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Original poster

Why do some of us age faster then others?

88 replies

calvert77 · 02/07/2015 00:24

I and many of my female friends, sister and sisters in law are all now in our mid 30's to early 40's and what I notice is the variation in how we are all changing and aging some much better than others. I think I scrub up ok with a fair bit of work and make up but things are a bit grim with more than a few wrinkles and sun spots (is this normal at 38?) I have a younger sister who has worse lines than me although still has a lovely pre baby body. I also have a sister in law of 41 who looks like an eternal graduate student, I swear she is prettier now than she was in her 20's not even the faintest hint of fine lines under her eyes (she never wears make up) and perhaps just one or two gray hairs just to prove she doesn't dye her hair. I think I would be about 40% gray if I stopped dying my hair and have had to for about 10 years.

Why do we all age so diffrently and isn't it unfair!

OP posts:
OneLittleLady · 02/07/2015 00:42

i'm in my 30's and often, very often mistaken for a teenager as young as under 16. case in point, i was asked to show ID to buy some paracetamol just last week. i think for me, it's a combination of having good skin, no age spots or wrinkles, being short in terms of height and dressing what other people term as 'young' . i do have a few crinkles under my eyes when i smile but i've had them my whole life, they aren't a new age related thing

Nettletheelf · 02/07/2015 05:04

Having oily skin really helps. I hated it in my teens but now I have very few wrinkles at 43, unlike my drier-skinned friends. It was almost worth suffering with spots all those years ago.

Also, having a rounder face appears to help with ageing. I've noticed that the cheekbone-y type people I was envious of in my 20s haven't fared so well. I think that everybody loses fullness from their face as they get older, and if you've got more to start with, you look younger for longer.

So in a nutshell, it's principally genetics and karma!

(Sucking on fags and roasting in the sun tend to encourage wrinkles, but we all know that)

timeforabrewnow · 02/07/2015 05:32

Haha - wait til you hit 50 - then everything drops south and it ain't always pretty sister..I get round this by a)not looking in the mirror much b)my eyesight is a lot worse than when I was 40.

Roll on 60!!

paxtecum · 02/07/2015 05:41

Genes play a part and stress does too.

I've seen 60 year olds retire from a stressful job and 12 months later they look ten years younger.

puffinrock · 02/07/2015 06:02

I think it is 90% genes

WallyBantersJunkBox · 02/07/2015 06:10

I agree with genetics and stress...

My grandmother used nothing but a dab of oil of Ulay and looked ridiculously young at 80. I have inherited her skin.

I also have a round face which does help. I don't look like a teen, I'm 45 but I'm told I look younger this last year....

And the big reason? I've been separated for 12 months from my lying cheating ex husband....

The years have just fallen off!!!GrinGrinGrin

He has aged terribly in the last year! Wink

chanie44 · 02/07/2015 08:30

I think it's down to genetics, but taking care over your appearance goes a long way.

My mum and her siblings look young, they are also petite so that's the genetics. They all dye their hair and wear fashionable clothes.

elQuintoConyo · 02/07/2015 08:38

Stay out of the sun. Get enough sleep. Drink lots of liquids. Good jeans genes. Go easy on the eyeliner.

SpecificOcean · 02/07/2015 09:00

Smiling and doing happy stuff.
Missogs with long faces always appear older.

Lottapianos · 02/07/2015 09:03

Good for you Wally Smile

Genes probably do play a big part but other stuff helps massively - plenty of sleep, plenty of veg, watch the sugar (especially booze), don't smoke, stay out of the sun, exercise, do stuff you enjoy as often as you can

Lottapianos · 02/07/2015 09:04

Oh, and a good skincare regime - don't have to spend a fortune, just double cleanse, use a moisturiser that's right for your skin and sunscreen. And do it every single day!

LastNightADJSavedMyLife · 02/07/2015 09:08

My friend who does a lot of beauty work, botox, that sort of thing says everyone wants a miracle but it comes down to using very good SPF and staying out the sun, women carrying more weight get less wrinkles, and black skin ages far far better than any other.

I am doing my bit for my face by eating cake.

Apatite1 · 02/07/2015 09:16

It's genes and putting on weight as you get older. I look older when I'm skinnier. I have a friend with a round face and oily skin and she looks ten years younger than me and completely wrinkle free at 40 Envy

I wish I had a round face, I've lost volume in my long thin face with heavy nasolabial lines which no amount of creams will correct.

ifonly4 · 02/07/2015 09:26

Someone once said to me you let your face or your bum go as you get older. The reason behind this was that if you carry more weight, the chances are your face will be filled out but you might have a few unwanted bumps and cellulite elsewhere. Whereas if you are skinny, you're more likely to have wrinkles.

