For centuries, palmistry enthusiasts have claimed that the lines crisscrossing our hands can predict everything from how many children we’ll have to whether we’ll find true love. But what if your palm could actually tell you something scientifically meaningful about your health?

That’s the goal behind OligoScan technology, a device that has influencers and holistic medicine advocates excited about its potential to reveal information about skin aging, energy levels, sleep quality and hair health through a simple palm scan. The device claims to measure minerals, heavy metals and antioxidants in your body without drawing blood. In fact, one TikTok user shared her experience getting immediate results showing elevated toxic heavy metal levels, which led her to change her diet and lifestyle.

Sounds intriguing, right? But before you rush to book an appointment, here’s what dermatologists and researchers actually say about how it works and whether the science holds up.

OligoScan is an FDA-approved spectrophotometric device that supposedly measures mineral concentrations and heavy metal toxicity in your body. It works through tissue spectrophotometry, where light passes through the skin of your palm and the reflected wavelengths get analyzed. The idea is that each mineral or heavy metal absorbs and reflects light differently, creating a unique pattern that can be read and interpreted.

The device looks for minerals like magnesium, zinc, selenium, calcium, iron, copper, chromium and iodine, plus toxic heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic and aluminum.

Dr. Barbara Kubicka, an aesthetic physician based in West London, explains that this approach is different from traditional blood tests. “Minerals and heavy metals tend to accumulate in tissues over time, and the palm provides a reliable, low pigment site for assessment,” she said. Rather than measuring what’s stored at a tissue level like bloodwork does, the scan captures what’s circulating in your system at that precise moment.

Here’s where things come down to earth: Insurance won’t cover this, and prices in America range from around $160 for a basic scan to $400 or more. You’ll need to find specialized clinics, wellness centers with dermatologists or functional medicine practitioners. The upside? No referral is needed, so you can make an appointment directly.

Research does show that what you eat affects your skin. A U.S. national survey found that 94.3% of Americans don’t meet daily requirements for vitamin D, 45% fall short on vitamin A, 84% lack vitamin E and 15% don’t get enough zinc. These gaps can show up on your skin.

Dr. Shamsa Kanwal, a board-certified dermatologist with over 10 years of experience, points out that nutrient shortfalls can definitely affect your appearance. “True nutrient deficiencies can show up as dryness, slow healing, brittle nails or hair shedding,” she explained.

She also notes how many processes your skin needs to stay healthy depend on having the right minerals. Low magnesium, for instance, can mess with your sleep. Too much lead exposure might explain ongoing fatigue and headaches. And yes, these issues can affect how your skin and hair look. We’re talking about antioxidant protection, collagen production and cellular repair. When these minerals are out of balance, you might notice dryness, slower healing or general dullness.

But here’s the thing: Both doctors stress that OligoScan shouldn’t replace your regular medical tests. Kanwal calls it “a functional snapshot of long-term mineral status and toxic burden” that might reveal imbalances affecting how you age. However, for people who’ve tried conventional treatments without success, OligoScan might highlight issues that standard bloodwork misses. Kanwal said the most common findings include low antioxidant levels, mineral shortfalls and heavy metal buildup. These contribute to oxidative stress and inflammation, which could explain persistent fatigue or dull skin even when your lab work looks fine.

Consider 36-year-old Hayley Atkinson, who struggled with hair thinning and constant fatigue. Regular supplements weren’t helping. After an OligoScan showed elevated heavy metal levels, she worked with Kubicka on a targeted plan. “Generic supplements were not making any changes, and what I needed was a targeted plan that supported my diet and lifestyle,” she shared.

Following her initial scan, she received an analysis of mineral patterns and ratios in the context of her medical history, lifestyle factors, stress load and skin concerns that helped her doctor create a personalized plan, which included diet changes, detox support and gut health interventions as well as follow-up appointments to track whether her levels and symptoms improved.

While the technology has spread to Australia, the United Kingdom and the Middle East, independent scientific validation appears limited, which is why practitioners who use OligoScan emphasize that it should complement other medical tools, not replace them.

The connection between nutrition and skin health is real and well documented. Whether a palm scan is the best way to uncover those issues? That’s still up for debate. Your palm may or may not predict your romantic future, but if you’re curious about this technology, approach it as one piece of a larger health puzzle, ideally guided by a medical professional who can interpret results in context and recommend evidence-based next steps.

You slept eight hours, drank adequate water, and yet it still appears as if you just pulled an all-nighter. Sound familiar? As it turns out, that perpetually “tired” look has way less to do with exhaustion — and everything to do with the way your face is being visually pulled downward, dulled and flattened by subtle makeup and skin care mistakes you probably don’t even realize you’re making.

From concealer placement to foundation undertone, tiny missteps can quietly drain the life out of your face. The good news? A few pro-level tweaks can make you look instantly brighter, lifted and well-rested.

According to Nikki DeRoest, a celebrity makeup artist and CEO and founder of Ciele Cosmetics, makeup can only do so much if the skin underneath isn’t prepped properly. “When skin is dehydrated or overworked, makeup tends to sit on top instead of melting in, which instantly makes the complexion look tired — even when everything else is applied correctly,” she said.

Start with a gentle cleanser so your skin feels balanced, not tight, then layer on a hydrating serum and moisturizer to help makeup melt in instead of sitting on top. Also, don’t skip the eye area — hydrated under-eyes means your concealer is less likely to crease.

“Undertone mismatch is one of the biggest reasons makeup can look dull or off,” DeRoest said. “If your foundation pulls too yellow, too pink or too gray for your skin, it’ll actually exaggerate shadows and make you look more exhausted rather than brighten.”

One way to decipher your undertone is to look at the veins on your wrist: blue or purple veins usually mean cool undertones, while greenish veins point to warm undertones — and a mix of both suggests neutral. That said, many color analysts and makeup artists point out that this test isn’t always reliable, especially on deeper or olive-toned skin where vein color can be affected by skin depth and lighting.

