8 Reasons You Only Get Better With Age, According to Science

Anyone who suffers from migraines knows how debilitating they can be. But after peaking in your 30s, they tend to become less frequent and severe in the decades that follow.

"Hormones play a large role [in migraines], which is why women get [them] more commonly than men," explains Ehsan Ali, MD, a primary care physician and concierge doctor in Beverly Hills. Post-menopause, your estrogen levels don't fluctuate as much, which often translates to fewer migraines.

Little ones have boundless energy, and their noses do an awful lot of running, too. Kids catch an average of 6-8 colds per year, while grown-ups only get about 2-4.

"Adults have developed more antibodies, which are white blood cells that help fight and prevent infection," says Dr. Ali. These cells may not stop you from catching whatever your toddler brings home, but you'll be able to put up a better fight.

Does eating ice cream make you wince? Well, not for long: "As teeth age, the pulp chambers — which contain an artery, nerve, and vein — can actually become smaller due to undergoing calcification," explains Jon Marashi, DDS, a celebrity cosmetic dentist. As a result, teeth can become far less sensitive to temperature and acidity.

Just because you can't feel a cavity doesn't mean your pearly whites aren't still prone to one, though, so keep up the good oral hygiene and regular checkups.

Having your girls by your side is vital at any age, but friendship impacts your health and happiness more strongly as you get older, according to Michigan State University research.

In fact, your squad may become even more important than your family in helping you stave off loneliness and feel supported during life's inevitable ups and downs.

Something to smile about: Happiness and mental health tends to improve with age, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

"What may have upset you or thrown you off when you were 35 doesn't necessarily do that when you're 65,” says psychotherapist Kathryn Smerling, PhD. "You really learn that happiness is a skill and a choice."

Remember those awkward teenage make-out sessions? The older you get, the more "skills and strategies" you acquire that translate to "sexual wisdom," confirms research published in the Journal of Sexual Research.

So while your libido might not be quite what it was when you were younger, researchers found that the quality of sex tends to become more important than how often you're getting it on.

Once you make it past menopause (the transition is sometimes accompanied by hot flashes and night sweats), you can expect to feel a lot less sticky. In a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, women ages 52 to 62 sweat less than those in their 20s.

"This may be due to decreased responsiveness of sweat glands to the environment or age-related weakening of sweat gland function," says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

You might feel pretty good about your latest Insta selfie, but your self-esteem won't reach its peak until you're between 60 and 75, according to research published in the American Psychological Association's Psychological Bulletin.

"As you age, you learn that things pass, and what's a catastrophe one day isn't the next," says Dr. Smerling. "You have the wisdom to not let the little things upset you, and what others think or do are much less of a concern."