Anyone find their looks/health had a dramatic cliff drop at 40?

[pastabest]

A few weeks ago I was 39, but could pass for 28 on a good day, 35 on a bad day. People frequently expressed surprise when I told them my actual age.

I expected this to continue for a few more years and a gradual ageing process to occur, but pretty much in the weeks since I've turned 40 wrinkles have appeared from nowhere, my grey sprinkles are now proper grey roots and things ache. My eyesight has gone a bit funny and my hearing has become... problematic and when I'm staring back and myself on Microsoft teams I suddenly look drawn and lined.

I've had my 40 NHS health check and in theory I'm in tip top condition for my age, but I've visually aged about 10 years in less than 2 months.

Is this a thing!?

I don't think it could objectively be as dramatic as that OP..maybe there's an element of the psychological impact of hitting 40 making you notice things more?

Am I supposed to book a 40yo health check? Should my surgery invite me?

But yes, I feel ancient!

Try turning 50!

I think there’s recent research to suggest we age in bursts rather than in linear and gradual rate. Main changes occurring around 40yo and 60.

At 42 I felt a huge change in how I looked and how I felt. The fact that I turned forty during covid didn’t help either…
My husbands eyesight got worse quite dramatically at his mid forties too. He wasn’t wearing any glasses, now he can’t see a thing without them.

To end this somewhat positively, once you accept it is what it is, then you focus on working with what you have, remembering today is the youngest you’ll be until the end of your life.
My parents moaned about feeling old since they were forty. Now, at seventy, they really wish they felt as they did in their fifties.

I'd considered this but frankly I was pretty smug about how well I was doing for my age and was pretty confident that I had a few more years left of minimal effort to look OK.

It's just been so sudden and dramatic and its given me a huge shock. I've noticeably and visibly aged, its not just psychological, people keep asking me if I'm feeling OK because I look 'tired'.

Yes! My metabolism isn’t what it was, my skin texture has changed, I have more lines and my hair has thinned. Most of all, I just look very much my age, whereas not long ago I looked young for my age.

I was invited for mine, my surgery is pretty hot on all these kind of things though.

I’ve been pretty shocked at the change since hitting 40 (I’m now 43 but also had the most horrendous year of stress from 41-42 so I put some down to that). I started taking powdered collagen in my morning coffee and despite being pretty cynical and not expecting much, it’s hugely improved my face.

I’m trying to run 2 times a week (just 5ks) but haven’t for 2 weeks due to illness so I’ll be back to being slow again. Has got under 35 minutes which I was happy with - not looking for injuries.

I was 40 just as the pandemic hit but yes, definitely a thing. Sorry. My 30s were my absolute prime!

Another vote for collagen. I’ve been taking it for nearly a year and the aches and pains have completely disappeared. Skin has no lines at all and is baby soft, the best it’s even been. I also use retinol at night and vitamin C serum in the morning with a factor 50 afterwards. I had no idea it would make this much of a difference. I’m also a few years older than you.
I didn’t look this good this time last year. I was also in a stressful relationship that I left so that’s helped too!

I’d love to go back to 40, 60 has been a terrible shock, hardly recognise myself!!!

What do you do to look after yourself?

I started proper strength training this year (as in 3x week every week without fail, lift heavy).

I’m mid-40s, size 8/10 and look good in a bikini. Ran my fastest 10k of my 30s and 40s this year.

My hair is really thin though admittedly

Not a huge amount because I've never really needed to!

I'm a healthy BMI (22.5), eat pretty healthily, take multi vitamins, get my hair cut and dyed every 6-8 weeks (needed doing after about 3-4 weeks since turning 40). Use vit c serum in the morning and a good cleanser and moisturiser at night. Use SPF daily and drink mostly hot water/ black tea.

Exercise is swimming/walking most days.

The only thing that has changed is my age.

Yes but admittedly coincided with baby no3 who was an absolute sleep thief and Velcro baby! I did read that around 40 there is a big age window. That said I don’t work out as much as i use to, sleep as well or eat as well…

There was a documentary about while back about how ageing had always been considered to be linear, but in fact there are significant 'shelves' when we very quickly age more. One is early 40s.

Water, spf50, collagen peptides, sleep. And makeup.

Lift weights.

I didn't really notice a dramatic change until 54 which coincided exactly with
perimenopause.

This is what the French call a coup de vieux. It’s definitely been my experience- you go along looking much the same for decades then bam! Age 10 years in 3 months. Then go along again for another decade. Very much not a straight line. That’s also been my experience of elderly relatives declining.

The thing that makes the biggest difference for me in both looks and feeling is cutting out alcohol completely.

My eyesight started tanking around 45 and I’ve noticed it takes more make up to make me look dewey these days.

My hair doesn’t know what the fuck is going on and I’ve now got grey pubey sprouts popping vertically out of my scalp that neither bend to the will of any serum and/or straighteners. Oh but the errant single chin hair persists in its stubborn cling to my lower face and the mustache I didn’t know I had is starting to grow legs.

Physically I’m grand, in good shape and my tits don’t yet hit my knees. I’ve just finished a 55 min 10k and I lift heavy and often so I think prioritizing my physical fitness has paid dividends but yes, I may have to double down on my face and hair care. And make another Botox appointment…

Never heard of a 40 yr health check, maybe my GP doesn’t care about me?!

I’ve always had a baby face: round and chubby cheeks. My god did the ageing kick in around 42/43… it’s still going at 46! I defo aged a fair few years rapidly. Hairs change texture and seems to snap easily.

I eat well: protein,fibre plenty plants and nuts/seeds etc. i exercise a decent amount. I hydrate. I use sunscreen and various skin care.I’ve don’t drink a lot of alcohol or smoke. I’ve no major health issues bar some peri menopausal symptoms. I do ache a bit more but i function normally.

It's helpful to keep a good weight, eat well and moisturise

my health and my looks took a nose dive when I was 44 and my dh died. I have aged and not very well either, my neck is old looking, I’ve put weight on, I look tired all the time mainly because i only get 4 to 5 hours sleep a night and my body permanently aches. Oh and my eye sight is shit and my kidneys are knackered.

Yes it has for me. I'm 43, I've got a bad back, bad knees, daily physio forever, had to start dying hair, zapping chin hairs, and aciding my face. 6 years ago I was still getting disbelieving comments when my age came up.

Yes! Somewhere between 40-43, I aged a lot. At 39 I was often mistaken as being in my late 20s. I was wrinkle-free and youthful. Now at the cusp of turning 45, I very much look like I’m in my 40s. My face seems to be sliding south, I’m very grey, I have a few wrinkles, my muff has a bald spot and my hair is thinning on my head too. My joints ache and I struggle to get up off the sofa or floor without looking like my late grandmother doing the same. Depressing.