So is 40s when looks go off a cliff?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, looks really start to go downhill after 45. I'm 47 and have watched about 50 friends age. At 40-43 or so, many looked indistinguishable from 35. Then aging hit and it's been striking.

Yup. Every year between 46 and 50 is brutal.

[Anonymous]

I'm 54 and post menopause. The utter absence of estrogen is an -enormous- game changer for looks (skin, hair, muscles aka 'staying fit', collagen [jowls]).

I looked fine-to-good from 45-52 because I "took care of myself" like so many PPs prescribe, and I did a little botox and fillers and yoga and vegetarian diet. Fine. I STILL do that and look like saggy crepey crap because estrogen


IME, menopause is the actual cliff. the 40s are just kind of a gentle slope down in comparison

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 54 and post menopause. The utter absence of estrogen is an -enormous- game changer for looks (skin, hair, muscles aka 'staying fit', collagen [jowls]).

I looked fine-to-good from 45-52 because I "took care of myself" like so many PPs prescribe, and I did a little botox and fillers and yoga and vegetarian diet. Fine. I STILL do that and look like saggy crepey crap because estrogen


IME, menopause is the actual cliff. the 40s are just kind of a gentle slope down in comparison

This. This. This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, looks really start to go downhill after 45. I'm 47 and have watched about 50 friends age. At 40-43 or so, many looked indistinguishable from 35. Then aging hit and it's been striking.

Yup. Every year between 46 and 50 is brutal.

Agree. That's when perimenopause starts and it's all downhill looks-wise. Everything everywhere starts to sag. You start to feel more achy, you get more brain fog, really it's awful. I am in great shape and eat well, but still, I aged tremendously between 45 and 50. Before then, I thought I looked young for my age. Ladies, enjoy your early 40s!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 54 and post menopause. The utter absence of estrogen is an -enormous- game changer for looks (skin, hair, muscles aka 'staying fit', collagen [jowls]).

I looked fine-to-good from 45-52 because I "took care of myself" like so many PPs prescribe, and I did a little botox and fillers and yoga and vegetarian diet. Fine. I STILL do that and look like saggy crepey crap because estrogen


IME, menopause is the actual cliff. the 40s are just kind of a gentle slope down in comparison

This. This. This.

Oh yes, to quote Ali Wong (think from Game of Thrones): Winter is Coming…

[Anonymous]

Oh a, I’m turning 46 this week. I love my life and I feel fine. I still have my unique style, don’t wear makeup most of the time and am considering not coloring my gray. I’m at an age and stage where I feel better than I probably should about my looks, but I don’t really care.

[Anonymous]

Wait until you hit your 50s. I bypassed botox/fillers and had a lower face lift and my eyes done separately. looks way more natural. Good luck

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the replied, they are enlightening. It's funny because since seeing this friend I've been lookin at myself in the mirror and trying to figure out if my face has changed as much as hers has. I definitely see more lines and knew that, and I do think I can start to see the jewels forming, but maybe it's just the trick of seeing my face every single day -- I just don't feel like I've aged that rapidly. I guess this made me wonder if a steep drop off is coming.

I will say that I don't drink almost at all and eat reasonably healthy and exercise. All in moderation -- I'll have a glass of wine at a wedding, I'll eat a cheeseburger now and then and always grab the piece of cake when offered, and when I say I exercise, I mean that I do yoga or barre at home a few times a week and I try to walk as much as possible instead of driving.

I don't want to look 20 (really, I don't). But my first thought when I saw my friend was "whose that middle aged lady, she looks familiar -- maybe a friend of my moms?" Like it took me a full minute to realize it was her. I don't mind looking my age (43) but I'm not ready to look like my mother does now!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replied, they are enlightening. It's funny because since seeing this friend I've been lookin at myself in the mirror and trying to figure out if my face has changed as much as hers has. I definitely see more lines and knew that, and I do think I can start to see the jewels forming, but maybe it's just the trick of seeing my face every single day -- I just don't feel like I've aged that rapidly. I guess this made me wonder if a steep drop off is coming.

I will say that I don't drink almost at all and eat reasonably healthy and exercise. All in moderation -- I'll have a glass of wine at a wedding, I'll eat a cheeseburger now and then and always grab the piece of cake when offered, and when I say I exercise, I mean that I do yoga or barre at home a few times a week and I try to walk as much as possible instead of driving.

I don't want to look 20 (really, I don't). But my first thought when I saw my friend was "whose that middle aged lady, she looks familiar -- maybe a friend of my moms?" Like it took me a full minute to realize it was her. I don't mind looking my age (43) but I'm not ready to look like my mother does now!

You can always comfort yourself by looking at teen school pictures from the 1940s and 1950s. Those 15 year olds looked like they were well into their 50s just from their hair and expressions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in this age group. This is when it really separates. Those who take care of themselves and have good genes can look great. Then there's those who don't.

I met up with some high school friend i Hadn't seen in years. We're all in our mid-40s. It was amazing the range. Some looked 10 years old, and some looked 10 years younger. It's clear who exercises regularly, eats well, etc. It really makes a difference at that age.

You’re an awful, awful creature. Have you considered that people’s look might fade because they have legitimate health issues and that doesn’t mean they let themselves go?

[Anonymous]

I'm 44 and will be 45 in December and this thread is scaring me😫

[Anonymous]

I’ve just turned 50 and agree with what people are saying about 45 to 50. It is definitely harder to keep weight down - part of it is that you care less which I think a lot of people don’t mention. Also sagging isn’t easy to combat unlike wrinkles which can be erased with Botox or lasers.

Funny the PP who thought the friend looked older. Absolutely you looked older to her too. The shock may not have been as great but every single person I have seen recently that I hadn’t seen since before the pandemic has aged a lot. I am sure I am the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 44 and will be 45 in December and this thread is scaring me😫

I'm turning 44 next week and they said all this about turning 25 and 30 and 40. Sure, we are aging but a few lines and droopy bits are not the end of the world. I was a stunner and had a lot of fun when I was younger. I'm ready for the next stage, look forward to having kids in high school and eventually college (mine are very young still), refocusing on my marriage, friends and career... What truly scares me is my parents getting sick and dying, but I am hoping for at least another good decade with them. The lines and sag you can fix if they really bother you. Don't let the rest of life pass you buy because you're 10lbs overweight or have jowels.

[Anonymous]

meh, I'm 56 and am ok with how I look. I'm fit and have good teeth and hair and most importantly, am able to participate in things I like to do. I got a facial yesterday and the the esthetician said I had great skin. I don't believe her but I guess it's nice to get a compliment.
You do care less as you get older. I probably am 5-10 lbs over what I want to be but I'm tired of getting up early to work out. And, I have the extra cookie from time to time.
What I have cut out is alcohol, and that really seems to help.
As I look at my friends, they don't seem to have aged much at all since I've known them the last 15 years, and they're older than I am.
My parent though - yikes. And they're only 20 years older than me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 44 and will be 45 in December and this thread is scaring me😫

This thread is making me laugh. Keep ‘em coming, ladies!