A decade ago, when I hit 60, I began to see that birthday gifts were overrated, that what I needed were shared experiences. As my 70th approached, I felt motivated to do something meaningful. Something personal. I asked myself, what can I do to fill my memory bank? Swim 70 laps? Make 70 charity donations? String a necklace with 70 heirloom beads? More than anything, I wanted to spend cherished time with loved ones. And I was not alone. According to research, people derive more happiness from experiences. Spending quality time with friends and family fosters satisfaction and enduring memories become embedded in the brain.

My objective was to do something that would sidestep the fret of sorting out a guest list as well as the fuss of planning and hosting a party during the holidays, a particular chore for me, given that I was born the day after Christmas. A list maker, I landed a plan. I would log 70 experiences during the year with the people I love. Their job: to propose. My job: to say yes.

On January 4, 2023, I composed the following email:

Dear person I love,

Having just rolled past 69, I am thinking about the large number looming on the horizon.

To honor that large number, I want to log in 70 experiences in 2023 with people I love. My goal is to say yes to whatever you might propose, no matter how big or small. Anything from a cup of coffee to a trip to a national park; from a walk in the woods to a Broadway show; from a manicure to a dance party.

But please, no thrill-seeking. No roller coasters or bungee jumping. And nothing that involves a shark tank.

I look forward to saying yes to your proposal, to a calendar full of one-of-a-kind events and to fully enjoying memorable moments with you.

With love,

I pressed send, wondering if people would take my request seriously or regard it as yet another big idea, a so-called Meganism. My daughter was the first to respond, Best plan ever! My inbox quickly swelled with offers. Come pick raspberries on my farm. I’ll make you pizza. Let’s go glamping! How about a theater trip to London? We can walk a labyrinth. Let’s sip high tea wearing hats and gloves at a fancy hotel. A special walk along the bay? I’m taking you to a modern dance class.

As responses multiplied, I felt gratitude for my fabulous roster of longtime friends and for the inspired menu being laid out before me. But I wondered, will I have enough pizzazz for six experiences every month? The desire for that many one-on-ones out in the world? What about my writing deadlines, teaching schedule and all my other obligations? And what about the general busyness of the people in my life and the fact that many of them live across the country or even in another country altogether? I decided that if in 2023 I didn’t manifest the full palette of experiences, I could stretch my birthday into 2024, like mouth-watering taffy.

I created a journal to keep track of my ambitious undertaking. As offers came in, I added them to the master list.

Despite distance, full schedules and plain old inertia, I eked out a handful of new experiences each month. Though I did not visit a nudist colony, hang glide, or eat insects — all of which were suggested — I hiked, kayaked, picnicked, rode the ferry and train, drank steaming cups of coffee and chai, dined out, listened to live music, visited museums, danced, attended literary events, confabbed with writing pals, road-tripped to LA, and traveled overseas to stay with friends in Europe.

While in Holland, I ate the biggest and tastiest artichoke at Café Restaurant Amsterdam, gorged on sweet and sour pickles at the Yiddish pickle store that has been there since 1850, braved the largest summer storm the Dutch had seen in 50 years while on a canal boat, toured museums, rode buses and bikes, and shopped in secondhand stores.

While driving the North Coast 500 with my husband in Scotland, I tasted my favorite scotch at the Cardhu distillery, sipped a variety of teas, became a haggis and cranachan connoisseur, hiked, toured gardens and other landmarks, dodged frequent downpours, and survived a horrendous bout of food poisoning. And, everywhere I went, there were bookstores, old and new.

My year was filled to the rim. I carved out intentional time to have fun with friends and family and am grateful to all who indulged me. To my surprise, most of the experiences that rose to the top were within driving distance of my home, did not break the bank, and, most important, with each experience I learned something about myself and made a memory with a loved one.

