Do some people genuinely not notice their own lines and wrinkles?

[stetha]

Just read on another thread a woman claiming to be mid 40s or older with not a single wrinkle and using no skincare other than a cheap £1 moisturiser. Hey I can’t see her but so many times I’ve had people say this to me in person, how they don’t have any wrinkles and yet I’m looking at their face and yes, yes they absolutely do!

Now I don’t mind lines and wrinkles I have a few myself but what is going on! Why do so many people, even those who are quite heavily lined and sun damaged insist that they haven’t any lines and everyone is shocked to hear they are a day over 21? Do other people have magic mirrors? Or perhaps there is an epidemic of untreated long sightedness?

Let’s have a look then,,,😄

Ignorance is bliss! We should all be more positive about how we look and how we age, so fair play to them.

I might start saying similar myself. My wrinkles genuinely aren't too bad tbf...see, it's working already!

So bizarre that I’ve never met anyone in really life with white skin who doesn’t have some wrinkles at 50. Yet on Mumsnet there are loads of them. And their Mums don’t have wrinkles either.

Are you not including fine lines because we are? I’m not talking about deep set wrinkles but the fine lines most people start getting from 30s even if they still look young.

I was going to reply but then I don’t want to get told off for derailing the thread again.

Oh what the hell…

Why are people so bothered by this? It doesn’t affect anyone else so why is it an issue?

I'm early 70s. In all my days I've never had a conversation with any family member or friend about how many lines/wrinkles either of us might have.

Tempting but I’d really rather not post my face on the internet under a pseudonym name I’ve been using for a while. Maybe I’ll see if I can get a close up of my forehead for you. In fairness I do have a diagnosed connective tissue condition (as did my mum) and lack of wrinkles is one of the things associated with it. It’s the only positive alongside widespread pain and digestive issues, etc so I’ll take it.

And they all get told regularly too. And how much younger than their age they look.

im good for my age, tight jaw, no jowls etc, which is genetics, but I have crows feet when I smile and lines on my forehead, I’m good with this.

i wonder if people look in the mirror with a straight face,unmoving so think they don’t have any, as when i do this, mine are very hard to see, its when i have facial expression, smile, frown laugh,what ever you can see them.

not having them would look deeply unnatural and like I was botoxed up to the hilt.

Yeah I’ve just had a look and mine are very dynamic- so appear when I smile. I wouldn’t claim to have no wrinkles though.

I think people are deluded, not looking closely enough or not understanding the definition of a wrinkle/line.

this Maybe it, I just took some selfies, front and side profile, straight face. No movement, I look wrinkle free.i then did the same again but smiling , and you can see my crows feet and forehead lines.

i don’t have any lines or wrinkles on the side of my face, ie from below eye to jaw, or under eye, im mid fifties, but the crows feet, and the forehead lines are absolutely there when i move my face.

i think it would be humanly impossible to even reach your mid thirties and not have a forehead that wrinkles and some eye crinkles when you smile. I’ve never met a human who doesn’t,

maybe the only exception is if you’re really fat.your skin could be stretched and padded enough it can’t wrinkle.

I am 55 and have a normal amount of wrinkles. Q a few fine lines, and some deep ones. Asian skin. I am fine with it. But I have a few people tell me I have no wrinkles and look amazing. I find it so so odd. I mean, I genuinely have a normal amount of wrinkles, no false modesty here. Maybe people think I am Asian so I can’t have wrinkles?! Some weird cognitive bias thing? These are colleagues and close friends.

They are probs just being ‘nice’. But I do have wrinkles and I really don’t care. I have never been obsessed with looking young, though some of my friends are. I wonder why they say it. They are incorrect, so you can’t always believe what others say.

Oh I see.

I cant speak for Asians.

For blacks I think we’d maybe look at their hands? Or the amount of grey hair. Dyeing hair is quite a modern thing so grey hair is/was a good marker. The more grey hair you had the more respect you got, as an elder.