You can also try paying attention to how your skin reacts when your skin is exposed to the sun. People with cooler undertones tend to burn or turn pink before they tan, while warmer undertones usually tan more easily and develop a golden or olive cast. If you burn first but eventually tan, or if your skin doesn’t fit neatly into either category, you likely fall somewhere in the neutral or olive range.

When testing foundation, DeRoest suggests swiping a few shades along your jawline in natural light. “The right shade shouldn’t change the color of your face or neck — it should disappear into the skin,” she said.

Concealer application can completely change whether you look rested or run-down. “One of the most common mistakes I see is over-concealing under the eyes,” DeRoest said. “Applying too much product across the entire area can drag the face down and emphasize fatigue.”

Instead, she suggested placing the concealer only where you can actually see darkness — usually the inner corner and outer corner — to lift and brighten. The goal isn’t to erase your under-eyes with a thick layer, but to strategically neutralize shadows so your skin looks awake, smooth and refreshed.

When it comes to finding your perfect concealer shade, one shade lighter than your foundation is usually the sweet spot — bright enough to lift the under-eye, but not so light that it turns gray or emphasizes fine lines.

Undertone is also important: If you have cool or pink-leaning skin, your under-eye darkness is likely to show up as bluish or violet, so a concealer with a soft peach or salmon tone will neutralize shadows better than a straight beige. If you’re warm or golden, your under-eye circles often look more brown or gray, which means a golden-peach or apricot-toned concealer will brighten more naturally.

“When everything on the face is the same tone — foundation, concealer, powder — the skin can look flat and washed out,” DeRoest said. “What brings the face back to life is subtle contrast, dimension and strategic highlights.”

Enter highlighting and contouring. Natural skin has highs and lows — light naturally hits the tops of your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose and the center of your forehead, while shadows fall under the cheekbones and along the jaw.

DeRoest suggested using a slightly brighter concealer on the high points of the face, such as the outer corners of the eyes for lift and around the mouth where shadows tend to form. “Those small highlights can completely change how awake someone looks,” she said. When it comes to contour, the most important areas are right under the cheekbones, starting near the ear and stopping before the middle of the eye. This creates the illusion of higher, more lifted cheeks, which makes you look more well-rested.

The inner corner of the eye is one of the most powerful — and most overlooked — areas when it comes to looking awake. This spot naturally falls into shadow, which can make eyes appear smaller, deeper-set and more tired, even if you’re well-rested. “A small amount of brightening concealer there instantly opens up the eyes and makes you look more awake,” DeRoest said.

Choose a shade that’s one to two shades lighter than your under-eyes, but not starkly white — think soft brightness, not highlighter. A thin, creamy formula with a luminous or satin finish (not flat matte) is key here, as it helps reflect light out of that natural hollow and creates the illusion of bigger, more open eyes.

You can also layer a subtle shimmer or satin highlight on top — think champagne or soft pearl, not glitter — with a tiny brush or your fingertip. Keep the product concentrated in the inner corner rather than dragging it across the whole lid. This targeted pop of brightness reflects light back into the eyes.

Your skin care routine deserves way more TLC than a mere wash-and-moisturize combo, especially as you age or as you face different health challenges. That said, an area that too many people tend to forget is the chin and jawline. Thankfully, we’ve discovered a V-line lifting collagen face mask that Amazon reviewers love not only for how it defines and moisturizes the chin area, but also for how comfortable it feels to sleep in. Not only is this bad boy just under $25, but shoppers also admire the mask’s softness, non-odor, cooling abilities and, of course, the way it provides a “magical facelift” with just a few uses.

“Color me surprised,” one reviewer shares. “I can’t believe this worked. I have lost 100lbs after having gastric sleeve and my neck has noticeably been sagging and looking rough. I have only done two treatments so far, but even after one, the changes were super noticeable! I’m definitely going to add these masks to my nighttime skin routine.”

Designed with Japanese and power-packed hydrogel, this mask is a true treasure for folks determined to sculpt their jawlines to perfection. Unlike other V-line face masks, these masks provide a precise lift and a stretchable fit, designed to accommodate all face shapes.

This beloved jaw-tightening mask also features a mix of natural ingredients — collagen, aloe vera, and hyaluronic acid — that work to deeply moisturize and refresh skin, while also boosting skin radiance. Granted, while skincare goals vary, everyone appreciates a product that can provide the basics while snatching your jawline to perfection.

“These masks really work! I can tell a huge difference in my jawline and neck,” says Cashlady. “These are much more comfortable on my ears because they stretch without breaking like some of the other brands. My face feels moisturized, soft, and smooth after each use, and I can see my jawline and neck tightening up after each use! I have tried several brands, and this is by far the best.”

Available in various packs, these masks work like a charm to depuff, contour, and revitalize your jawline, while also featuring ultra-soft ear loops that ensure a non-slip construction for seamless wear.

If you’re ready to stop spending money on firming creams, painful masks, or trying to define your jawline with targeted exercises, these Stylia masks may be the missing piece to your nighttime routine.

