Do you think people visibly age more between 40-50 than between other decades?

[LaurieFairyonthetreeEatsCake]

Inspired by another thread I'm wondering what people think?

I think it's quite hard to be precise about age below 40 but once someone gets towards 50 you can definitely say they're over 40 - maybe

I look older than I did 15 years ago but not radically so - with highlighter and soft lighting I could still just about pass for 25 ish

yes

yes

though my personal opinion is that I have aged more after about age 35 I reckon, so for me it would be age 35-45

I dunno but I hope not.

no- being 50+ I have to disagree.

I think the biggest ageing takes place between 55-60, or 55-65. All to do with fall in hormones.

No, not necessarily..I am between 40-50,and doing ok,people are shocked when i tell them my age. Both my mum,and granny,looked really young for their ages' until they hit the menopause.. then it happened really fast, like the melting women in that film "She"!

Maybe it's a genetic thing...Will let you know in 3 years time

I am 41 and have noticed that I have aged a lot more in the last year.

I read somewhere that 41/42 is the "tipping point" which is depressing.

It's not the wrinkles that are the issues (I see 30 year olds with more than me); it's the general sagginess.

I tend to look horrible if I miss out on sleep for a few nights in a row no matter what my age. However, MaeMobley, I think you're right about 41/42 being a tipping point -- you pay more for the bad stuff you do to yourself after 42ish and it takes longer to recover from overdoing it.

No, I think 50-60 is the big ageing decade, especially in women.

I think you age the most during the decade in which you give birth to your DC's!

God - what a depressing thread!

Not depressing - I find it comforting that it's not just me. Sugar, I agree with you. Pre kids (and I had first dd at 37) people could not believe my age and thought I was at least 10 years younger. Now, I can see that friends are surprised when they see me for the first time in years.

Of course it does not help when dd says that I have cats' whiskers - the lines running from nose to chin

i was better at 40 than 30 (had 3 small children and it showed) but now I'm 47 I'm definitely in decline.

Does anyone have any scaffolding? Most of me appears in need of shoreing up.

I would say between 0 and 10 .

I think now I've hit 45 I look my age more definitely. I used to say my age and peoplew would say 'never' and all those correct things but now they just nodd as if to say 'thought so' . It's downhill all the way now isn't it.

Ithink it's linked to the menopause and the loss of oestrogen

Oh well, if I neck loads of HRT pills I should be ok then!

I don't particularly like aging (I am 45) but I don't fancy the alternative !

I'm 40 and think I have really aged in the last two years. I have lines around my eyes; frown lines and grin lines that stay put when I'm not smiling and my face has a general sagginess to it.

I wasn't sure if this was down to my age or loosing a lot of weight last year - as is oft said on MN - "its your arse or your face after 40"

Well i intend on eating lots and lots of cream cakes at 50, and inflating my wrinkles with natural filler!

Might have trouble with my skinny jeans tho' wonder how far the 5% Elastine will stretch..

Yes - I remember going to a 10 yr course reunion, and being most shocked by those who had been 40 and were now 50. One woman who had looked fab at 40, was completely grey by 50. She had been a bit of a hippy chick. But now I am 42, I feel I'm really showing my age, rubbish grey coming thro hair etc. I was only 35 at the reunion, with two small children, sleepless nights, but looked so much better!

Apropos of nothing in particular, did you see that John Travolta and his wife (Kelly Preston?) have just had a little baybee and she is 48.

I think that it's almost impossible to be objective about oneself (I'm nearly 45, but seemingly don't look it - I have my mother to thank for that - but in bright light I can see that crepey look in my skin; the skin on my hands looks old), but I go to conferences a fair bit (or did until the economic crisis - live in Ireland :() so seeing people every 3-4 years. I often end up thinking how old they all look, never thinking for a moment that they must be thinking that about me, too.

It's not very nice, but my mother (a spry 76) says that being over 70 is much worse, so possibly best not to spend too much time fretting about it...