This applies to me, technically I'm underweight and at 48 my face has lots of fine wrinkles. Got one or two thread veins appearing on my legs, but I'm slim and really lucky to have no cellulite or stretch marks.

I didn't get my genes from my Mum who has always battled with her weight, but at 74 has less wrinkles than me!

I do think you need to make sure you get a fair amount of nutrition, skin can still look healthy even if you have wrinkles.

ifonly4 · 02/07/2015 09:29

Someone once said to me you let your face or your bum go as you get older. The reason behind this was that if you carry more weight, the chances are your face will be filled out but you might have a few unwanted bumps and cellulite elsewhere. Whereas if you are skinny, you're more likely to have wrinkles.

This applies to me, technically I'm underweight and at 48 my face has lots of fine wrinkles. Got one or two thread veins appearing on my legs, but I'm slim and really lucky to have no cellulite or stretch marks.

I didn't get my genes from my Mum who has always battled with her weight, but at 74 has less wrinkles than me!

I do think you need to make sure you get a fair amount of nutrition, skin can still look healthy even if you have wrinkles.

squizita · 02/07/2015 09:35

My bum was a Kardashian-esque wonder until I had dd. Now my legs just start under my back. Angry

squizita · 02/07/2015 09:36

I was always told "look at your mum". I bloody hope that's true, my mum is pretty young and healthy looking.

Athenaviolet · 02/07/2015 09:49

I look so young compared to my age it causes no end of problems!

I didn't go on many holidays as a child. No sunbathing and used high factor sunscreen.

As a young adult I did go on a few hot/sunbathing holidays, burned a few times but only once on my face.

I now haven't been abroad for several years. I've always lived in flats so haven't had a garden to lie out in so even when it's hot in the UK I've often been stuck inside.

I've never used a sunbed.

I use moisturiser & foundation with SPF in it.

However my 'beauty routine' is very lax. I only thoroughly wash my face once a week to maintain the acid mantle which is the skin's natural protective barrier.

I have been overweight most of my adult life.

I don't smoke.

I have aspergers so I don't make as many facial expressions as nt people so lines haven't developed in the usual places.

I do special massages/exercises/occasionally use frown line stickers to prevent/erase frown lines that have started to emerge.

I have a high fat/high dairy/high fruit but low sugar/low salt diet.

I wear my hair pulled back high a lot which pulls all the skin up and back.

I always get 7 3/4 hours sleep a night. My DCs were in a good sleep routine from early on so I didn't have the years of sleep deprivation some other mothers have.

My hair hasn't been dyed for over a year. There are literally a handful of greys but only I seem to notice them. I never wash it more than once a week (very thick & long) and only blow dry/straighten it once a month.

I don't drink coffee and floss at very least once a day.

Artandco · 02/07/2015 09:49

I think spf and sun awareness is big. Those over 30- 40+ now grew up in an era where parents weren't so aware of sun damage ( get a nice tan etc), and did the same as young adults themselves.

In comparison I think those as children today will have far less sun damage as adults as everyone is much more careful

I think diet and lifestyle play a large part also

squizita · 02/07/2015 10:14

Except lack of vitamin d can be aging and is now a concern ... 20 min a day sunscreen free is recommended.

hauntedhenry · 02/07/2015 10:35

God, I hope I don't age like my mother, she looks terrible Sad She is very underweight though, which makes her look worse. My dad has fared much better and looks much younger than his age.

squizita · 02/07/2015 10:48

My husband proudly announces "fat don't crack" while munching on a doughnut! Grin

TheDowagerCuntess · 02/07/2015 10:54

Fat might not crack, but it's most definitely aging in its own way.

Wally Grin Grin - go you.

Pagalee · 02/07/2015 13:06

Unless you chain smoke or abuse the sunbathing, I really think a lot of it is down to genetics.

absolutelynotfabulous · 02/07/2015 13:08

Interesting point made by a pp about aspergers. I have a cousin of 60 with a smooth face, and aspergers.

I have no grey, and I'm 55. I also have oily skin and few wrinkles. I've always used lots of makeup and swear it has protected my skin. My neck looks 10 years olderShock

Dressing in a contemporary way is helpful too. Muffin tops/spreading waists are ageing imo as they are associated with middle age.