I embraced the glee of playing tourist in my hometown while riding the hop on, hop off bus through San Francisco’s many and diverse neighborhoods with Stephanie, who has known me since the days of baby teeth. I discovered that a woman my age can up her glow without being garish as I weeded through the overabundance of black and gray in my wardrobe with Lindi. I bartered teenage insecurity for a senior sense of cool during a modern dance class with Jen. I reaffirmed that some things are best left in the past while listening to Pink Martini with my once high school rival, now lifelong pal Karen. I observed, while floating in the healing waters of Calistoga with Quinn, that though we were missing Lolo, our third Musketeer, traditions live on even after friends die.

Having crossed the threshold to 70, I feel full, not in a cake-and-ice-cream way, but filled with memories of a year well spent. My birthday project confirmed for me that artistic inhibition is a state of mind; rivalry over a hot boy ain’t worth it; what matters is the thrill of my own inner experience; and though the eras pass us by, the voices of the past live on. My year of fun helped me see that though I may slow down as I age, neither my dazzle nor my friendships have dimmed. I won’t stop dancing until the floor drops out from under me.

Many people, upon hearing my plan, told me they were going to follow in my footsteps on their next big birthday. Should you decide to do the same, the process is a breeze: 1) count the number of years you’ve been on the planet; 2) compose an email, setting an intention that expands your comfort zone, even if only a wee bit; and 3) send it to your people. I trust they will respond. If you prefer a DIY approach, set your bar to match your milestone and let the fun begin: create a certain number of ethnic meals, learn songs in other languages, recite poems by your favorite poet, or crest never-hiked mountains. Use your birthday to browse through the continuing education catalog of life.

As I recount the events of my milestone birthday and look ahead toward the upcoming year, I wonder-dream what I might do to fill my 71st cup with delight. Surely there are more experiences to curate, more memories to mint. Earlier this week, while watching the sun settle over the swells of the San Francisco Bay, I remembered a treasured life motto, as imparted by a longtime friend: “Find a reason to say yes.” And I did. Seventy times.

Megan Vered, a native of Berkeley, California, has been writing for most of her 70 years. Her essays and interviews have appeared in Shondaland, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and the Writer’s Chronicle. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Megan serves on the board of Heyday Books and leads local and international writing workshops. If you tell her a joke she will always laugh. For her 71st birthday, she hopes to dance with Taylor Swift, Please visit her at www.meganvered.com.

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Martha Stewart is revealing her secrets behind her never declining face card.

On Thursday, the home decor mogul, 82, dished about how she’s achieved her timeless look on the iHeartRadio “The Martha Stewart” podcast.

While chatting with her cosmetic dermatologist, Dr. Dan Belkin, Stewart cleared the air about how much work she’s had done on her face.

“Everybody is so interested when they see a selfie of me posted on the internet,” she said. “So many comments are about my face lift, and who did it and when did I have it done and how much retouching is on the photograph, and I just want to set the record straight.”

During the episode, Dr. Belkin detailed the types of treatments he’s given Stewart, including skin tightening, fillers in her cheeks and muscle-relaxing injections in her neck and jawline.

“We’ve done a little bit of skin tightening on you,” Dr. Belkin explained. “We’ve done a little ultrasound tightening I think, a long time ago. We did a little softwave, which is an ultrasound based tightening device. And we’ve done a little bit of Ulthera, which is a great ultrasound based skin tightening that works.”

But Dr. Belkin insisted that it doesn’t take him much to keep Stewart looking youthful because the TV personality takes care of her health.

“So it’s not so complicated,” Stewart added, shutting down the plastic surgery rumors. “And it’s not cutting me and sewing me up. It is really preventative and very encouraging because it really does make me look better.”

The cookbook author then doubled down on a healthy lifestyle being her “secret” behind looking ageless.

“I don’t think a lot about age, and I don’t really want to look my age at all,” she explained. “And that’s why I really work so hard at it. I exercise… my diet which is a very healthy, normal diet. I don’t do any fad diets or any pills or anything like that. I just eat really well, and I watch what I eat and that’s really a secret.”

Stewart is no stranger to pushing back on aging stereotypes. She most recently established herself as the thirst trap queen due to her internet-breaking sultry selfies on social media.

Last October, the Martha Stewart Living founder slammed the notion that women should be “dressing for one’s age.”

After Page Six interviewed her about her thoughts on age-appropriate attire, Stewart fired back with the perfect reply.