“I came across an ad for these. I figured it was just another scam and I was going to waste my money. I am pleasantly surprised by these. I feel like these are very high-quality and fit nicely. They stretich nicely, the silicone on the inside sticks very well and the outer side is a soft, felt like material. I’ve been wearing these with an additional chin strap at night for a few hours while watching TV and doing things around the house. After I remove this, I do my normal skin care routine and I have been wearing a chin strap at bedtime. I really didn’t think I would see any results. This morning I woke up and I honestly couldn’t believe my neck skin is tighter. I also started a few facial exercises. So I believe these along with the strap at bedtime and some facial exercises are making an impact on my skin. I absolutely recommend these. I think the key is to treat before it becomes a big problem. I wish they had these 30 years ago. I would’ve started treatment when I was 20 as a preventative.” — Dobie Girl

“I love this product. I had some facial injections in my chin, lip, and jaw area, and had significant bruising. I put this on right when I go to bed, and I leave it on all night. I also store it in the refrigerator. It really helped with the bruising, the overall texture of my skin, and especially improved the hydration of my skin. I also think it helps improve the jawline. I wake up, looking so refreshed. I have worn one every night for the past week and will probably go to once or twice a week, or when I need a pick-me-up. I will continue to re-purchase.” — DRA

“I was skeptical at first. However, using it according to the directions, it actually lifted and tightened my chin. I started noticing the difference after two weeks, so please be patient. People have noticed without me saying anything. I’m about to be 58 years old, and it looks like I took about 10 years off my face. It’s very comfortable; sometimes I forget I’ve put it on. It is definitely not sticky and fits your chin perfectly. It does say to stretch it before you put it on, but I recommend stretching it as you’re going along this way; you don’t overstretch it, so it fits perfectly around the ear without missing any part behind the jaw. They have no odor. I highly recommend these because it actually works. I am very pleased with the results.” — peppercorn

“This product is really good for lifting and smoothing out wrinkles on the neck. It doesn’t just work on the double chin; it also helps with the wrinkles on the neck while lifting up the chin. I really like these chin and neck lifts.” — Josephine Harris

The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)

Believe it or not (you probably do), a good lip treatment is a crucial part of a skin care routine, especially as you age. Lips are often one of the first things people notice about you and when they feel uncomfortable, you notice them even more, too. This is especially so if you deal with dry, cracked lips or have noticed that yours are a little more textured than you’re used to due to natural aging. If you’ve been searching for a good lip product or are simply today-years old finding out you should be more thoughtful about your pick, then big news: We just spotted a unicorn of a hyaluronic acid plumping gloss that reviewers swear addresses signs of aging lips and delivers “spa-like” results with a drugstore price.

Even better? Amazon’s labeled this with a 5% discount, but according to our price trackers, it usually goes for $15 and is currently only $9.95 if you clip the on-page coupon for the extra discount — totally a 33% markdown! That’s a steal of a price to pay for a product that reviewers dub “a spa treatment for my lips” and even a Botox replacer.

You may be familiar with the $42 2025 HuffPicks beauty winner, Youthfull Lip Replenisher, for aging lips. Today, let us raise you the Suquato peptide lip treatment, also designed to fill out wrinkles and restore bounce for just under $10 right now!

It boasts a 3-in-1 formula that can be used as an overnight mask, a single-layer plumping gloss or a lip gloss topper for lipstick — and per the reviews, this baby is highly effective.

“This stuff took 10 years off my lips in one night,” another reviewer raved.

“[I] put it on one night and in the morning I was shocked to see my lips were actually plump and juicy!”

“After one night my wrinkles were noticeably diminished,” reviewer L Quinn gushed about the plumping gloss.

“After a few nights, my upper lip was smooth. No more Botox needed in my lips!!”

Talk about product efficacy?!

Made with hyaluronic acid and a strong peptide complex, the versatile lip treatment hydrates and boosts collagen to lock in moisture and reduce fine lines. The added shea butter and vitamin E keep your mouth nourished and protect it from the elements.

“The texture is extremely smooth and velvety, feels so luxurious to apply and wear,” one review shared. “It creates a mild, pleasant kind of tingling sensation, which is nice for a little mental confirmation that it’s working but without being overbearing or uncomfortable at all.”

Some say it’s scentless, while others compliment the subtle smell, yet everyone seems to agree the formula is long-lasting and feels great. ” It’s sort of sticky without actually being sticky and it stays on for a long time instead of disappearing after 20 minutes like regular lip balm often does,” one wrote.

“Sticky enough that it lasts but not sticky enough to get my hair caught in it,” another said.

Last but not least, the other ingenious part about this lip plumping treatment is the design of the applicator tip.

Considering the 4.5-star rated Suquato peptide lip treatment but need to know a little more? Check more reviews below from people loving the formula.

“This balm leaves my lips really well-hydrated. They were very dry before, and they’re improved so much.” — Alina Riano Cruz

“This product has been such a game changer for my lips! I apply every night before bed and on really dry days I apply occasionally during the day. My lips are plump and soft and I’ve noticed visibly less wrinkles in my lips.Best part is the plumping effect without the burning sensation the lip plumper a usually have!! One of the best lip products I’ve used!” — StexRN18

“I put this lip treatment on every night. It glides on smoothly and stays on for a long time. My lips are incredibly soft and are not chapped any more when I wake up. I do recommend this product for those who have dry and chapped lips. You will see the difference after a few tries.” — Dancer

“I have chronically dry lips. Always have.. doesn’t matter how much water I drink.. I’m an avid chapstick user.. it will help temporarily but not long. I’ve tried SO MANY products for dry lips and this is the first product that I’ve ever been blow away by! I used a little during day and noticed a few hours later that my lips were incredibly soft.. used the thick layer overnight.. ITS INCREDIBLE!!!” — Jen Elizabeth

Looking for more skin care upgrades? Check out these dermatologist-backed recommendations, previously reported by HuffPost Shopping contributor Michelle Rostamian.

The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)

Lately, I find myself weeping in my bed when the night sky is at its blackest and my husband, Geoff, is dead asleep on his side, his silhouette a distant mountain range. I press my face into my damp pillow to mute the occasional, plaintive chirp.

I’ve never been much of a crier, so these late-night keening sessions make no sense. I’m a 59-year-old, happily married woman, and my children are healthy and grown, yet when the lights go out and the world lies down, a single phrase repeats itself in my mind: I want my mom.

If you believe in deeply personal journalism — the kind that connects us in our hardest, most honest moments — please consider becoming a HuffPost member today.

