinkles are beautiful,” White, 66, explained. “Someone who is completely with no lines, they don’t have any character. Be natural, be yourself and have personality.”

Comparing her flawless on-camera appearance with reality, the TV star said, “I don’t look like this without all this makeup. But you know what? I am older and I accept my lines and wrinkles.”

While White, who started her four-decade run on “Wheel” in 1982, wasn’t ruling out the future possibility of cosmetic surgery, she told People she’d much rather embrace her natural looks.

“Will I ever have plastic surgery? Maybe,” the former beauty queen said. “But I’m kind of scared to do that.”

White signed a two-year contract with “Wheel of Fortune” in September, extending her time on the show through the 2025-26 season.

While the terms of her contract were not revealed, the deal came following reports White was willing to walk if the show didn’t boost her $3 million annual salary to a figure closer to Pat Sajak’s $15 million-a-year paycheck.

In June, Sajak announced he was retiring at the end of “Wheel’s” 41st season. Ryan Seacrest will take on hosting duties in fall 2024.

“How old do you think Terri is?”

My friends love this game and so we play it. A lot.

“Guess.”

An awkward pause as the person looks me over. Guess too high and they risk insult. Too low and they’re pandering. Of course, the point of the game is to fail.

“32?” “38?” “41?”

“Wrong!” Everyone laughs. I do the reveal because otherwise, it feels like an accusation.

“I’m 50,” I say.

They knew they were wrong, but didn’t know how wrong. “What? No!” The jaw drops, the eyes widen, the eyebrows shoot up like birds startled off a wire. Then the familiar chorus: “You look great” ― sing it with me now ― “for your age.”

The reaction to an age reveal, particularly when someone’s older than you thought, is universal.

It’s a compliment, a victimless crime, a game where everyone wins. And of course I’m flattered. But while it was cute when I was 39 and people guessed 27, it hits different now that I’m 50. What used to be a fun fact is now met with the kind of shock I wish I’d done something more interesting to earn.

“But how though?” they ask, as if I’ve pulled off some kind of trick, a death-defying feat ― which I guess I have, since, as Seinfeld said, all I did was not die another year.

I’m going to go ahead and speak for women on the cusp of 50 and beyond when I say please, please stop being shocked by our ages. You’re not helping.

First, because we’re already shocked as it is. Every one of us, regardless of how old we are. Aren’t you just a little bit incredulous that you’re the age you are right now? Of course. And just as we’re getting used to the idea of this age, it changes again.

Look, I’m guilty of the same gaping curiosity ― pinging Siri with questions like “How old is Christie Brinkley” (69, if you’re interested) and “How old was Kim Cattrall in Season 1?” (41). TikTok exploded when we learned that the women in the “Sex and the City” revival were the same age as the “Golden Girls” were in 1988. These extremes leave very little room for regular women. The presumption is that you’ll either immediately become Bea Arthur at age 45, or are failing at life if you don’t look like J.Lo (who’s 54).

(Fact: If you didn’t look like J.Lo 20 years ago, you’re probably not going to look like her anytime soon.)

Maybe it’s the shock that’s so telling — because either we’re in denial that we’re aging or we’re terrified, or both. With the average lifespan of an adult in the U.S. hanging strong around 73, and even older for women, it’s not so surprising for any of us to turn 49 or 53 or 60. And if you’re lucky, you will.

The truth is, I don’t just look good for my age. I look … good. Period, the end. Part of it is genetic and part of it is privilege, which has given me access to excellent health care and hair color (and I’ll let you guess which costs more). I also chose not to get married or have children, so that accounts for why I may have less stress and more sleep. Sure, I do my part to maintain a healthy lifestyle, too. In other words, I have a lot of things working for me, some I earned, some I didn’t.

I also have plenty of friends who look fantastic, and they’d sooner tell you how many people they’ve slept with than what year they graduated college. Why? Because they fear breaking the illusion that they’re young and fertile, which we assume will cause our cultural stock to slide. We still believe that the measure of a woman’s vitality and power is to look as though she could get pregnant at any moment.

The roots of this are, of course, patriarchal, which is why we’re also supposed to be grateful that you’d still “hit that” ― or worse, that you actually prefer “mature” women. Gag.

In her book “Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life,” psychologist and mythologist Sharon Blackie points out that until very recently, women barely made it past child-bearing age.

“Now that we are living longer, it’s important to remember that fertility isn’t actually the norm in the context of an entire lifespan,” she writes. “We’re fertile (more or less) from approximately fifteen years old to around forty: twenty-five years out of an average…eighty.” That’s not a big window, and yet we have decided that that’s the shelf life.

No surprise, then, that menopause has for decades been pathologized, treated as a disease, dysfunction, a problem to be solved, rather than a stage we will simply pass through.

If you feel weird about turning 50 (or 30 or 75), chances are it’s because you believe that your power has a shelf life. Of course, that depends on how you define power. Youth has its own brand of power — all fire and endurance, the ability to stay up past midnight. But while some early forms of power may fade, others emerge.

There’s a kind of heft to age that has a power all its own, and it can feel good when you can whip it out to put people who dismiss you in their place. When I did some brand consulting for a major financial institution a few years back, the client (male, white, 70s) asked me if I had trouble getting people to take me seriously when I walked into a room (yes, he said that) because I was so young.

“Bob, exactly how old do you think I am?” I said. (I admit, I loved putting him on the spot.)

“I dunno, 30? 35?”

Wrong, Bob. And that was one of the many times I loved the reveal. Because if he didn’t take me seriously before, he did now.

And it’s not just men — plenty of women do it, too. I love it when a woman says, “Oh, you’re probably too young to remember that reference!” Bonus points if they wave a dismissing hand in your direction.

“Of course I remember The Monkees, Denise. I was born in 1973.” Denise looks at me differently after that, and I kind of love it.

Hear me out: The power we thought we had as young women was the delusion ― on loan from a world that convinced us that its needs should be our aspirations. We are effectively encultured to believe that compliance and achievement are one and the same, and we are celebrated for both ― as long as we don’t get in the way.

Your power and mine don’t come from fooling people into thinking we’re younger; they come from becoming more of who we are, hitting the gas instead of pumping the brakes, being authentically and unapologetically ourselves, and above all, caring about some things more — and most things a whole lot less.

I don’t have any intention of “letting myself go.” But I have begun to let the world go — with all its petty grievances and bullshit, its made-up rules, its infinite chorus of egos and relentless demands. Girl, bye.

Our fear of aging represents not just the iron grip of patriarchal culture, but a limited imagination. If we believe our power stops at turning heads, what we’re actually lacking is vision.

What I’m already loving about 50, and I’ve only just arrived, is that because I’m past the fertility window and no one’s waiting on wedding invites from me, I can focus on what I actually want rather than spending precious energy maintaining others’ illusions. I can imagine what my life might be outside of old roles and expectations.

Fooled you into thinking I’m younger? Joke’s on you, I guess. It’s a fun party trick, but not a goal in and of itself. We’ve got far more to contribute than a trompe l’oeil of youth. Let’s reserve our shock and awe for what we’ll do next ― not despite our age, but because of it.

Terri Trespicio is the author of “Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life that Matters to You” (Atria/Simon & Schuster, 2021). Her TEDx talk, “Stop Searching for Your Passion,” has more than 8 million views. She lives in Manhattan. Access her free series “The Passion Trap: Five Half Truths Keeping You From Living a Full life” at territrespicio.com/trap.

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