“Dressing for whose age?” she questioned with a laugh.

“I don’t think about age. I think people are more and more and more [fabulous] than they’ve ever been in their senior years, and I applaud every one of them,” Stewart explained.

She added: “I’ve dressed the same since I was 17. If you look at my pictures on my Instagram, I look pretty much the same.”

“The Martha Stewart” podcast episodes air every Wednesday.

For people who grew up in the ’90s and 2000s, plastic surgery of any kind was still very much in its “hush-hush” era. While there was immense pressure to never age, it was still taboo to admit to receiving any kind of medical enhancements.

But things are different in the 2020s, the era of TikTok.

Now, celebrities and influencers are more open regarding their anti-aging treatments. On the one hand, this sheds some much-appreciated transparency that explains why so many famous people seem to age differently than the rest of us. But the greater awareness around these procedures has also normalized them, causing many viewers to wonder, “Do I need to get this procedure, too?” And it’s affecting people at a younger and younger age. (Ever heard of “baby Botox”?)

So, are these treatments and procedures appropriate for everyone? Considering so many followers of beauty-focused social media accounts are below the age of 25, could these young users be influenced to get anti-aging treatments that are detrimental in the long run?

We asked four dermatologists whether they think their younger patients should consider baby Botox and other trendy anti-aging procedures.

“‘Baby Botox’ refers to the use of targeted neuromodulators (such as Botox)… at lower doses than traditional dosing,” said Dr. Ahuva Cices, a cosmetic dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. “This allows for more subtle, softer results.”

Essentially, this smaller amount of neurotoxin creates less of the “frozen” look that results from Botox’s muscle-paralyzing effect.

“When patients first get Botox, it’s very common for them to allude to, ‘Don’t give me too much. I still want to be able to show my expressions and smile and emote,’” said Dr. Teo Soleymani, a California-based, double board-certified dermatologist.

With the lower dosages of baby Botox, patients can enjoy the best of both worlds.

“Instead of 30 to 40 units for muscle groups, 10 to 20 units are used instead,” said Dr. Elaine Kung, a board-certified dermatologist, assistant professor of dermatology at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Hospital, and founder of Future Bright Dermatology. “Baby Botox prevents lines from deepening while preserving facial expression in people who are younger.”

But these lower Botox dosages might not be suitable for all patients. If you already have prominent lines, even the full dosage of Botox will only do so much.

“We found that [Botox] doesn’t do much for [deep] wrinkles that are already formed,” Soleymani said. “What we found is that [Botox] is much better at paralyzing the muscles that form dynamic lines, or lines that show up during movement.”

That’s why many dermatologists recommend that patients interested in Botox begin treatment as early as their 20s or 30s ― whenever they first notice wrinkles and lines starting to form when their face is at rest.

“The best way to treat a wrinkle is to address it early before it permanently sets in, or to prevent it from developing at all,” said Dr. Joshua Zeichner, a New York-based board-certified dermatologist and associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine.

But if you aren’t yet seeing the first signs of wrinkles, the dermatologists suggest skipping baby Botox. “If a patient does not have any lines, then I do not recommend getting Botox,” Zeichner said.

It’s difficult for medical professionals to determine which muscles need to receive Botox if there are no lines showing where long-term wrinkles could develop in the first place. It’s also important to remember that the facial structure you have in your teens and early 20s might not be the same structure you have later in life.

“If your facial musculature and anatomy are still developing, which is in your teenage years, then I think [Botox] is premature,” Soleymani said.

“There is a trend among younger patients that follow various aesthetic and beauty accounts on TikTok and Instagram requesting more invasive and advanced treatments,” Cices said. But the dermatologists we spoke with all warned against getting the following procedures at a young age.

Most of us are aware, to some extent, that many beauty standards are cyclical—the pencil-thin eyebrows of the ’90s and 2000s giving way to the thick brows of the mid-2010s before laminated eyebrows took the spot as the current eyebrow trend.

