Disappearing Fingerprints

Not My Actual Fingerprints,
But You Get the Idea

One day in the not so distant past, I noticed it was harder to turn caps on bottles, to grip jar lids, and to turn newspaper pages without licking my fingers.

What was happening was that my fingerprints were beginning to disappear. Ever curious about why body parts change, I did some research on Google.

It's a common phenomenon amongst older people. As we age, the ridges of the fingerprints become broader and the depths of the furrows become shallower. That's because the skin on our fingers becomes less elastic.

I didn't know that. But now, I do. No wonder my fingertips feel smooth. And here I thought my hands were getting younger.

Not so, huh?