[paulat (OP)]

I've seen a lot of older people, especially men, with very large ears and noses. It seems unlikely that they were born with such impressive appendages, suggesting that noses and ears continue to grow throughout life.

Is this the case, and given the high prevalence amongst men, is it something to do with testosterone or some other male hormone?

PT

[ukmicky]

I don't think they continue growing but rather gravity gets its own way and pulls down and stretches them and the cartilage holding them up giving the appearance that they have grown.


Could be wrong though.

[Karen W.]

Yeah, I think Michaels right! I do not believe they continue to grow. I have seen some huge ears and noses on both men and women...and frankly those with the larger traits also had very large ears and nose as small children and infants as well. when adults, we just grow into them thats all they grow with us until we stop! growing for some men that can be from 19 to 23 or 24 years old. Most women stop growing around 17 to 18 years old. I think it is just a inherited trait that some families have..... Look at Jimmy Durante, Barbara striesand they all had and have some absolutely beautiful noses!!! Nice traits....

[eric l]

What actually happens is that cartilage goes on growing long after bone stops growing.  Your ears and nose contain cartilage rather than bone...

[chris]

Dear Eric

thank you. So why do elderly men tend to be affected more than women? If the answer is simply the continued growth of cartilage, would not the two groups be the same? To my knowledge there is no significant difference between the ear and nose sizes of young men and young women.

Chris

[eric l]

Is this the case, and given the high prevalence amongst men, is it something to do with testosterone or some other male hormone?

PT

Dear Eric

thank you. So why do elderly men tend to be affected more than women? If the answer is simply the continued growth of cartilage, would not the two groups be the same? To my knowledge there is no significant difference between the ear and nose sizes of young men and young women.

Chris

Chris, it took me some time to find an answer.  The only thing I can say, after having more opportunity than usually to observe elderly men and women due to the holiday season, that there such a difference in this between elder men and elder women !  When we see an old men with long nose and/or ears, it is usually in combination with a face that is, well, more bony than at a younger age.  Older women in general will keep their rounder faces.
And, BTW, cartoons or illustrations of fairy tales always show old witches with long noses and ears.  This, of course, is not a scientific observation, but indicates that the public tends to see elder women with longer noses and ears at least to the same degree as elder men !

[Karen W.]

To be honest I have never noticed this... I think I must take a polite gander and see for my self!!LOL