Aged terribly in last 3 years - anyone else?

[LovelyJubbly12345]

I looked okay at 50. I'm now almost 54 and my eyelids are a bit droopy and I have a saggy neck! How can that happen in 3-4 years??!!

You're lucky, my mirror has become really dodgy (someone must have put a spell on it) as I look in it and wonder who that 'older' women is looking back at me?

Also someone has been in my wardrobe as well and adjusted all my clothes because most don't fit any more.

I'm also puzzled as to how a joiner has managed to get in to my house and adjusted the height of all my stair rises. Two trips up and down and I'm puffing and blowing.

🤔

I'm seriously considering a neck lift and eyelid surgery!!

I've got 1 droopy eyelid and jowls all of a sudden.
And just look like an old woman.
Very depressing.

Would you do anything? I've got a consultation on Tuesday morning with a cosmetic surgeon (just a phone consult but one where he can see me).

Are you going through menopause. I've noticed a lot women just shrivel up after as the hormones drop. It's happening to me. Awful.

I'm booking in for a medical grade peel in the autumn.

It's awful! And I'm only 48 but peri and on HRT
I have Botox literally everywhere, my chin, above my lips, eyes, nose and forehead

Well I’d say you’re lucky if you’ve got to 53 before noticing signs of ageing. I started to age terribly after having 2 kids under 2 years at the age of 37 and 39. By 40 I was beyond haggard!
What I would say though is that I look better now at 51 than at 40 thanks to some serious skincare and devices at home.
Are you going straight to a surgeon? Would you not consider skincare/devices first? HRT? There’s hope with these without having to resort to surgery.

@JMAngel1 Would you be willing to share what your routine/devices/skincare products are please?

I definitely started aging noticeably at 57- (now 61) neck went kind of lumpy, arm muscles went flabby and lines came in on forehead and bridge of nose and a rather charming pale brown age spot in middle of my nose (castor oil has worked wonders on that though) I've had long covid for last year and that hasn't helped as gave me arthritis in neck and headaches - getting older sucks!!

Castor oil, how much do you drink? I've got age spots I would like to lesson. Does it taste ok?

@Doggymummar - no , you dab it on the spots every night- has faded mine hugely

No kids, almost 52 and apart from 11’s a bit and slight sagging around jowls etc I don’t think I look that bad.

I do use retinol, tret scares me a bit so no, spf50, fair bit of exercise and decent diet.

I do have good family genes face wise but then my nana smoked and drank (not a huge bit but brandy every night before bed) but always spf on face or out of sun and she looked amazing… Ponds Cold Cream!

I’ve been on HRT since I think late last year which has helped but not a miracle cure.

For me I see women younger than me who go down the fillers etc route and I’d love to age naturally.

The one person whose face lift I wouldn’t mind having is Gillian Taylforth, but then my boyfriend said if you knew how much old she really was you’d get a shock. But to me, hers looks very natural.

Do you think starting HRT early helps with skin and facial ageing? My friend went on HRT at 42 for very mild symptoms of perimenopause, was still have regular periods no missed ones or flushes. She also looked after skin so high spf and tretinoin since her teens and 20's, no alcohol, smoking or tanning.

Now at 55 (post menopause and still on hrt) she looks pretty much the same as she did in her mid 30's everything still tight and wrinkle free. I didn't start (couldn't get) HRT until I was 51 and by then I think a lot of the damage, collagen loss was already done and suspect her early start on HRT helped her stay looking so good and sorry but yes young!

@xapele I would also be interested to know if HRT makes a difference to physical ageing. My symptoms are not that severe but I would consider HRT if it makes a difference.

The issue is going to be that you get a face lift and then you face doesn’t match your neck pr anything beyond it. You will start to look mismatched as everything else ages naturally. Botox can make some people look older. Imagining they are in their 60s trying to look young. Can you not adjust your hair, wardrobe etc and style up rather than go under the knife? What if goes wrong?

I don’t know how it happens so quickly OP, but I totally sympathise. I’ve got a really crinkly neck that seems to have come on overnight, and I noticed the other day that my legs are getting a bit lumpy. I think I’m morphing into Mrs Overall.

@SilverGlitterBaubles It would be very interesting to know indeed! I think if it were proven to keep you looking younger I am sure many women would want to use it for that reason alone and with still HRT being controversial for many doctors I don't think that would go down too well. However having said that I do think it helps preserve a woman's looks not on it's own but if you are doing everything else spf, good skincare, diet, sleep, exercise then I think it really helps a lot.

I honestly don't think any cream is going to magic my jowls away. Or shrink my eyelids or remove eye bags. There's a bit in the middle of my neck, that seems to tether the rest of the skin, it's really weird. Only appeared in the last few years. I felt good at 50 (albeit with botox), but now I look awful. Rest of the body seems okay (but need to lose about 2 stone). But body isn't wrinkly or sagging (yet).

Oh and the GP would not give me HRT! I only asked for it to ease aches, but she said to take cod liver oil. So I did that, and I've been on collagen for 6 months, which has helped with the aches but hasn't helped at all with my skin.

@LovelyJubbly12345 Get a new GP and try HRT if you want to try it, don't let them fob you off!

Go back to the GP for HRT. Ask on the menopause board if you need help with getting it.

I'm 54 and have a variety of friends who are a variety of peri, menopausal, botox and filler users etc. From what I see in my friends HRT doesn't make a difference to your face. Unless it makes them look less tired.
Fillers and botox seem to work on bits of your face but not all.
Things I think help the most are collagen supplements and facial exercises or a gadget to do that. Your face and neck muscles need toned as much as your body muscles.
Also changing your skincare to help new problems.

Posted at the same time as xapele about HRT!

I don't know if you're doing too badly just considering this at 50. I know a 40 year old who had a neck lift (possibly lower face too) but that involved weight loss.

From my friends over 40 (I'm on the cusp myself) most have said the most drastic changes are from mid 40s.

HRT seems to help with skin, and possibly collagen, but I can't swear to know the details. I've been allowed to take it as early peri/menopause. It's given me more energy and I feel less overwhelmed.