Signs of aging

What he said, what she said

How important is hair to looking youthful? How you answer that depends on your age and gender. That's what the Consumer Reports National Research Center found when we asked more than 13,000 of our online subscribers a few questions about the signs of aging.

Almost one-quarter of women—but only 12 percent of men—said that thinning hair is one of the clearest indicators that a woman is getting older. A sizable percent of both men and women reported that wrinkles and thinning hair or balding are primary signs of aging in a man. But an even greater percent (52) of men said that gray hair is a key sign a man is no longer young; a much smaller percent (36) of women saw gray hair as very telling of a man's age.

In general, younger people focused on looks as the key signs of aging, while older people noticed functional deficits—a lack of muscle tone or activity—as indicators. However, a greater percent of women than men, at all ages, reported that slow movement and lack of activity are signs of aging in a man.

As the chart below shows, when we limited our survey to the more than 6,200 men and 1,800 women who had experienced hair loss, we also uncovered significant differences in the way the sexes felt about their hair as well as how they handled the problem