7 Things You Have to Look Forward to When You Get Older

By Jessica Chiajess_chia, Allure

The ink that’s been spilled telling women how to look younger and defy aging could fill an Olympic-size pool. Or 20. But then you look at Diane Keaton. Or Angela Bassett. And you have to ask yourself: Just what are we trying to “defy”? It’s impossible to quantify every great thing that comes with age — but here’s a solid start.
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1. Your double chin DISAPPEARS.

When twenty- and thirtysomethings say they want to get rid of fat under the chin, dermatologists may tell them to sleep on it...for a decade. The issue often has as much to do with youth as it does with diet and exercise or genetics — which means that some double chins correct themselves: “As we mature, the fat pads under our chin tend to get smaller,” says Whitney Bowe, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. So much so that she advises some young women to hold off on noninvasive (but pricey) procedures for removing fat under the chin (like CoolMini or Kybella) for a few years. At which point they might also be able to toss their contour palettes. “In your 30s and 40s, your face is not as round, and you tend to get more of that high-cheekbone effect,” says Jeannette Graf, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

2. You’re a lot happier.

Here’s a lovely little prediction that’s backed by science: You’re going to be happier in five years than you are right this second. A study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that people tended to get happier — and more adept at regulating their emotions — the older they got. And things only get better. “Happiness levels keep going up in a linear fashion from your 20s to your 90s,” says the study’s author, Dilip Jeste, the director of the Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego. At the same time, levels of anxiety, depression, and stress go down, often regardless of life circumstances. “We talk about the fountain of youth being in the 20s and 30s,” says Jeste. “But we found that was the period with the most stress, anxiety, and depression.”

3. The bags under your eyes let up.

Take this, millennials: Research in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science found that eye bags’ appearance improved from morning to evening for women between 55 and 65 years old — but not for their younger counterparts. The likely explanation behind this unlikely phenomenon: Younger women’s eye bags are often fatty deposits, while older women’s tend to be caused by fluid retention, which increases at night but lessens, with gravity’s help, throughout the day.
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4. Sex gets hotter.

Your mom is probably getting off more than you. (Really sorry to go there, but we’re making an important point.) A study in The American Journal of Medicine found that 70 percent of women in their 40s and 50s said they had an orgasm the last time they had sex — nearly 10 percent more than 18- to 24-year-olds. There’s a good chance it’s because there’s more spontaneity later in life, says Mary Jane Minkin, a clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine. Plus there’s this: The longer you’ve known your body, the better you know how — and where — to press its buttons.

5. Your skin looks GLOWIER.

 In middle age, you get the kind of glow that you just can’t fake with a highlighter (even a really good one). “You have this sweet spot from your 30s to your 50s when moisture levels in the skin are at their peak,” says Bowe. The less awesome news is that after your 50s, hydration levels start to dip. The best fix: “A moisturizer with vitamin E is great — we produce it in our sebaceous glands when we are young, and it diminishes when we get older,” Graf says.
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6. You can save a ton on waxing.

That is, if body-hair removal is your thing. (If not, move on to number 7: There’s no win for you here.) The hair on your arms, legs, and bikini line starts to get less obvious — meaning it grows in lighter and thinner — right around your 40th birthday, when testosterone levels start to dip, Graf says. And that’s pretty good timing, because you may want to start rethinking waxing altogether: As you lose collagen and your skin gets thinner, more aggressive forms of hair removal, like hot waxes, can cause irritation and potentially long-term discoloration. Graf recommends sugaring: “It uses a mixture of honey, lemon, glycerin, and sugar; it’s much gentler than wax.”

7. You’re more open-minded.

A study at the University of Michigan found that women in their 50s were more empathetic than their younger counterparts. “Acceptance improves with age, especially in women. You may have strong views and opinions, but you can understand others,” Jeste says. And that’s a very beautiful thing.

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