The fact that many hyaluronic fillers supposedly dissolve naturally, or could be dissolved with hyaluronidase injections, gave many people peace of mind that fillers would be a “reversible” procedure once the full-lip trend was “out.”

However, Soleymani pointed out that while these fillers may be reabsorbed and dissolved to a certain extent, the residue of fillers can remain at injection sites.

“There are many people I’ve operated on which I’ve pulled out filler from their cheek, face, or lip, and they haven’t had any injections for five, six, seven years,” Soleymani said.

He also noted that getting fillers too early and too often can potentially change the structure of our facial features as we inject more and more over time, as evidenced by the infamous “duck lips.”

“Over time, the weight of that filler persists in the lip, and then you get elongation and this duck billing that occurs,” Soleymani said. “Trying to correct those is so much harder than just not having it done too early in the first place.”

It’s safe to say that current beauty trends lean more “mature,” with a dramatic, angular, “snatched” look. And many people are getting procedures like cat- and fox-eye surgeries, brow and mini face lifts, and buccal fat removal to achieve this aesthetic.

However, younger patients should be cautious with these surgeries ― particularly with buccal fat removal ― as their faces haven’t fully developed yet.

“Adolescence is a rollercoaster of hormonal and physical changes, often bringing fluctuations in weight. These fluctuations can dramatically affect the size and position of the buccal fat pads, making any surgical interventions premature and unpredictable,” Kung said. “Think of it like trying to tailor a suit before you’ve finished growing ― you might end up with an ill-fitting look later on.”

It might be tempting to think “I can fix those issues later down the line with more surgeries.” But it’s important to remember that surgery has limitations. Every time you go under the knife, you risk further complications and the development of scar tissue.

“Any time you manipulate something, you are going to leave long-term, permanent footprints in its place,” Soleymani said. “Obviously, there’s only so much skin that can be stitched and cut.”

So if you’re young and there’s a specific feature you’re insecure about, or something you’d like to change, sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is wait.

“Generally, the rule of thumb is anything that you want to do that can change the appearance or the structure of your face or skin, you should do when your body reaches a more static time in your life, when you’re not continually developing or [changing],” Soleymani said.

With the rise of social media and the various filters that make our favorite influencers look flawless 24/7, as well as the increased time we’ve spent staring at our faces on video calls, our standards of beauty have become warped.

“I had way fewer patients in their early 20s asking for filler three years ago than I do now. A lot of them complained about the way they look on Zoom or video conferencing,” Soleymani said. “They had more time to spend in front of Zoom, with virtual meetings, virtual work settings, and more time just in idling, which resulted in more scrutiny of their appearance.”

Before rushing out to get surgery, it could be a good idea to evaluate your relationship with social media and Zoom. (Rest assured, no one looks good on Zoom.)

And if you do decide to move forward with receiving any kind of treatment or procedure, remember that what worked for your friend or your favorite influencer might not be suitable for you.

“It is important to recognize that every patient is unique and can benefit from a personalized approach prior to receiving any aesthetic treatments,” Cices said. “When patients come in for cosmetic consultations, we discuss treatment goals and evaluate what can be done to achieve those long-term results.”

Keeping up a solid morning skin care routine is a key to achieving healthy skin. And of course, your skin’s needs change as you age, requiring different products and routines. How you treat your skin in the morning affects you throughout the day, protecting against pollution and harmful UV rays. (Your nighttime routine, on the other hand, includes more actives to heal the skin overnight.)

“As we age, our skin care routine needs to do more of the work that our skin was able to do itself [when we were younger],” said Dr. Luke Maxfield, a board-certified dermatologist. Due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors, the skin creates less oil and can be more fragile, featuring an uneven texture and tone.

The skin can also become drier due to hormonal changes, your pigmentation can increase and you’ll see a decrease in collagen. “Cell turnover slows down as we age. We need to hydrate more and exfoliate in strategic ways to keep up a vibrant, healthy-looking face,” said Dr. Nava Greenfield, a board-certified dermatologist.

But these changes happen at different rates, depending on your age. Read on to find out the routines the experts recommend for each decade of life.

