What age did your looks start to fade?

[SalJ90]

Do we really become less desirable as we get older? Why is this?

These threads are always hilarious. People of 50+ reckoning they haven't aged? Pretty sure they have

@katepilar for me it's nothing to do with "pleasing men" - I look at my face in the mirror and it doesn't look as nice to me as it did when I was 20 or 35.

Youth is wasted on the young!

There are pictures of me since I was a baby in 1963 - thousands because my parents were professional photographers and I was a photographic and fashion model for a while. It's easy to see the ageing:
Youth bloom lasted until 28 (very lucky there)

A big step in ageing happened at 42

A massive step at menopause at 52 when I aged 10 years. Sudden crepe skin everywhere, thinning hair, teeth no longer look good, eyes look old. I now look a lot old than I am. I don;t drink, smoke or take drugs.

Women can still look beautiful at any age. Youth doesn't equal beauty in a lot of cases.

Some women that have various cosmetic procedures to remain young looking, end up looking a bit strange, neither young nor old, just stretched and plasticky.

External ageing is entirely normal. Inner beauty does not have to.

@radiohp I don't think the 50 year olds are saying they haven't aged, more that they feel they look great and haven't faded which suggests washed out and not attractive. Youth bloom is fabulous and I made the most of mine. My jaw line is saggy now in my fifties and I wish it weren't. I don't see my looks as 'faded' so much as changing. I'm less conventionally attractive as our society loves youth and I'm no longer young.

@ivykaty44

N idea and who cares, is it really important to who we are? Does looking pretty make us more worthy, kinder, morally upstanding, loyal, good to be around?

When are we going to move away from facial appearance being important?

This absolutely....and appearance generally? I mean not smelling or harbouring insect life is important but that's about it.... I mean yesterday there was a long thread about a boy at playgroup with long hair....starting to judge by looks in childhood! Its iniquitous.

42-44

[quote FarFarFarAndAway]@radiohp I don't think the 50 year olds are saying they haven't aged, more that they feel they look great and haven't faded which suggests washed out and not attractive. Youth bloom is fabulous and I made the most of mine. My jaw line is saggy now in my fifties and I wish it weren't. I don't see my looks as 'faded' so much as changing. I'm less conventionally attractive as our society loves youth and I'm no longer young.[/quote]
or that they DO NOT CARE

Looks are important though. They're a marker of health, virility and genetic health. We can't change our instincts on what we find attractive, it's probably what's allowed us to continue to evolve.

We are but animals!

They never shined in the first place!

At 50 definitely getting more wrinkles but haven’t yet started to get grey hair.

I was invisible to men in my teens and twenties but much less so as I’ve got older.

Your question would be better phrased as ‘stage’ not ‘age’. I’m in my mid 40s and of course I’ve aged. However, I think I look pretty good for my age. My skin is great, I have few wrinkles and generally my makeup, hair, clothes etc look better now than years ago (in my opinion).
Clearly I look older, but I spend more time and attention (and money - but no Botox or anything) on my looks now, and I think it shows. I personally feel more attractive now than I ever have done.
People get to the stage of being comfortable with themselves and maybe having more disposable income and less stresses at different ages, so the question is more about stage of life and what you’ve been through and less about your age.

Started about half an hour ago ...

Perimenopause for me … but I’m at peace with that … I’ve never worn make up or dyed my hair so did have to accept that I would look older than other women of my age

Around 53 facially. I spend a lot of time outdoors and so have a lit of facial lines. But I'm really sporty, running, cycling, swimming and have a size 8 figure (despite the menopause) which I never had in my twenties or thirties. I saw my brother after a long time recently and he very kindly pointed out that I'd aged facially but still moved like a young person so I'm happy with that!

After second child. I'm not overweight, but would love to lose half a stone, and as much as I gym or run (not as much as I'd like due to kids bringing bugs home or injuries) I don't think my belly or back fat will go. I suspect I'm a bit perimenopausal which doesn't help.

Was a size 6 upto first child at 32, 8-10 upto second child at 36. Now 10-12, but flabby with it. I'm short though.

The stress of holding down FT job with two kids and the general lack of opportunities under this government has worn me down a bit over the last few years. My face has aged after two kids who hate sleep. I'm hoping to get Botox when I finish BF.

I am thankful for having a body that functions well enough to not hugely impact my life though, but I do wish I looked after it better when I was younger. I feel quite down about it to be honest, but also angry we live in a society where it matters so much, because it shouldn't. It doesn't help that I'm invisible to my partner. We are just to busy to look at each other in that way at the moment. Having time to care for your body and not just be a mother around your partner makes a huge difference.

I’m 42 this year and although I can start to see a few more fine lines round my eyes, I honestly think I’m at my hottest. I just had a fab haircut that makes me feel amazing. And I’m the last few years I’ve finally worked out how to dress for my shape, so now have a wardrobe of stuff that fits, and looks good on me.

I think I look great. Not even sorry.

Mine have never peaked......my friend was stunning and still is......I had very few mrn interested in me and have lived most of my life single.. . I hate looking in the mirror......I've always had a baby face but now it's a sagging wrinkled baby face at 53......I would have loved to have just 1 day with a pretty face to see how it feels

In my mid-30s I had two years of severe anxiety and depression, plus redundancy, which really changed my face and aged me and my partner. Then I had a baby, then lockdown with a toddler. I look significantly older now, and have definitely lost my looks.

But that's ok. I am older, and to be honest I don't really care anymore. I quite like being invisible. I do wish clothes looked better on me like they used to but generally I'm fine.

@radiohp

Looks are important though. They're a marker of health, virility and genetic health. We can't change our instincts on what we find attractive, it's probably what's allowed us to continue to evolve.

We are but animals!

bollocks

OH says I'm still gorgeous, I'm not, never have been but I'm happy with who I am. I was the ugly duckling at school then my appearance changed as I entered my late teens early 20s. OH doesn't care but will happily support me if I try to lose a few pounds/change my image. (Says when he's with me he still sees me as I was when we married)

I am not good looking, I am average, but I honestly haven’t really even noticed any changes. I know that obviously there have been some, but on myself I just don’t see it. I am 51.

I think you look as old as you feel inside tbh. I am definitely improving with age and mental freedom. Beauty routine non-existent, as in a tough domestic phase at the moment, preparing teens for launch into the real world, but what's keeping me going atm is the thought that my 50s will be radiant.

Looks "faded" age 30 the minute I put the white dress on and stepped into the marital cage. Looked and felt like a pile of crap during pregnancy, DCs toddlerhood, throughout marriage and while conforming to what society and the ex-H expected me to look like.

If you like yourself, your looks do not fade, they improve.

My husband says I got sexier after kids. I am 3 stones overweight. I am losing the weight slowly. For me I think once my hair started getting grey I started feeling like I have got old.