All about ears!

Upswept hair, short bobs, geometric hairstyles, curly cap styles, will all expose our ears. At a mature age these hairstyles are the most flattering and so our ears are on show. It will be necessary to be extra fussy about ear care so that we look immaculate and are never embarrassed. Because our ears are positioned out of our sight, we only see them reflected in the mirror; we must check daily to be sure that everything about our ears is clean and tidy. Use a hand mirror to see details.

• It is best not to wash ears with soap as it can cause a crusty residue to form inside the ear canal.
• Dry your ears as best you can with the bath towel, then finish by cleaning and drying.
• Keep an eye on your earlobes for crustiness caused by earrings – pierced, clip-on or screw-on. Use ointment as necessary. For many years I suffered with fragile earlobes, prone to breaking out (my ears are not pierced); the result of tight clip-ons and tight screw-ons. Now I put a smear of Betnovate and Sigmacort ointment on each earlobe at bedtime every night, whether I need to or not and never have a problem. Try it.

Hearing aids

You may become hard of hearing in your late 60s, early 70s and it is your choice whether you go for a hearing aid or continue to smile and nod and hope that you said “yes” and “no” in the right places. Adjust the volume of the TV, radio, DVDs and CDs to suit. I understand from friends that lots of perseverance is needed to get used to hearing aids and some folk just give up. One friend was struggling with invisible hearing aids which had been super-expensive. She was motivated by the cost to keep trying and now, many months later is still not comfortable with her invisible hearing aids. Make lots of enquires and do lots of research and get plenty of opinions before paying out big money. Know that you will have to make an effort and that it might take time to succeed.

Ear candling

This age-old procedure of Chinese origin is amazing. A hollow gauze and wax candle is inserted in the ear; the other end is lit. The warmth created melts the ear wax and creates a vacuum and the earwax moves into the hollow candle. No sensation of heat is experienced. One ear is done at a time. For the 10 or so minutes that this is happening, the therapist will massage your face and neck to loosen congestion in the sinuses. An enormous amount of wax and congestion will be easily and painlessly removed and you might be astonished at the improvement in your hearing and feel so light-headed that you will be floating on air. Ear candling is much easier and more effective than ear syringing. Have it done very couple of months – always after a cold and any time your ears or sinuses feel blocked.

Think positive when you think ears – they may not hear as well as they once did but they frame your face and are available to be adorned with earrings to enhance your beauty.

• Pearl earrings are the most versatile and can be worn with anything, suit any occasion and are the most flattering of gems.
• Diamonds light up the face and make you sparkle. Substitute zircons, rhinestones or crystals if you are afraid of losing the real thing.
• Rubies, garnets, sapphires, emeralds and other faceted coloured stones look fabulous when set with a few small diamonds.
• Silver and gold earrings are basics in your collection. Consider some silver or gold bells just for fun!
• The choice of costume and craftsman – made earrings is never ending and you will delight in wearing funky pieces that draw attention.

A snippet of ear trivia to contemplate: your ears never stop growing and will become marginally bigger over the years.

For other great Health & Beauty Tips For Women Aged Between 60 & 80, Margaret Woodberry’s book is available for $24.95 here.