We might stop growing as we age, but our ears don't
Video includes clips from Walt Disney Studios / "Return of the Jedi," ScreenSlam, NBC and The White House and images from FreeImages.com / Bobby Nick, Jordan Fischer / CC BY 2.0, rottonara / CC0, psyberartist / CC BY 2.0, Julim6 / CC0 and geralt / CC0. Music provided courtesy of APM Music.
It might seem like older people often have bigger ears, and that's because human ears get bigger with age.
Studies show that human ears get about one-fifth of a millimeter longer every year, on average. That isn't much, but it starts to add up after a while. Those who start with bigger ears may see the most growth.
There have been a lot of theories on why ears grow, but the current thinking is that ears lose elasticity and parts of them, especially the earlobe, start to droop. The same thing can happen to the tips of human noses.
And although people seem more likely to notice the ears of older men, women experience the same thing. Hairstyles, plus the fact that women's ears are usually smaller than men's, could be why ear growth is usually less noticeable for women than men.
