Looking your best as you approach 40...

[dontcryitsonlyajoke]

So I've got a year to go to my 40th. My 30s has been all about huge changes - physical, emotional and career - due to 4 pregnancies, 3 babies, 3 years of breastfeeding and associated weight loss and gain.

The birth of my youngest a year ago brought unbelievable sleep deprivation and has aged my face significantly. I used to look young for my age but I look every day of my 39 years now!

I want to hit my 40s in a much better frame of mind - it's going to be the selfish decade where I reclaim a lot of "me".

So I want your tips on how to get myself looking and feeling better. The baby steps I've made so far are:

1. Good cleanse/serum/moisturise routine in place for the last 2 years but nothing more - no variants beyond my morning and night routine
2. finally found a hairstyle that suits and I think I can keep
3. started filing and clear varnishing my bitten-for-30-years nails so they're starting to look better (though still very weak
4. 2 litres of water most days
5. good exercise routine

What else would you suggest I do?

Ah, my thread got revived. I'm going to reread again now there's 6 months to go until the big 4-0 😄

DCIOAJ, how are things going? Which tips did you find most useful? Anything you tried that didn't work for you? Any must-buys/def-trys?

I'm nearly 41 now and thought of this thread the other day because I've been back to S-Thetics in Beaconsfield for a couple of Hydrafacials after I had such a lovely time there with my Fire & Ice facials. I've also been using IS Clinical skin products and I can honestly say that my skin has never felt this smooth or clean (I really like the Pro Heal and the Hydracool serums).

The Hydrafacial is amazing - it's done using a kind of wand (actually, maybe that's it and it's just a magic one?!) with different serums. The first bit is a lymphatic drainage massage, which I had done on one side of my face first, then I sat up to see the difference in the mirror. The side of my face that had been done looked smooth, whilst the side that was yet to be done still looked puffy and tired. And then there are various skin-pampering stages - the end result is skin that feels really young and flexible again somehow. And SO clean! Plus the clinic itself is such a lovely, friendly place to go - I highly recommend and I'll def go back!

DCIOAJ- Yes I am revisiting to, big 40 next Feb, I am really going to have a bash at I now because its the peri-menopausal stuff that is aging me more than my age if you see what I mean. Love this thread thank you.....great to hear everyone's views and tips, lets keep it rolling on...

Good morning All,
I can see this thread is dying and decided to re-vive a little bit.

I lost some weight (I was slim before but not happy with my love handles when in bikini) and decided to have botox and derma fillers. went on holiday and met with a friend who is 3 years older than me and looks amazing. I haven't seen her for a while and then she admitted she's done it. She took me to the same doctor and I had consultation (I read a lot before regarding both) and the injections for 15 minuts all together. My forehead wrinkles and frown line are gone and the wrinkles around the mouth and nose are much softer. I still have the wrinkles around my eyes but did not want an effect that everyone will notice.
I look much more refreshed now - not 10 years younger, but I do not have the tired and worried / upset look like before. The frown lines were bothering me a lot and this was the best thing I could do to get rid of them. I was advised that in 1 year when I have a dermafiller re-fill the difference around the mouth/nose will me much more significant.
Strongly recommend if you can afford and are not allergic!