During your 20s, the morning routine is all about preventing damage, focusing on a mix of antioxidants and adequate sunscreen protection. Now is the time to set up good, consistent habits. “The skin has volume, it is full of collagen and the discoloration is minimal. Keeping these qualities is the focus,” Greenfield said.

At this age, you might still be dealing with adolescent acne or rosacea, explained Dr. David Li, a board-certified dermatologist at Boston Derm Advocate. “It would be a good idea to integrate a cleanser to target these concerns,” Li added.

Maxfield highlighted the importance of an antioxidant serum in conjunction with sunscreen during your morning routine. Sunscreen is of course the hero, “Everything else in skin care is wasted, is trashed, if sun protection is ignored,” he said.

“Most of the skin cancers that we diagnose and remove in-clinic are due to decades of cumulative sun damage, and the compounding effect of using a good sunscreen in your 20s cannot be understated,” Li added.

1. Gentle cleanser: La Roche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

2. Moisturizer: REN Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream “because of its combination of natural oils and antioxidants which hydrate and protect your skin.”

3. Sunscreen: Eucerin Sensitive Mineral Face because “it’s economical, rubs in really nicely without leaving a white cast and offers broad spectrum coverage.”

In this decade you can start incorporating anti-aging products while keeping up with damage prevention and antioxidant protection. “The 30s have been defined as the aging decade by some,” Maxfield said.

“The skin starts to lose some hydration and develop some fine lines and discoloration from sun damage build-up,” Greenfield said. “I recommend adding a product that will not only protect and hydrate but also treat some of these issues.”

“While many but not all grow out of acne by this time, this is when rosacea most commonly manifests,” Maxfield said. Rosacea can appear as flushing, oil gland growth, eye irritation, or pimples. Sulfur is Maxfield’s preferred ingredient to combat these.

You may now consider adding an eye cream to protect the delicate eye area, which becomes dry and thinner in your 30s. Maxfield recommends ingredients like retinol, niacinamide, caffeine and peptides, which are gentle and can help with the texture, tone and collagen production.

You may also begin to experience collagen loss during this period, so Li suggests using antioxidants and keeping up with hydration.

1. Gentle exfoliating cleanser: Carbon Theory Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Gel Cleanser. “It is gentle but offers a subtle exfoliation to remove some buildup of dead skin and brighten.”

2. Antioxidant Serum: Skin Better Sciences Alto Defense Serum. “This contains vitamins C and E17 which provide abundant antioxidants for young skin to protect and maintains skin tone and vibrancy.”

3. Sunscreen: Eucerin Sensitive Mineral Face

In this decade, wrinkles start becoming deeper and more abundant, and the skin may appear duller, Greenfield notes. “While many active ingredients are introduced in the evening routine, the morning is also an opportunity to incorporate a couple of helpful products,” Greenfield added.

“We want to maintain and start addressing some skin barrier aging changes,” said Maxfield. The stratum corneum (the uppermost skin layer) hydration peaks at 40 and then declines, so Maxfield recommends a ceramide moisturizer to support it.

Li explained that the loss of collagen is becoming more pronounced in your 40s and skin laxity may also be an issue, with sagging skin under the eyelids, cheeks, nasolabial folds and marionette lines.

Hormonal changes may start causing skin issues in your 50s, especially if you are perimenopausal. This will make your skin dry, so focusing on hydration is important, as well as correcting any damage done in the previous decades.

“Remember the protection step we started in our 20s? Well, depending on how consistent we were with this, now we really start to notice a dramatic difference,” said Maxfield. A hydrating cleanser is essential at this stage, as well as “replacing lipids and oils that are no longer optimally produced in our skin,” he added.

The loss of volume becomes more prominent, resulting in a hollowing appearance and scars or trauma become more noticeable as the collagen levels decrease.

Skin begins to thin, and Maxfield suggests using an exfoliating cleanser. “Exfoliation and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) signal collagen growth, which can not only help even out tone but also signal and boost collagen growth,” he advised. With the added exfoliation you have to be consistent with your sunscreen, as acids can make the skin more photosensitive.