My mother isn’t missing or gone. She lives a short 20-minute drive away in an assisted living facility. When I visit, she looks like herself, shorter than me, hair dyed brown and styled in pert curls, with a smile people say looks like mine. When she speaks, her word choices, her intonations and the way she moves her hands are all her, but if you sit with her for more than a few minutes, you learn she’s less like herself and more like a carnival hologram — repeating a limited, looping set of thoughts and comments:

“I have nine windows in my apartment.”

“My cat is the best roommate I’ve ever had.”

“Did I tell you your husband reminds me of my dad?”

For decades, my mother had been single and independent, living on her own, volunteering and singing in a local chorale. At 78, she was in excellent health and had great energy, so I was taken by surprise when she announced she’d be moving into a retirement community near my home.

“An old folks’ home?” I said. “But you’re in great shape.”

“It’s not a ‘home,’ it’s a retirement village. Just like apartment living, but I don’t have to cook anymore.”

“No loss for the world there,” I snorted, and she elbowed me.

Together, we visited the facility, more like a resort with scheduled activities and concerts than the 1970s nursing home my paternal grandmother had lived and died in. But still. Weaving through walkers and motorized scooters to get to the facility’s restaurant, I said, “These people, they’re nice, but they seem… elderly.”

She squared off with me. At 5’1”, she projects an air of sweet amiability, but she’s actually stubborn as an old root.

“My mother was sick my entire childhood,” she said. It was true. Her poor mother suffered for nine years, Bible in hand and disapproval on her face, until she finally died, releasing my 17-year-old mother. “I’m not doing that to you.”

“It’s not remotely the same! I’m older, and you’re not sick, or nasty.” I looked at her sideways. “At least most of the time.”

On our way out, we passed a locked industrial door, behind which was the “Assisted Living Wing” and “Memory Ward.” Pastel-colored cutouts of flowers and butterflies, the sort you’d see taped to a nursery school wall, decorated the door.

“What’s in there?” I asked, and made scary ghost sounds.

“You, if you keep it up.”

It never occurred to me there might be something she wasn’t telling me.

On March 12, 2020, the day after Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announced they had COVID-19, my mother’s Toyota Camry pulled into my driveway, and out she stepped with two suitcases, the food from her refrigerator, her recycling and her cat, named Jello, howling and spitting in its carrier.

“Just until we flatten the curve,” she said, reluctant to leave her apartment. “And not a minute more.” She lived with me for a year.

My mother and I are different people. She’s fussy. I’m casual — sloppy, even. She’s soft-spoken. I’m loud. She’s ladylike. I intentionally storm through a room. And while I know I’m not the refined young lady she hoped for as a daughter, she’s been my champion.

When I was young, I hated wearing dresses, so she sewed me pants. And when a male teacher told her, “Your daughter must wear dresses to school — pants are inappropriate,” she fired back, “You’re either going to let her wear pants, or you’re going to see her underwear, because she’s always upside-down on the monkey bars!” I got to wear pants.

At the beginning, we managed to find joy and beauty in our togetherness during the lockdown. We visited the local arboretum, haunted our old town, even had a picnic on the porch of our old house.

“Nobody lives here! Who’s going to care?”

We peeked in the windows and tried to see if any doors were unlocked. She stood watch for me while I crawled under the porch to see if old treasures I had hidden were still there.

“Nothing but spiders and dirt.”

I visited her room daily with chocolate chip cookies. “Wellness check,” I’d say, and she’d invite me into her too-warm space. I’d nudge Jello, ever a grumpy thing, off the armchair and sit down for a quick chat over the blaring television. It was during one of those visits that I first noticed something was off.

“Mom, you shouldn’t watch the news 24 hours a day. It’s grim.”

“I leave it on for the company — the voices.”

“You live with me. That’s enough voices for anyone. If you have to watch TV, can you at least watch Netflix?” I handed her the remote.

“That thing’s too complicated. I like the news,” she said and took a dainty bite of her cookie.

“For goodness’ sake! You just push this button here that says Netflix.” She waved me away.

The next day, she poured laundry detergent into our dryer.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” she said. “I’ll pay for it.”

“It’s no big deal,” I said.

I’d once put the cereal box in the fridge and the milk in the cupboard. Our family can be spacey like that, so I wrote it off.

But as her memory glitched more frequently, I found myself becoming impatient. It was easier to be annoyed with her, easier to look away from what might be happening to her, from what might one day happen to me. It was easier to imagine she was being lazy-minded or stubborn.

“You just met with your surgeon two weeks ago, don’t you remember? Your pain is coming from your spine, not your hip, so you have to do physical therapy,” I told her one afternoon.

“Pardon?”

“DO YOUR PHYSICAL THERAPY! And can you wear your hearing aids? It’s very annoying to repeat myself all the time.”

“I don’t like physical therapy,” she said. “And anyway, you’re the only one I can’t hear.”

Our arguments regressed. We were silly, a little petty, almost joking, but not quite. I found myself using the same words she’d spoken to me when I was young, pantomiming a role reversal we didn’t realize was well underway.

“Do as you’re told!” I’d demand, only half joking when she ate mostly chocolate.

“You’re not the boss of me!” she’d say, and cross her arms.

And then she drove into oncoming traffic with my daughter in the car. It was a close call — the other car swerved. My daughter told me she’d never let Grandma drive her again.

I wish I could say I took her keys that day, but I didn’t. It’s difficult — removing your parents’ means of transportation. They’re not the Uber generation. You take their keys, you take their independence.

A few weeks later, I called my mother while waiting in the social distancing line that snaked around Trader Joe’s.

“Thank goodness you called! My phone isn’t working!” she said, breathless.

“You’re on your phone now, Mom,” I said.

“I couldn’t call anyone. I couldn’t find anyone’s numbers. I was all alone!”

It wasn’t upsetting that she couldn’t work her phone for a moment — many older people struggle with technology. It was upsetting that she was panicked, desperate and at a loss for what to do, when really, all she had to do was step out of her bedroom and ask any of her grandchildren for assistance. It was upsetting because she felt helpless and afraid.