I never used to be the least bit bothered about wrinkles . However I’ve just hit 55 and although I have good skin I have noticed wrinkles settling in even more now and sadly I’ve suddenly become more worried about them and getting old/ invisible in general. I think I’m having a late midlife crisis perhaps! I really wasn’t that bothered before about feeling attractive and now suddenly I have this huge urge I don’t understand to be young and beautiful and wrinkle free again. I exercise like mad, I have end up buying retinol and vitamin C and started spending more money than I’d like to on clothes and makeup and trying to improve myself in general. It’s like a last chance at youth before I get really old. Definitely some underlying issues going on- around needing attention,( husband inattentive!) feeling unseen and heard in general and seeing my beautiful stunning younger daughter finding handsome young men and feeling a bit jealous or perhaps just wanting youth again ( I could never never be truly jealous of my lovely daughter)! I was much more ordinary at her age too and I suppose I compensated in other ways with education rather than looks- also social media has recently bombarded me either products and beautiful women ( or at least societies version of what’s beautiful). So I’ve been ‘influenced’ . It’s a bit like being under a spell too! I know it’s ridiculous but I cannot snap out of it! Part of me wants to make the best of myself and feel good at my age and nothing wrong with that but if it becomes all encompassing and I care too much I know I need to give my head a wobble. Any advice gratefully received but be kind!

People with hypermobility such as those with EDS sometimes have a more youthful appearance as their skin is more elastic, my Mum is like this and doesn't have loads of wrinkles despite being late 70s, I don't have many and people usually think I'm at least 10 years younger and I've recently tipped into late 40s. I actually got asked for ID by a 20ish year old lad in a supermarket, he was genuinely shocked but to be fair that hasn't happened for 5 years now. My skin bruisea easily though and there are corresponding problems with HM.

@Goldenbear we have a higher turnover rate of collagen as well as greater skin elasticity. So this will obviously affect wrinkles. Believe me I’d swap my lack of wrinkles for a wrinkly face if it meant I could be pain free

Which thread please op? I need tips!

Oh yes, I absolutely agree, I just thought it may be a bit of a explanation but there are many downsides as you point out.

Sorry, yes was just agreeing with you. I was still getting ID’d in supermarkets in my late 30s. 😁. I’m sure some here would say I was making that up. 🤷🏻‍♀️.

@Summertimesadnessishere that's a very honest and interesting post about how you feel. I think it's weird, the feeling of change and being at sea slightly with who we are now.

I would focus on health, making the most of your time doing things you enjoy as much as possible, and also not getting caught in the trap of excessive nostalgia.

If anything isn't serving you well, maybe now is the time to cut loose and find what you want and need at this stage, from life and the people in it ❤️

I would never go around telling people I have no wrinkles as they can see it for themselves and I usually play it down when it's mentioned

But I do have eye bags Rosacea and extremely reactive skin. Menopause has given me the gift of dry skin

But yea no wrinkles nearly 61, and I am not kidding myself I look younger as I dont

Yes, I definitely was the but I must admit being asked a couple of months ago was a surprise and the last time was probably early 40s.

If they weren't important why would they feel the need to lie?

They're probably keeping their face still when looking in the mirror/ taking selfies. Then when you see them you're seeing all their movement

I celebrate my wrinkles!! I’m surprised I don’t have more given my stressful and unhealthy life!! But there is a weird thing people have about age and not reading faces well - that probably aligns with lots of things like weight, energy, what you wear etc.
I am no longer able to guess ages and automatically put people in their twenties or late fifties. No idea where the thirties or forties went!
Having said all that - ultra sun suncream reduces wrinkles dramatically! I don’t know why

I think people maybe people don't understand the definition of lines & wrinkles, teenagers even have them!

A surprising amount of MNs don’t seem to have them 😆😆

I have a fantastic bathroom mirror because the window behind me is very bright and makes me look radiant in the reflection. Honestly I look about 35 (i'm 65).

Mirrors in department stores tell a very different story 🫣🫣🫣 so... I don't look at them!

I really like the bathroom version and am sticking to it!