Am I the only middle aged woman on MN with lines and wrinkles?

[Ivaidea]

I don't mean to sound arsey (honestly!) but if you are over 45 and have no lines or wrinkles, this thread is not for you.

I'm always reading posts on here where people say they are, say, 50 and have no wrinkles or are regularly taken for 5, 10 or more years younger.

Am I the only one who does have lines and wrinkles? My facial lines are similar to say, Naomi Watts in this photo - but without the beauty.

And I’ve had to take roaccutane twice.

I've had to take a course and am currently on track to have to take another due to cystic acne. I have wrinkles, too, though! Sob!

I’m darker skinned, don’t know if that also matters!

I can’t tolerate more than 20mg so have been on it for months and months and months. It starts to drive you mad

There are threads where people post photos and say "guess my age"?

[starts hunting Mumsnet, just so I can post a photo and receive fake praise]

There are threads where people post photos and say "guess my age"?

Yes. It’s very funny. Usually people guess around that age but some people are very kind and say “you have great hair / skin / glasses” whereas others guess 20-30+ years older

I can’t see the point of it apart from absolute attention seeking mind

I'd advise caution Eggy, for every poster telling the one who's put the photo up they look 35 when they're 40, there's one going "hmm, about 65? Maybe older?" 😂😂😂

Lol, crosspost Shirley!

I'm 42, have a fairly deep line between my eyebrows that makes me look frowny:which does bother me but only because I don't want to look like a miserable cow, and I'm fat which fills out any other wrinkles other than the smile lines from mouth to nose. I'm pale so my dark circles are so dark they look like black eyes if I've had a bad night, and I am a chronic insomniac so that is most of the time.

On top of that menopause seems to have put my skin into hormonal spotty, reactive, crappy, puberty mode so I am using skincare and prescription stuff purely to try and make my skin look healthy, not oily, spotty, covered in blackheads and generally grotty and grey. Not younger, or less wrinkly, just less shit.

I'm about 60% grey haired, and have decided to grow out the dye and give my hair a break from the chemicals. It's probably ageing but I don't give a fuck, my hair is really shiny and feels softer and nicer than it's been in years. I like it.

I'm also chronically ill so generally I look pretty awful with it I think, but I don't care either way. I would just like to have healthy skin, with whatever wrinkles appear, and using a couple of acids, some niacinamide, azelaic acid and Retin-a with moisturiser and hyaluronic acid to counter the dryness and dehydration caused by the Retin-a should hopefully fix it soon enough. I bloody hope so anyway.

While I agree that some people are a bit delusional about how 'young' they look, I don't agree that it's impossible to look more than 5 years younger than your actual age. It's uncommon yes, but honestly, I know a 44 year old friend who could pass for a student in the university where we work. Absolutely flawless skin, and no, no 'work' done.

As for me, I'm late 40s and while I don't have many wrinkles (honestly!) the ones around my eyes make it difficult for me to wear the dramatic eye make up I used to love. But while my wrinkles aren't so bad, what shocks me sometimes when I see photos of myself are the jowls - the sagging and the start of a double chin. I reckon that's a lot more ageing than a few lines.

You know someone that looks 24 years younger than her actual age?

Close enough, yes.

It's rare but some people genuinely do look much younger than their real age.

But 20 year olds have that bloom of youth, it's unmistakable. Has she maintained that dewy look in her mid 40s?

Never happens with men though does it, 44 year old man able to pass for 20? In fact it would be a bit creepy.

As someone who works in a university, I can safely say not all young people have a ''bloom' or a 'dewy look'! And yes, this woman has amazingly plump and youthful looking skin. Everyone remarks on it.

Anyway, I don't see the point in getting into a discussion over one individual. I just used her as an example of how it is possible to look considerably younger - or older - than your age. On more than one occasion I've been shocked to hear someone's age as I had assumed they were much younger or older. It does happen, though maybe not that frequently.

53 here, still clean up well with time and effort. My morning face would frighten horses though, all staring pale white face, dark circles under eyes and lips that have disappeared into themselves. ( where DID my lips go, btw.??)

@IcedPurple

You must need to go Specsavers if you think a 44 y.o. woman looks 18-20.

Not in a million years. No. Never.

As I said, I have seen the occasional woman look 15-20 years younger (from a distance, like 30-40 feet) but close up they look roughly their age .

In my entire life, out of the multiple 1000's of people I have met, and seen on tv, I have NEVER seen anyone look more than 7-8 years younger than they are. Not when you look properly. Not even women who have had botox or a facelift.

And no WAY would a middle aged woman in her mid 40's look 19-20.

I really do not GET why it seems to be some kind of prize, or life achievement to look MUCH YOUNGER than your age (though, as I said, most people do not!)

It's like someone who (claims to) look 20 years younger, seems to somehow regard themselves as better, or more worthy, or more attractive. Weird and bizarre and definitely deluded!

As someone said, no-one ever talks about men of 44-45 looking 19-21 LOL!

Upper arms are a bit of a giveaway. No matter how toned, the skin gets that papery look after 40. There’s nothing you can put on them that helps.

I do know a few women who look young for their age, it tends to be imo Chinese women who have very youthful skin with a lack of wrinkles and due to their petite size could easily pass for much younger

As I said, I have seen the occasional woman look 15-20 years younger (from a distance, like 30-40 feet) but close up they look roughly their age

So what?

Your experience is just that - your experience. Mine does not have to be the same. And I have definitely seen men and women who look considerably, ie, a lot more than 5 years, younger or older than their age.

And no WAY would a middle aged woman in her mid 40's look 19-20.

Well, a student can be a bit older than 19, but I'm not the only person to say this woman could indeed pass for one. But this will be the last comment I'll make regarding her since, as I've said, you don't know her so there's no point arguing.

All I'll say is that I have seen people who do look a lot older/younger than they are. If you haven't, that's fine. I'm not here to deny other people's experiences.

I'm 46.
I don't have lines on a "resting" face but have them around my eyes when I smile. Nothing on the forhead or around the mouth yet.
I do however, have a shit neck with a magic fucking double chin thing that I think makes me look like the fake female head that Arnold Schwarznegger used in the original Total Recall to get back to Mars.

Numbers 1+7 of this article are just what I mean

www.oddee.com/item_100116.aspx

Book an appointment at Specsavers seriously @IcedPurple

I am 40 and started getting wrinkles a while back. I have red hair and fair skin. I religiously put on suncream/hats - but not to avoid wrinkles which I think are probably unavoidable with my skin type. My main skin worry is avoiding skin cancer (have already started getting keratosis and sun spots) so I am not really too worried about wrinkles and feel it could be worse.

I would never, ever consider botox! The thought of it makes me wince. Same for skin peels. Ouch.

LOL @ CommanderDaisy

Yeah, as I said earlier @Shirleyphallus, dark skinned/Asian/Hispanic women do look younger for their age than white women, but not SUPER young, not more than 10 years. Not when you look at them properly.

As many posters have said, some women look GOOD for their age, and are attractive, but they still look roughly their age. And what on earth is WRONG with looking roughly your age? Why the desperation to try and insist that people mistake you and your daughter for sisters?! Or people constantly tell you how YOUNG you look? What are you trying to prove? (And who are you trying to convince or impress?!)

The women in those pics (on the previous page,) mostly look close to their age. And the ones who don't are photoshopped.

I have not seen a single woman in real life who looks more than 7-8 years younger than their age. 10 maximum, (and that is quite rare.)