“What’s going on, Mom?” I asked when I got home. It never occurred to me she could be any other than the way I had always known her: capable, pragmatic and independent. I didn’t know that these days — the early days — were the good days when she remembered where she was, who she was, who I was.

The day I took her keys was the day she mistook my daughter for me.

As intelligent, sentient beings, we sure can be shockingly unaware of our own emotions and why we’re feeling them. Recently, I was hiking in a forest near my home. I came upon an elderly woman in hiking boots sitting on a fallen tree near a brook, leaning on her walking stick. I couldn’t imagine how she had gotten there.

“Are you OK?” I asked.

She smiled. “I’m just taking a breather. I live a mile up there.”

She pointed her stick up the steep, wooded hill. She’d come from Sweden decades earlier to marry an American who’d recently moved them into a retirement home. Like my mother, she was born on the cusp of World War II. Unlike my mother, she spoke about politics, current events, a book she was reading. Then she got up and stretched. I didn’t want her to go.

“Can I visit you, maybe help with your errands?” I asked. She looked at me, puzzled, and I felt instant embarrassment. This was not a woman who needed help with her errands. She had just walked a mile into the woods. Why would she need me to visit her?

One of my husband’s pandemic projects was to hang birdhouses all around our yard. A storm knocked one down, and four bluish babies with giant open mouths tumbled out onto the grass. Blind, chirping and barely able to move, they reminded me of the P.D. Eastman book “Are You My Mother?” about a baby bird who searches for his mother. He asks everything he comes across: a dog, a hen, a steam shovel, “Are you my mother?”

As I slid a spoon under the wobbly birds’ bodies and poured them back into their home, I was struck by a thought: I’m the baby bird in P.D. Eastman’s book. I’m looking for my mother, who is slipping away from me. And the lovely Swedish woman in the woods? She is not my mother.

Six months after my mom packed up Jello and moved back to her apartment, I got a call from the onsite nurse explaining she had accidentally consumed five weeks’ medication in two weeks. It was time for her to move into assisted living.

I remembered the door with the flowers and butterflies.

I believe she saw this coming. I believe she knew her mind was slipping, so she moved herself into a place where, at some point, she could get professional care, and where, like she said, she wouldn’t become a “burden.”

One of the things she says in her moments of clarity is, “My parents died young. I didn’t have anyone to model getting old for me.”

Thanks to her, I do. And thanks to her, as the child of a person who is getting old, I’m learning to be more patient, more understanding.

I call her daily. I visit her often. And every now and then, the mother I know returns for a cameo, then disappears just as quickly.

In her darker moments, she tells me, “I’ve had a good life, but if I could push a button and end it now, I would.” I’d like to tell her to hang on — that things will get better — but we both know that’s not true. So I just remind her she is beloved. And we list all the people who’ve loved her in her life, including the boyfriend she dumped in college.

I’m learning to love her differently, perhaps more deeply and from a place of gratitude, not of need and expectation. I’m trying to be the grown-up now — to champion her, the way she did me. It’s not easy. And in the wee hours of the night, when the loss of my mother as I knew her overtakes me, I allow myself to have a cry in my pillow.

Kathryn Smith has published fiction and creative nonfiction in Philadelphia Stories, poetry in Apiary, and twice won an honorable mention from Glimmer Train. She graduated with a B.S. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley. She is currently working on a memoir, “Stories of an Uncouth Girl.” You can reach her on Instagram @KathrynSmithStories.

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While it can be hard to manage age-related changes of any kind, it can feel extra tough when those changes impact your memory and cognition. But it’s especially important to pay attention to brain-related changes as you get older.

While all cognitive changes are not dementia, some are. Dr. Gregory Day, a behavioral neurologist and dementia specialist at Mayo Clinic in Florida, defines dementia as a “change in memory and thinking. So, something that’s different from before — and for me to consider it as dementia, it needs to interfere with daily life.”

Dementia is only expected to become more common in this country; recent research predicts 42% of American adults over 55 will have dementia in their lifetime.

By understanding the signs of the disease and getting an early diagnosis, individuals and caretakers can better plan and prepare for the future, and potentially make decisions about care and treatment.

Early diagnosis can also help folks potentially get access to treatments that can help slow the progression of certain forms of dementia, experts told HuffPost. (Dementia is an umbrella term that describes multiple forms of cognitive impairment, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common type.)

The early signs of dementia are important to know but can “run the gamut,” said Dr. Stephanie Nothelle, a geriatrician and an associate professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, but there tend to be a few that often present first.

“I think the thing that people often think about is short-term memory loss, and that really is common,” Nothelle said.

This isn’t the same thing as momentarily forgetting the word you want to use or a one-off absentminded moment, like forgetting to grab your hat before going out for a walk.

Instead, it’s something like “having a conversation with someone and then a couple hours later, not remembering the details of that conversation,” explained Nothelle.

Dr. Jori Fleisher, an associate professor of neurological sciences at Rush University in Chicago, said that it’s also common for folks with short-term memory loss to repeat themselves in conversations and ask “the same questions frequently.”

“A hard time holding on to things that they’ve learned recently. That’s a short-term memory issue,” Fleisher said.

According to Day, there are some real-world, practical issues he tends to look for as potential memory red flags.

“I’m looking for people who have made mistakes, maybe with medications, where they wouldn’t have before [such as forgetting to take it or taking a double dose], perhaps some difficulty keeping track of appointments and keeping the days straight, needing more reminders for that,” Day said.

This short-term memory loss could also look like missing appointments or showing up on the wrong day or having difficulty finding their way along a familiar route, Day added.

Some people are naturally more forgetful than others and have been that way all of their lives. That’s not worrisome. Instead, Day is concerned with “changes from before that are consistent or starting to become consistent, that are beginning to interfere with daily life.”

