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Even a simple stay at the ISS can impact the human body.
Design by Clara Hendler
For a long time, looking at aging in space wasn’t a priority.
But aging is now moving up on the list.
It’s tricky though.
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, left, and his identical twin brother Mark Kelly in 2015.
It all becomes a theoretical exercise thats hard to wrap your head around.
But still, experts can and do guess.
Here’s what we know about how we may look as older interplanetary ex-pats.
Design by Clara Hendler
To call the finding unexpected would be an understatement.
It’s alittlestressful."
Would the telomeres continue to grow?
Clockwise from left: NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Andrew Morgan, and Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano aboard the International Space Station.
But once you head out farther, it’s estimated to shoot up to 500,000 times.
That in itself may end up speeding aging overall.
Setting up camp there could be our best defense against all that radiation.
A photo of the International Space Station in orbit, taken from the Space Shuttle Endeavour prior to docking in 2000.
This works well on Earth, but in space it’s no longer needed."
However, she adds, “our bodies don’t get the memo right away.”
The same thing happens to the human body."
Design by Clara Hendler
Space is notoriously rough on the skin in other ways.
One major reason for these skin issues is that leaving Earth alters the skin’s structure.
But its potentially even worse than that.
Those effects on mice happened after just three months in space.
With regard to skin dryness, preliminaryresearch shows that moisturizercould help improve hydration levels.
Did We Mention Your Hair and Nails May Stop Growing?
Their results suggest that “spaceflight inhibits cell proliferation in hair follicles.”
We could be looking at slowed growth and perhaps more bald people walking (or float-skipping) around.
When it comes to the aging of hair and nails, nutrition is a concern.
“Astronauts' fingernails sometimes fall off during spacewalks due to pressurized gloves.”
“Astronauts have come back from space with osteopenia and osteoporosis,” she says.
One thing that probably won’t change is how teeth age.
But you might probably cross an increased chance of needing dentures off the list.
Beth Shapouri is a beauty, health, and lifestyle writer living in Brooklyn, NY.
you’ve got the option to follow her onInstagram.
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