Sudden 'old' appearance.

[Ryder63]

I'm in my early 60s but until recently have always been told I look 10 years younger. Took some selfies after a long period without seeing any pics of me - and was shocked at much my face has aged over the past few months. No wrinkles, very good skin - but I look so tired and depressed - sort of a resigned, careworn aspect.

I'm under no stress, have a physical part time job, love walking, so get excercise and fresh air - what more can do? help me! (short of surgery).

I feel your pain ,i thought i looked ok, looking in a mirror, but in photographs i am shocked, do mirrors lie?
I am sure the older we get the quicker we age
Or does the camera lie

Take your glasses off, if you wear them. Then you look as you did a decade ago. (Sorry, being facetious. I sympathise; the same has happened to me, and at about the same age. Maybe we have to accept that we really aren't young anymore.)

More practically, might it be time to refresh your make up? Change the colours you wear close to your face?

Aging doesn't happen gradually, it tends to happen in spurts every seven years in my experience, so you look fantastic at 40 but suddenly look in the mirror at 42 and you've aged a lot.

Have you tried the usual healthy varied diet, no alcohol, plenty of fresh air, aerobic exercise, weights, supplements, good skin care and protection and lots of sleep? if you have and this hasn't helped then maybe visit a dermatologist who can pinpoint what areas can be treated.

You say you look careworn but that can take many forms. Do you have dark circles under your eyes? Bags? red veins? brown patches? Dryness? Dullness?

This has happened to my face the past few weeks and I think it's hay fever. do you get hay fever?

You know how your face would look 'tired' if you have a cold or flu?

Agree that ageing is never gradual.
It definitely happens in spurts. I looked fine at 40, now at 42 feel and look about 10 years older. You've done very well to get to
60 with no wrinkles..!

Assuming you use SPF?

Retin A is not for everyone but it can work wonders.

I have got some RetinA and my skin looks very dry and dull
I dont sleep[ well, but i get plenty of fresh air, walking the dog etc, not overweight ,must admit diet could be better
Take supplements, but recently although not feeling tired,i am dozing a lot

Thanks for the replies! yes, maybe ageing does come in spurts!
in answer to MaudlinMews I have (looking at selfies) bags, dark circles, and a general sagginess.

I inherited my good wrinkle- free skin from my grandmother. It is still slightly oily, (my hair is mega oily).

It's the sagginess that shocks me. Last few months I've been craving and eating loads of white carbs - any correlation do you think?

Have you had a check for diabetes? I think that there's some research suggesting a sudden carb craving might be a factor, and sugar is apparently implicated in breaking down some of the tissues that support skin health. So you could be on your way to answering your own question.

I'm another who looked great at 40, got loads of compliments, felt amazing and at my absolute best. Within 2 years it all fell apart and the decline was shocking to me, like years of bad habits suddenly took their toll.
Stress puts years on me though and it's been a rough few years.

Ah, I remember reading about sugar and the breakdown of collagen! I have regular blood tests and diabetes has not reared its head. Maybe overall crap diet recently has led to my decline I do take A-Z vits and mins supplement for the over 50s, also fish oil capsules.

I need to overhaul my diet. Not overweight, but still no excuse for over carbing - it's not Winter now!

Luxurywoman the timing sucks doesn't it?
You feel you are still looking ok at 40 and that decline a few years later is shocking. Many friends have found the same.

I'm a similar age to you op and know what you mean: not many wrinkles but very saggy and now my hair is getting thin which is a particular delight. I think it's important to be honest - I'm not that far off old age so it's hardly surprising if I look it sometimes.

But I still love clothes and I still like fashion, and whenever I feel the years catching up, I freshen up my style. I'm more selective these days but I pick out the trends that work for me. I regularly take a wander round H&M cos, even though I don't buy much there these days, it's a great way of keeping up. And I watch people. A lot. I'm not young and I won't even be middle aged for that much longer but I reckon that even when you're old, you can still look modern.

Floisme I people watch for ideas too! dress old and you look old. I'd rather be SLIGHTLY mutton than frumpy. I ask my DD (mid 30s) for opinions on clothes - and she's brutally honest as to what suits me. We are lucky, as there is little demarcation in dress/age now as there was back in the day. I'm certainly not ready for elasticated waist slacks and beige anoraks

Do you dye your hair a dark shade? That can be unflattering as complexion changes as you age.

I also think, unfortunatly, the sagging is the hardest thing to address. I've heard radio frequency facials are good to tone the face?

My hair is dark brown with a few silver hairs through it. One noticeable silver streak on one side which I like as it shows I dont dye it! sallow complexion. Black eyebrows which are turning white - my DD dyes them dark brown for me when we can be arsed

I agree, ageing is not gradual. I think I looked in my 30s til I was 44 then BAM, I looked a bit jowly, the forehead lines were too obvious for me to delude myself that I looked young anymore.

All you can do is look healthy strong and happy.

I hate being ignored at work.

Make sure you wear colors that suit you.

And ditch the white carbs.

This will probably be anathema, but pink is really flattering as we age. I hate it too, but there is no doubt in my mind that warming my face (by borrowing or reflecting its warmth and light onto the complexion) is the closest that everyday life has to a soft candlelight filter.

Yes, pink is flattering

Aging does not come on gradually, I blinked and suddenly had crepey neck!

I just avoid mirrors, I look better in my head

I could wear black when I was younger but now I really don’t like it I think it’s aging. Pink or nude looks so much better.

It's true about the ageing spurts. I remember when I turned 45 people at work didn't believe that was my age ( how smug I felt). Fast forward to 51 and sadly people have no trouble believing it. It was really people's reactions to me that alerted me to my more aged appearance. One's body image takes a while to adjust to new realities.