It’s also common for people to experience trouble with “executive functioning,” which Nothelle describes as the “planning part of your brain.”

“So, if you have a complex task, [for example] you have to plan a dinner party and you’re having a hard time doing everything involved … there’s all these little logistics and things to keep track of when planning something like a dinner party,” she said.

You may have to remember your guest’s dietary restrictions, plan out a menu, shop for ingredients, cook, arrange serving dishes, clean, make cocktails and choose a playlist.

“If you’re not able to do that anymore, that can be a sign that there’s something going on,” Nothelle said.

“Another way that I have seen it manifest is people will have changes in their mood or their personality,” Nothelle said.

Maybe a loved one who used to be very outgoing is now more shy or vice versa. Or maybe someone is more apathetic or, perhaps, more impulsive than they used to be. This isn’t normal aging or an older person just not having a filter.

“These are all just reflections of subtle changes in the brain,” Nothelle noted.

A common complaint and reason people seek medical attention is word-finding difficulty, Day said. “Occasional difficulty coming up with a name, fine,” said Day. It’s also normal to sometimes forget the name of a common object, he said.

“When it’s inconsistent, not a concern, but when this is an everyday thing and maybe even when it’s interrupting conversation, now that’s a sign of much more prominent word-finding difficulty that would warrant evaluation,” he said.

“Something that we need to be really, really aware of, and unfortunately just gets more and more common, is susceptibility to financial scams,” said Fleisher.

“Patients with dementia are at increased risk, and scammers know that, so they tend to prey on older individuals in the middle of the afternoon,” added Day.

There is shame involved with falling for a scam, but scammers are getting smarter and sneakier, making it easier and easier to fall for the trick, noted Fleisher.

But, if you have a loved one who falls for one of these scams, it’s worth inquiring about their cognitive state.

Healthy lifestyle habits can not only slow the progression of dementia but can also help prevent it.

For some people, genetics put them at higher risk of developing dementia, but “even in people where there is a genetic component, there’s good evidence to say that all of the following still make an impact, and maybe make an even bigger impact,” Fleisher said.

Really, folks should follow the advice from their doctors when it comes to maintaining a healthy body — these habits also help maintain a healthy brain, according to Day.

“The most important things that I think about … well, we should be screening for high blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar problems, and treating or addressing those problems when they exist,” Day said.

We should also prioritize a good night’s sleep, he said, and manage things like sleep apnea — “addressing that and treating that effectively can really improve brain health and brain function, and, I think, decrease the risk of dementia in the future,” Day said.

“And then there’s the day-to-day things, good brain housekeeping things, we all know we should be doing,” Day said. This includes exercising, eating a nutritious diet with plenty of fruits and veggies, limiting (or not drinking) alcohol and quitting smoking. It’s also helpful to spend time with other people, said Fleisher.

“It can sometimes seem daunting. If you’re reading a long list of things and you’re not doing any of them, you don’t have to start doing them all immediately,” Day said.

“Take that small step forward … introduce a 20-minute walk three times a week — you don’t have to start training for a marathon,” Day added.

“These are positive steps towards brain health, and if the goal is to reduce the future risk of dementia, I think each of those steps matters and can be helpful for that,” Day said.

While there isn’t a cure for dementia, these changes can help people who are diagnosed, Fleisher noted.

“We want to use everything at our disposal to slow down progression so people can live longer and live better and have better quality of life in that time,” Fleisher said. “There are countless examples of people living well with dementia. I think that stigma of getting this diagnosis and that being ‘the end,’ that is not where we are in 2025.”

People with dementia are living rich, full lives because they’re empowered by knowledge and helpful health care teams, Fleisher said.

At this point, it’s clear that President Donald Trump is a sleepy guy.

Earlier this week, Trump was caught dozing off while both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner spoke during a Cabinet meeting.

It’s just the latest instance of the 79-year-old being photographed asleep on the job, a tendency that has led some, including Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), to call him “Dozy Don.”

But if the president is tired, it’s probably not because of his exercise regimen. Last week, Trump’s interesting take on exercise resurfaced on social media after The New York Times published a detailed report on Trump showing signs of aging and making fewer public appearances in his second term compared to the same point in his first term.

Sandwiched between details about Trump’s diet (he’s apparently a red meat guy and eats “McDonald’s by the sackful”) and his weight, the Times mentioned the baffling views he reportedly holds on physical activity:

He does not get regular exercise, in part because he has a long-held theory that people are born with a finite amount of energy and that vigorous activity can deplete that reserve, like a battery.

It’s not the first time the media has reported this. In a 2017 profile on President Donald Trump in The New Yorker, writer Evan Osnos said Trump believes “a person, like a battery, is born with a finite amount of energy.”

While Trump has never explicitly stated this odd theory in his own words in public, sources say it’s a belief he’s held since he was a younger man. In the 2016 biography “Trump Revealed,” Washington Post reporters Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher write:

“After college, after Trump mostly gave up his personal athletic interests, he came to view time spent playing sports as time wasted. Trump believed the human body was like a battery, with a finite amount of energy, which exercise only depleted. So he didn’t work out. When he learned that John O’Donnell, one of his top casino executives, was training for an Ironman triathlon, he admonished him, ‘You are going to die young because of this.’”

What does Trump do for exercise? If you count golf, plenty of that. But he also seems to think that just standing around is all the workout you need. Here’s what he told The New York Times magazine in 2015:

“Trump said he was not following any special diet or exercise regimen for the campaign. ‘All my friends who work out all the time, they’re going for knee replacements, hip replacements – they’re a disaster,’ he said. He exerts himself fully by standing in front of an audience for an hour, as he just did. ‘That’s exercise.’”

Is it, though? It’s a big stretch, said Christine Persaud, a sports medicine physician at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, New York.

“Standing at a podium is better than sitting, but it does not strengthen the heart, muscles, or bones in the way that keeps people mobile and independent as they age,” Persaud said.