”Brown spots from the sun and genetic predisposition will continue to manifest, as well as worsening of pre-existing wrinkles and skin laxity,” said Li. Undereye puffiness may be more pronounced, so a hydrating cream can help.

The general focus is on hydration, antioxidants and brightening, said Greenfield.

“In our 70s, some of the structural changes on the face, bone resorption, fat pad migration, and tendon laxity become more prominent,” said Maxfield. Continued collagen loss may make your skin more prone to sensitivity, dryness and even bruising.

Due to the increased sensitivity, you might consider removing any products with fragrances from your routine.

The experts agreed that the dryness of the skin also affects the body, and this is something not talked about enough. The skin cell turnover is slower allover and the natural skin oils are reducing, causing flaky, cracked skin.

An exfoliating product like a shower gel or lotion, paired with a thick moisturizer, can address these issues. Add a specialized exfoliating foot product and you’re good to go.

1. Cleanser: La Roche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

2. Exfoliator: REN Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic “to be used twice weekly.”

3. Antioxidant moisturizer: Cetaphil Restoring Body Lotion with Antioxidants. “Use this liberally: apply a generous layer to gain the benefits of the niacinamide and vitamin E and meadowfoam seed oil.”

4. Sunscreen: Eucerin Sensitive Mineral Face

“One of the main concerns people notice in their 80s is thin skin, especially on the arms, which results in solar purpura (purple/red discoloration) or spontaneous bruising of the arms from time and sun exposure. And while nothing dramatically reverses and completely treats this, thickening the skin with a body retinol and exfoliant could only help,” said Maxfield.

Transepidermal water loss is a concern here, so keep up with your reparative moisturizers. You can also add an emollient-based product (like Vaseline and Aquafor) for the hands, arms and legs, to target the flaky skin.

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No matter our age, most of us are guilty of saying, “I must be getting old,” when we can’t quite find the words to describe something or an important item on our to-do lists slips our minds. Indeed, our brains do change with age; research suggests that the brain shrinks about 5% per decade starting at age 40.

But as we get into our 50s and 60s, what can we expect to happen to our brains? What little slip-ups can be attributed to normal brain aging, and what can signify something more serious? We spoke with doctors to find out:

In your 50s, your brain is already shrinking. “The cortex ― outer layer of the brain ― becomes thinner, the myelin sheath surrounding the fibers of neurons may begin to degrade, and receptors don’t fire as quickly,” explained Dr. Dylan Wint, a neurologist and neuropsychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic.

That being said, most people are still pretty sharp in their 50s — but they may start to notice some changes in their cognition. “In your 50s, cognitive functions such as on-demand recall of names and numbers, processing speed, rapid task-switching and spatial skills can diminish,” Wint said. “This tends to continue in the decades ahead.”

More noticeably, during this time you might see a subtle decline in what is called episodic memory, or “the mental diary that includes ‘meta-tags,’ such as who was present at a meeting last week and on what day that meeting was held,” Wint said. “On the upside, other facets of cognition, such as moral judgment, wisdom and emotional regulation, usually continue to improve during this period.”

Dr. Dale Bredesen, a neuroscience researcher at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, added that hormonal changes can contribute to cognitive changes as well.

“In our 50s, hormonal changes due to menopause in women, and andropause in men, typically occur,” he said. “Cognitive decline can occur due to a sudden drop in hormones, such as the drop in estradiol associated with menopause. People often find more fat accumulation in the 50s as well, which is associated with cognitive decline.”

As you enter your 60s, Wint said, brain shrinkage becomes more noticeable. “Although you retain your lifetime of accumulated knowledge, your brain becomes less efficient at accessing that knowledge and adding to it,” he explained.

Bredesen noted that issues that are more likely to pop up in your 60s, such as heart disease and chronic inflammation, can further contribute to cognitive decline.

It’s normal to experience some cognitive decline as we age. But when is forgetfulness a sign of something more serious?

“The most prominent effect of typical aging is probably the slowing of mental processes, particularly coming up with names, switching tasks, changing ingrained habits and incorporating new information,” Wint said. “Our brains usually compensate for these changes, so we can still function robustly and independently.”

