Older people have slightly larger ears and noses than normal. It is possible to see this situation more clearly, especially when you look at the photos of them in their youth years.
Although it is thought that this situation occurs because the ears and nose are constantly growing organs, the reason is actually different.
Contrary to popular myth, our ears and noses are not constantly growing organs like our nails.
Rather than “grow”, “expand in volume” would be a more accurate expression. There are three types of cartilage in our body: transparent, elastic and fibrocartilage. The type of cartilage found in our ears and nose is elastic and consists of tissues called collagen and elastin.
As we age, the fibers in these elastic tissues break down and slowly begin to sag.
Gravity is the deciding factor here. The tissues that break down over the years, cannot resist gravity and sag and begin to look larger than they used to be. These elongated organs are thought to grow like a baby’s growth, whereas the situation consists of sagging caused by gravity. This causes our ears to grow an average of 0.51 mm per year.
Since our cheeks and lips lose volume over the years, the ears and nose appear larger with the effect of this. In addition, as we age, various factors such as muscle loss, osteoporosis and shortening of stature also have an effect on this condition.
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