As for the claim that exercise depletes our energy reserves, as you probably could have guessed, that’s misguided, too.

“The idea that we are born with a fixed amount of energy that gets depleted by exercise like a battery does not match what we know in medicine,” Persaud told HuffPost.

Regular physical activity is what makes the body better at producing and using energy. For instance, a 2014 study pooling together data from over 40,000 adults found that marathon runners had a 30% lower risk of death and a 45% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality compared with non-runners.

Frequent exercise actually results in living longer.

“Exercise increases mitochondrial efficiency — essentially the body’s ‘power plants’ — and improves cardiovascular and metabolic health,” Persaud explained. “Long-term studies also show active people live longer and have lower rates of chronic disease.”

Still, Trump isn’t the only person alive who appears to hold a weird “battery” theory of life force. Katie Gould, the founder of KG Strong, a kettlebell and strength training studio in Philadelphia, said she’s heard clients share their own versions of it.

“I’ve definitely had people worry that if they ‘use up’ their joints or heart with exercise, they’ll burn out faster,” Gould told HuffPost.

But our bodies aren’t phone batteries with a fixed charge; like our muscles, our bodies are systems that adapt to the demands we place on them, Gould said.

“Smart, appropriately dosed movement actually improves energy, resilience, and longevity over time,” she said. “What really wears us down isn’t using our bodies, it’s never using them at all.”

If you dwell on it long enough, Trump’s reported theory almost sounds like an ancient belief ― or at the very least, something no modern person would believe.

Aristotle did actually think that our bodies are animated by a kind of innate heat, and that death occurs when it is finally depleted. But the Greek philosopher and polymath was pro-exercise, according to Donald J. Robertson, a psychotherapist and author of “How to Think Like a Roman Emperor.”

“He certainly didn’t think we were at risk of ‘running out’ of energy by running around too much,” Robertson told HuffPost.

If anything, Trump has more in common with certain 19th-century vitalists, who worried that modern overstimulation and overexertion could drain the body’s “nerve force,” Robertson said.

“That led to a short-lived medical fad for diagnosing patients with ‘nervous exhaustion’ or neurasthenia,” the psychotherapist explained.

Silas Weir Mitchell, a Philadelphia-based physician, went on to develop the once-famous “rest cure” for neurasthenia, which was an extreme regimen of enforced inactivity, bed rest, and high-calorie feeding designed to rebuild the patient’s supposedly depleted vital reserves.

“I actually think it’s possible, unless he was joking, that Trump has somehow absorbed these sorts of ideas from somewhere or other,” Robertson said.

The White House claimed earlier this week that Trump’s MRI from October, during his second “yearly” check-up in just six months, shows the 79-year-old is in “excellent health.” (It’s a statement that seems to be at odds with Trump’s diagnosis less than six months ago of “chronic venous insufficiency.”)

Sleeping on your physical fitness isn’t going to help most of us as we age, though. If anything, the misconception that exercise is dangerous is what actually puts people at higher risk for frailty, falls and chronic disease, Persaud said.

“While standing and public speaking is demanding and burns some calories, it does not provide the cardiovascular or musculoskeletal benefits that help people stay strong and independent as they age,” she said.

For adults, the American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderately intense activity per week, plus strength training twice weekly. Even simple things like brisk walking, light strength work, or tai chi have proven benefits for heart health, mobility and longevity, Persaud told us.

Gould said that at 79, you want to have a mix of walking or other cardio, strength training for muscle and bone health, and some balance work to help prevent falls.

“The people I see thriving in their 70s and beyond aren’t just on their feet, they’re loading their muscles, challenging their hearts and moving in a variety of ways consistently,” she said.

Gould added that blasé comments about exercise usually come from a place of considerable privilege. It’s easier to say you “don’t need” to work out when you have doctors tracking your labs, chefs managing your food, and money to throw at health problems, as the president does.

“Most people don’t have that, but they do have access to movement, and strength training in particular is one of the most powerful, affordable tools we have to live longer, more capable lives,” Gould said.

For women especially, lifting weights helps protect bone density, reduce fall risk, and build the confidence to move through the world on their own terms. She added that it’s an especially important message to emphasize right now as more people experiment with GLP-1s for weight loss.

“In a moment when so many people are being pushed toward quick fixes and weight-loss drugs, it’s important to remind folks that strength and sport are not cosmetic ― they’re health care,” she said.

Turn up that Zeppelin: A recent study found that older adults who regularly listen to or play music have a significantly lower risk of developing dementia.

A research team from Monash University in Australia looked at data from more than 10,800 adults over the age of 70 and found that those who listened to music most days experienced a 39% lower likelihood of developing dementia compared with those who sometimes, rarely or never listened to music.

Those frequent music listeners had a 17% lower incidence of cognitive impairment, along with higher overall cognitive scores and better episodic memory (used when we recall specific, everyday events).

Playing an instrument ― including singing ― was associated with a 35% reduction in dementia risk. Those who both listened to and played music on a regular basis had a 33% reduced risk of dementia and a 22% reduced risk of cognitive impairment.

For older adults worried about dementia ― a disease that affects 7 million people and is becoming more common as life expectancy increases ― turning on some music is an easy, low-effort way to ease a bit of that anxiety.

Although the topic is still relatively underexplored, the study’s co-authors have several hypotheses — supported by earlier research — about why music might stimulate the brain.

“We know that listening to music engages multiple brain areas at once, acting like a full-brain workout,” said Emma Jaffa, a biomedical science Monash honors student who co-authored the study with Joanne Ryan, a professor of biological neuropsychiatry at Monash.

“Previous studies show it improves processing speed, language, memory and coordination,” she told HuffPost. “Plus, it often involves socializing with others, which helps protect brain health.”

As a bass player and singer herself, the findings were of particular interest to Jaffa.

