Aging: how comfortable are you with it?

[MattBerrysHair]

Hi all,

I've just been googling pics of celebrities who have aged naturally and those who have taken to botox and fillers to stave off the wrinkles and crêpiness.

I'm 36 and have very large areas of grey at the temples and a distinct mallen streak, which I can't cover because of extreme skin sensitivity. I have very dark hair so it stands out and I'm aware I look 'old' for my age, but I'm mostly I'm OK with it. However, every now and then I wistfully look at old photos of myself when I could still dye my hair and sadly think 'I used to be pretty'!

Then I make a point of looking online for pics of women who have aged gracefully, or pics of younger women with premature grey.

I don't like that I feel negative about a natural process that we all experience. I don't like the idea of 'anti aging', as if it's something to be cured. I'd quite like 'youthful' to refer only to an attitude or state of mind rather than one's physical appearance.

So I guess I'm uncomfortable with my own discomfort of my natural aging, more so than the actual discomfort of my own aging.....

FWIW I think mallen streaks are incredibly cool. SIL has one and she looks amazing, it's suc a sophisticated look.

Yeah, I'd love a mallen streak too. I stopped dying my hair years ago in the hope of greying naturally but nowt as yet.

I'm ok with it. I think I'm half in blissful ignorance of how I actually look TBH and half I don't really care in a lot of ways.

I was very lovely when young and it caused quite a bit of hassle really through unwanted attention and jealousy directed at me for no reason. So I'm kind of happy to be invisible now really. I'm very happy with my own company and don't want hassle from people I don't know.

I'm 48 BTW so further on than you.

Sat in the hairdressers earlier, next to a woman who was having her hair bleached out. We got chatting, as you do. Turned out she was having it bleached out to then be dyed a sort of platinum grey. "Just like yours" she said.
I too had a Mallen streak at your age OP and used to colour everything but the streak to highlight it. I loved it. Time passed and I stopped colouring in my late 30s and let nature take its course. I now have a head of shiny white/grey hair with a Mallen streak that still remains slightly whiter than the rest.
Embrace your streak. Get a great cut and keep it shiny and loved.
All will be well.

I'm 48 and dye my hair as I'm not ready to have grey hair yet, one day I will. My hair is still longish and not sure I'll ever want to cut it short.
I don't mind getting the odd wrinkle but I hate the fact that I'm getting jowly and the beginnings of a double chin despite being relatively slim. I do take pride in my appearance and try to minimise the effects of ageing but I don't think I'd ever have cosmetic procedures.

I’m ok with looking older and wrinkles. Actually I think most people look best in middle age not twenties.
I’m less happy about the decline in health that comes with age abs then dying though.

I just had to google mallen streaks to see what they were. They look incredible. My hair is far too rubbish to do anything good like that but I would be overjoyed if it did!
In the last year or so ive started to notice lines that are becoming more prominent but im fine with it. That doesnt mean I havent upped the skincare regime but I wont sit there crying over whats natural.

I'm 45 and stopped dyeing my hair last year. I feel really strongly that women should not feel the pressure to dye their hair, and have lots and lots of compliments about my silvery crop.

However, today dp and I were looking through some photos from just before I stopped dyeing it....and there's absolutely no denying that I look much, much younger with coloured hair. Grey hair has added 10 years.

So, what with that realisation, and the fact that I'm two stone heavier than I want to be and finding it really hard to shift I'd say I'm struggling a bit.

My skin is still good though - viva retinol!

Very comfortable! I'm 46 and have been naturally grey for 8 years now, having had to dye over my grey for 10 years before that. I have fabulous white/grey long hair and get a lot of compliments on how it looks

I'm 46 and a ginge and have luckily not had to dye my hair yet. I am seeing more grey though but its one or two strands. My wrinkles though seem to be getting worse but I am dieting and they do say face or figure!!

Generally I'll be ok with it as ageing is better than the only other alternative!

I'm 48 and I think I'm more ok with ageing as time goes on. I don't have much grey hair yet (my mother didn't have noticeable greys until her 50s) and I try to take care of my skin. I think the odd wrinkle is negated by an even, glowing complexion. I have very dark circles under my eyes which I'm very conscious of and my mother had them, too. I just do my best to cover them some of the advice on MN.

I've finally grown my hair after 40 years of it being short and I love it. I think I'm also starting to find my own style and so am feeling more comfy in my own skin.

I think it has all contributed to worrying less about looking older. My physical health is quite poor so I'm trying to appreciate the small things.

I'd never have anything injected into my face; I'm too scared it could go wrong. I'll stick to lotions, potions and good hair!

I'm 50 and give zero fucks!

I was never all that to look at, so now I'm 48 I blame the lack of attention from strangers on my age, rather than my looks, which makes me feel slightly better about myself (48 feels in no way old though).

As long as you look after yourself as much as you can, and dress confidently etc. you can look great at any age.

I'm 47 and the only thing I really don't like about ageing is my double chin. The grey hair is fine.

There are many things in this world to be anti and aging isn't one of them.

At funeral of 48 year old relative last week …..

Embrace the ageing
Look as good as you can the enjoy life......
It is inevitable …….

It's interesting that most replies are from people who are generally not bothered, yet the anti aging industry is thriving like never before!

Couldn't care less, but maybe because I have always liked younger than my actual age, Yesterday a doctor had to confirm that I was actually in my 50s, I'm 54

Not keen on the aches and pains and general wearing out.
But looks wise it’s fine. I was never very pretty so it doesn’t bother me. It’s freeing really. The invisibility of middle age means I can wear what I want and be certain no one cares

48, ok with it really, but I am always being told that I look 10 yrs younger. However, there’s 2 stone around my middle that’s refusing to shift. I guess that’s premenopausal.

Fine about it here at 50, I like myself as a person, looks are not massively important for me, but I think I am alright tbh.

Definitely wouldn’t start colouring my hair because I am lazy. Very dark hair and pale skin. 10% grey if that. Very few wrinkles, partly because I have always avoided the sun, partly down to genetics.

My hair is great, always cut well, washed and shiny. Rest of me is ok enough, I know what suits me and invest in flattering clothes.

I'm 44. I have white hair at my temples which does bother me, so I get it dyed every 10-12 weeks. However, I'm relaxed about other aspects of ageing (wrinkles etc).

Had to google Mallen streak but excited to discover a name for what I have. I have a streak of pure white hair in my natural ginger/red hair. It lies just under a natural parting so not always obvious but I sometimes change parting to show it. I pretend I’m Storm from X-men I do consider dyeing it from time to time from white to blonde.