Cognitive decline becomes concerning when it starts to interfere with daily functioning. “This is never normal, and is formally called dementia,” Wint said. “However, in between typical cognitive aging and dementia is a zone of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), where cognition is not normal for age — formal testing may be necessary to detect this — but does not interfere with routine daily activities. About 50% of people with MCI will progress to develop dementia over the next three to five years.”

If you are experiencing forgetfulness, trouble with communication, or other symptoms that concern you, Wint suggested that you consider a consultation with a geriatrician or neurologist.

“It doesn’t mean you have Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia, but a specialist can help to narrow down the cause and any potential treatments or lifestyle changes that may be helpful,” he said.

While there’s not a lot that can be done about the natural brain shrinkage that comes with aging, both Wint and Bredesen emphasized that lifestyle can make a huge difference for your brain.

“Exercise has the largest effect on brain health,” Wint said. “Regular, moderate aerobic exercise reduces the risk of cognitive decline. It’s also important to stay connected as we age, as a rich in-person social network provides support, reduces stress, combats depression and enhances intellectual stimulation.”

Since many medical conditions are strongly linked to a decline in brain function, maintaining body health is a huge component of maintaining brain health.

“Keep your blood pressure and weight at healthy levels, take medication as prescribed, minimize salt and sugar, keep active, and stay socially connected and positive,” Wint said. “Sleep quality is very important, too, and you should see a professional if your sleep is inadequate in quantity or quality.”

Bredesen added that brain health should be thought of as a lifelong goal, so if you’re in your 20s or 30s, it’s important to take steps now.

“Try to avoid processed food, avoid street drugs and heavy alcohol use, avoid smoking ― yes, even vaping ― avoid sleep loss and major stress, and keep your gut microbiome and oral microbiome optimal,” he said.

Aging happens whether we like it or not. But as both Wint and Bredesen emphasized, lifestyle can make a huge difference in the rate at which your brain health declines, and whether you develop dementia down the road. So start now — your mind and memory will thank you.

They say trends are cyclical, but when it comes to beauty and makeup fads, some really need to be put to bed. Supersized Flock of Seagulls-esque hair and skinny eyebrows? They can go, though Gen Z seems dead set on reviving the latter, for reasons we don’t fully understand.

And we definitely need to say goodbye to tanning beds, given what we know about skin cancer.

In the spirit of letting go of legitimately bad trends, we asked ladies over 50 to share the style and beauty trends they’re glad no longer exist (or at least seem to be on the way out.) See what they had to say below.

“In the days before blow dryers and round brushes, we made our own beauty products! We would slather our hair with Dippity-Do and roll it on repurposed frozen orange juice cans. Have you ever slept on metal rollers? There are two possible positions: face down, or with your head hanging over the side of the bed. I would take the rollers out in the early morning hours, smooth my hair down and lie on my back trying not to move, then try to sleep.” ― Jennifer Ebelhar, a 69-year-old style coach and @theStyleEquation on TikTok

“Oil and foil is the first beauty trend I’m thrilled is gone. If you’re too young to know, this is how we used to get a tan back in the ’60s: You’d oil up your skin and put foil nearby to reflect the sun. Yes, it’s nuts.” ― Sonia Lovett, a 71-year-old who runs the fashion blog Style Beyond Age

“We used to slather baby oil all over our body when we were younger. In fact, when I was in college at UCLA, we had a tanning competition, where we would put a small sticker on our body as a baseline for comparison and then slather on the baby oil and bake all day. I nearly won the dubious event and had my damaged skin as the prize! And we’d never wear sunscreen. I was one of the few people I knew who wore 15 SPF and people thought I was nuts.” ― Cynthia Gouw, a 60-year-old broadcast journalist and beauty influencer

“Please don’t wax or pluck them yourself like I did. Like countless others, they just never grew back! In the ’90s, extremely thin and arched eyebrows were considered fashionable, and many women, myself included, resorted to excessive tweezing or waxing to achieve this look.