She also loves the idea of tangible research ― research that you can actually do something with, that truly helps people. “I think that’s what drew me to this topic. It was the combination of a hobby and the possibility of delivering actionable insights to others,” she said.

Jaffa said the question she gets most often about the study is, “Are some genres of music more beneficial than others?” Is Coltrane or Clapton superior when it comes to improving cognitive function?

While she doesn’t have the answer (participants weren’t asked about what they were listening to), she said it’s definitely something she wants to explore in future research. (That and if listening to music has any bearing on reducing the risk of cognitive decline for those younger than 70.)

It’s no surprise that researchers like Ryan and Jaffa are exploring this topic, given how devastating dementia symptoms can be. People with the condition may develop speech difficulties, memory loss, mood changes and trouble completing everyday tasks.

Another recent study, published in October in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, found that having a sense of purpose may protect against dementia by keeping the brain more resilient and is linked to a lower risk of developing it. Other research-backed ways to support cognitive resilience during the aging process? Moderate to vigorous exercise, spending time with others ― hopefully while listening to music ― and even doing chores.

When does adulthood actually start? Probably later than you think. According to a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, when it comes to brain functionality, adulthood starts at 32.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The findings show that the human brain has five phases throughout a lifespan, and researchers say they are all broken up by age — 9, 32, 66 and 83, on average. Researchers referred to these ages as “turning points” when the brain rewires and goes through age-related changes.

The childhood brain, a time of high growth, lasts through roughly age 9, when it then changes to the adolescent brain, which continues until 32. Yes, 32.

This doesn’t mean that someone who is in the later part of this adolescent brain phase is going to act like a teenager, Dr. Alexa Mousley, the study leader, told The Guardian. Instead, it means their brains simply resemble each other as they continue to grow and form until the adult brain phase is reached. This adolescent brain phase is the only time when brain efficiency is consistently increasing, study authors said.

Age 32 also marks the “strongest shift” of all of the brain changes. Around this time, the brain goes into its adult era ― the longest phase ― which lasts until roughly age 66. During the adult era, or adult “epoch” as researchers call these phases, there is a “plateau in intelligence and personality,” the study press release states. Meaning, brain function stays pretty much the same for these decades.

At 66, the brain changes, and it moves into the “early aging” phase, which does not have dramatic changes, but the brain does show “further reduced connectivity as white matter starts to degenerate,” Mousley said in a press release. This aligns with the physical health issues that often start to appear in the 60s, Mousley said.

“This is an age when people face increased risk for a variety of health conditions that can affect the brain, such as hypertension,” Mousley said in the statement. Hypertension (also known as high blood pressure) can put you at higher risk of stroke and cognitive decline.

The final epoch starts at 83 and is known as “late aging,” which is a time when brain connectivity reduces and there is more reliance on specific regions.

To gather this data, researchers looked at a number of factors, including brain compartmentalization, along with the changes and deterioration of the nerve fibers in the brains of 3,802 people ages 0 to 90 via data from MRI scans. All participants were described as “neurotypical.”

This study does have limitations. The late-aging group of people was smaller than the other groups. More, participants in all groups had to meet certain health criteria, which may make them healthier than the general public. This could mean that study participants’ brain functionality may be more optimal.

Brain health is a major concern for people as they grow older, especially with more than 6 million Americans having a dementia diagnosis. Forgetting things here and there is no major cause for concern as you get older, but if those memory issues disrupt your life, you should talk to a doctor.

There are things you can do to help keep your brain as optimal as possible throughout your lifetime.

Healthy habits, overall, can help reduce dementia risk factors. It’s important to get enough sleep (seven to nine hours nightly), manage conditions like high blood pressure and high blood sugar, consume a diet with lots of fruit and veggies and prioritize time with loved ones.

Studies show it’s also beneficial to challenge your mind, whether that’s by taking music lessons or completing puzzles, learning a new language or enrolling in an interesting class. These kinds of challenges help the brain form and grow new connections.

Exercise is also a crucial factor in maintaining cognitive health. Regular exercise can help prevent dementia, benefit those with cardiovascular diseases (which also impact the brain) and can increase cognitive processing speed.

“Over longer periods of time, exercise and physical activity increase formation of new brain cells … which will impact memory and other functions of the brain,” Dr. S. Ausim Azizi, a professor and section chief of behavioral neurology at the Yale School of Medicine, previously told HuffPost.

There are also genetic factors that are out of your control that contribute to cognitive issues, but following brain-healthy behaviors can still benefit your mind.

No matter what you do, your brain will age, change and degenerate (just like your body), but this new research about the brain’s “epochs” can only help doctors understand more about the changes and risks associated with the brain throughout the lifespan.

Linda Hamilton isn’t trying to turn back the clock.

At 69, the “Terminator” actor explained she doesn’t “chase beauty” as she’s gotten older in an interview with AARP that came out on Wednesday.

“I do not spend a moment trying to look younger on any level, ever,” she explained. “I have just completely surrendered to the fact that this is the face that I’ve earned. And it tells me so much. And sometimes it’s stuff I don’t want to hear.”

Hamilton, who returns to the screen in the new season of “Stranger Things” that debuted this week, added, “I don’t chase beauty, and I don’t chase longevity particularly.”

For the star, being present and being flexible are both far more important ways to stay healthy than trying to recapture the past.

“I’m fully planted in the moment, but that doesn’t mean you don’t try to be healthy,” she said. “But not all the time — sometimes it is just a jelly donut.”

“I’m not rigid, which is a fantastic way to get older,” Hamilton added. “I’ve always said that rigidifying is what kills us: the rigid thoughts and the sort of not moving.”

Stressing the importance of going with the flow, she told AARP, “I’ve tried very hard in my life to stay as fluid as possible.”

“One definition of happiness is being in the middle of a fast-moving river and not trying to swim to the left or the right side,” she went on. “And that, truly, is kind of what my life has been. It’s been a great, fun ride.”