Is it true that our ears grow as we age?

No matter how much we take care of ourselves, our bodies change as we age. This is inevitable and good news because it means we are alive. One of the most curious changes that occurs is ear size. If we look at any old man or woman, we will see that they are much older than they were when they were young. Something similar happens with the nose. But what is the reason for this?

This question has been asked by many people throughout history. In fact, in ancient China, large ears were considered a sign of wealth and long life. Scientists have also asked themselves the same question, although the research done in this regard is not as old as the problem may be. In fact, the first studies on this matter were carried out back in the 90s of the last century. A team of English scientists measured the ears of 200 people and confirmed that they do indeed grow as we get older, at about the rate 0.22 mm per year.

This is a minimum figure, but in 50 years it will be more than 1 centimeter, and this may already be noticeable. Here we must make a clarification: in fact, the size of the ears does not change. In fact, it is estimated that the one we have in 10 years age is approximately what we will have for the rest of our lives. What happens is that their length changes, a series of processes occur that, accompanied by gravity, cause them to hang down and appear larger. The ear is the same, but its elasticity is no longer what it was.

What Causes Changes in Ear Size?

We have already seen that the size of the ears varies slightly every year, but in fact this does not depend on the structure itself. What then is the reason?

There are several hypotheses about this, but the most common of them are related to collagen. This is the protein that is responsible for connect connective tissues and this, among other functions, makes our skin smoother. She is also responsible for give elasticity to cartilage. This is where the ears come into play, as they are mostly made of cartilage.

We know that as we age, we lose collagen. This can be promoted through habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation. All of these actions increase oxidation, which damages skin cells and also affects collagen production. However, no matter how much we take care of ourselves, the very aging of cells caused by age also leads to the loss of this protein. This is one of the causes of wrinkles, although it is also affected dehydration.

The problem with ear size is that because there is less collagen, the skin becomes less taut, causing the earlobes to stretch. Additionally, the cartilage loses elasticity, causing the rest of the ear to droop. gravity effect.

Some studies have even used ear size as an indicator of a person’s age, so there is obviously a clear correlation.

Other less proven reasons

Some scientists have other hypotheses about changes in ear size with age. They do not question the effect of collagen loss, but believe that there may be other causes.

For example, in 2023, an article was published which suggested that tensions caused by accumulation of fat on the facesince the distribution of fat in the body also changes with age.

In fact, as we age, much of the facial fat is reabsorbed. Just look at how plump the cheeks of children are and how flat the cheeks of older people look. However, aging does cause fat deposits to appear in some specific areas, such as the front of the ears. That’s why Muhammad Abrahamfrom McMaster University believes that this may affect the size of the ears.

This hypothesis has much less scientific support, so it needs to be explored in more depth. It should be noted that facial obesity is more common in women after menopause and that most studies do not find this to be the case. gender differences in the proportion with which the size of the ears changes.

Be that as it may, it is true that as we get older, our ears appear larger. But this is not something alarming. After all, it happens to all of us.