“I have resorted to buying so many eyebrow pencils, gels, powders, not to mention the huge amount of money I have spent on microblading, micro-feathering and any new eyebrow products I see on Instagram. I have learnt how to fill and fluff them to the best of my ability and they look OK, but if I could tell the younger me anything, it would be, ‘Leave them alone!’” ― Violet Trikilis, a model and style influencer

“I’m 57 years young now. But when I was in high school, Madonna was huge! We all wanted to be her with our neon pink lace skirts and ripped sweatshirts that fell off our shoulders. And we all wanted to have hair just like her, including my girlfriend and I. So, what did two idiot teenagers do? We grabbed a pair of scissors and cut each other’s hair in an asymmetrical shape. Then we found some hair bleach, took a chunk of our bangs, and bleached them. For reference, my natural hair color is dark brown. Well, we both ended up with orange bangs … not Madonna!

“My mom freaked out and brought me to get it fixed and I ended up with a pixie cut and almost jet-black hair because the bleach did so much damage. My Madonna dream hair ended that day!” ― Michele Baratta-Detwiler, a 57-year-old fashion and DIY content creator

“I also haven’t seen super matte setting powder in a while. Solid cake setting powder used to be in fashion. Now I look for a balance, you have to keep a little glow and glisten when you age, at the same time you don’t want to look like the tin man… so all of these very luminous products have to be used sparingly and in strategic spots rather than everywhere as we age gracefully.” ― Carla Rockmore, a designer and style influencer

“The days of Aqua Net and perfectly coiffed hair are thankfully gone, especially because I have never wanted to take too much time primping. Anything too obviously done does not read modern to me. I prefer a polished yet ‘je ne sais quoi’ to my look.” ― Lovett

“The one beauty trend that made me grit my teeth was using MOM (milk of magnesia) on the face to control oil. This one really got under my skin because my skin is oily. In my beginning stages of wearing makeup I struggled with learning how to control the oil while wearing makeup. I tried everything, including this so-called hack. But after learning the potential risk to the skin and seeing actual makeup clients of mine suffer from the side effects, I emptied that bottle in the toilet. Now I’m an advocate for not following every trend without due diligence. I’ve recently seen younger women using Calamine lotion for the same reason. I hope this one fades as well.” ―Dorciah Sloane, a 53-year-old makeup artist and style influencer

The ’80s was the period for the most outrageous colors in eyeshadow and one simply could not get enough glitter! The brightest blues, yellow, orange, fuchsia donned our eyelids and at times all the colors of the rainbow balanced precariously on our eyelids. At the time, I worked as a makeup consultant and spent hours on applying my makeup that was so bright you could see it from the moon! In the 80s, eyeshadow and lipstick stayed on for days, it was so long lasting it was hard to remove ― probably due to the carcinogenic ingredients that went into the products.

“These days, I am happy with a more natural look with eyeshadow that enhances not takes over your face! I prefer mineral-based makeup and treatment ― makeup that cares for your skin.” ― Jayne Dalton, a 61-year-old style influencer

“You know what was awful? The ’80s curled bangs split horizontally with one half curled down toward your face and the other flowing back towards your crown made frozen by Aqua Net! As junior class president and vice president in high school, my twin sister and I were in charge of decorating the gym into a prom paradise! The night before our senior pictures we spent all night decorating and got about two hours of sleep in order to wake up at 5:30 a.m., dry our permed hair, and get our bangs just right! With tired eyes we got to school and stood in line to take pictures. The assistant to the photographer grabbed a comb and some Aqua Net and told us our hair would look better on camera if she fixed it. In a daze we agreed and took the shots! Later on between bells, we went into the bathroom and gazed in horror at the mall bangs she gave us. Granted, we did curl ours down, but never backwards, and now we sported that look in our senior pictures. To this day, we avoid bangs.” ― Tegan Higgins, a 51-year-old influencer who runs @tandttwintalk on Instagram and TikTok with her twin sister

“I am glad that we’re starting to go more natural with our makeup trends, so we don’t see so much heavy contouring anymore. Pamela Anderson has set an example by showing up all nude. I like that. We should celebrate more natural looks and features as the new normal.” ― Mette Sørrig Andersen, a 53-year-old content creator