Face aged really quick over the last year. What is this?

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Hi, I was always quite lucky with my appearance and never felt like I have to worry about aging. Genes, I guess? however, over the last year I noticed that I really started to look like an old woman. I'm 50.. so not that young - but also, not that massively old. So why I suddenly look like this?... My face looks heavy, eyes look small, face looks big. All droopy, lined, jowly. WHF is this..? Any shared experience would be welcome.

The same thing happened to me after a sudden menopause at 44. After a lifetime of looking young for my age, I suddenly looked my age plus quite a lot more.

I went on HRT soon after that (and am still on it), and at 54 I've had no further sudden slides into looking older so am really hoping that was the worst period. I have jowls though, heavy face, smaller eyes - am trying to lose weight as I do think that would improve things. Surgery seems too drastic.

Tret works. I'm 60 very very soon and my deepest wrinkles aren't so deep and my fine lines aren't visible unless you're about an inch from my face. Collagen drops are great with moisturisers, they give a healthy glow.

I aged when I was caring for my MiL and her subsequent death. I don't look as old now due to tret mainly

Yep...the same here too.

Always told I looked far younger than my age, always a 'wow really....you don't look it !'....now since the menopause, whenever I tell people my age they just nod !!!

I've always looked after my skin, but I've noticed brown spots, plus I've got jowls and deep wrinkles under my eyes.

I did get fillers, but I didn't change my life in any positive way, so decided not to continue.

Getting older can be crap, but I guess it's a privilege some don't get !!

Tret works.

It does but it can also affect vision so be careful. I have stopped due to blurred vision. I would prefer wrinkles and keep my eyesight!

For those asking how collagen supplements work, I just listened to a good sliced bread podcast on this. The collagen molecules in the supplement are small enough that they make it into your bloodstream. Your body then notices you have lots of collagen floating around, and thinks that’s because you’ve lost a lot and you’re depleted, so it makes some more of its own. Thats the theory anyway.

My mum aged so much when she drank too much! She was an alcoholic though, so very extreme. However, when she was in her late fifties and went into hospital to be dried out and given fluids and whatever else through an IV drip, she honestly came out looking about 25!

It's made me think it really is from the inside. She was naturally really beautiful and young and beautiful but think that was hidden with all the booze 😔.

She ate a lot of sweets when she gave up booze and still looked great, so for her it was probably 90% the booze and not anything else which was ageing her.

(Obviously, there were worse things about her drinking than how she looked - I'm not being shallow, but just in relation to the op)

I'm not worried about fertility or attracting a mate at my age (47) but I do fear that looking older will hold me back I the workplace and/ or getting work.

Currently I'm employed on short term contracts and it seems so much harder than when I was younger.

It could be the economy, but the aging doesn't help despite the fact that I now have many more years of experience.

I've seen figures around 30% loss of collagen in the early years of menopause. That'll do it!

What is tret?

I hear you OP, I recently caught sight of myself in a changing room mirror and almost fell to the ground in shock. I guess the head to toe view was a bit extreme and changing room lighting is unforgiving but I am certain that I did not look this way in the same changing room a year ago. I am peri and certainly that is a factor so considering HRT and realising that I am going to have to take a lot more care of my health and body.

Get a bit of Botox. I had it done at just over 50 and it makes a massive difference. I don’t look younger, but fresher and not knackered

@TwistedCable I am absolutely terrified of these treatments, so many horror stories about things going wrong. Is it something that also needs to be repeated?

Mine is the menopause. Luckily didn't go through it til 57. Looking a bit wrinkly with jowls at 57 isn't unusual. I feel for those going through it in their 40s.

Yes, I go maybe twice a year, maybe bit less. I go to a doctor who is expert in doing just enough to make a difference!

I had always been quite anti such things, so I’m very glad I tried it.

That was for @SilverGlitterBaubles 😊

Same. Got through having a baby at 44. Got through COVID. Lost weight. Felt good. Looked good. Then Perimenopause hit, age 47. Amongst a few other things (in life) that & me falling off the diet wagon (it’s sugar with me!) my face has collapsed. Saw a picture of myself yesterday. Compared to this time last year… Bone structure is no good to me now. Jowls, melty cheeks, mouth sloping downwards (always had nice lips!) double chin, tiny eyes, no eyebrows, corrugated forehead, pasty skin. It’s horrible. I need a haircut, teeth cleaning & probably glasses too… Hopefully that will help!

Beautiful and young looking*

Are you on HRT? I swear my aging face started to look better when I started HRT. It may have been my perception/attitude that changed but I suddenly noticed that I didn’t hate my face again!

Prescription tretinoin has worked wonders for me. I have no wrinkles. However, I do have sagging and jowls. Nothing can help with that except injectables, and I am firmly against those, so I will live with it.

Yes it's the 'Wow you really don't look your age' to the nodding and zero surprise when you say you have a 28- year-old son. The lack of exclamation is a blow! Maybe with ageing you just have to go through the 5 stages of grief.
And realise that even if you think you look hideous in photos you will look back a year later and think you didn't look as bad as you do right now

HRT will definitely help - better hair , skin, more light in the face. It is like magic pill for me.

As for a good diet and no alcohol, I have a fantastic diet ( no UPF, only veggies and lentils and fruit, almost zero sugar), don't drink except very occasionally, and it has made zero difference to the ageing ( though has helped my health). I think it's bone structure and genetics that make the most difference.

To share my similar experience of weight gain , jowliness and general haggardness, I decided to lose weight to see if it helps.50+.

Started HIIT and weight training with a group 45 min x 3 per week plus calorie and macros counting via a nutrition app. Upped the protein, reduced carbs.
Gradual process but 6 months later was looking years younger, defined jaw, reduced lines and nice and toned all over.
Jowliness reversed in my case as less droopy fat and toned facial muscles.

It’s hard work keeping it up but worth it.Its a lifestyle change really.

Thanks for all of your replies!

I had Botox a few times, it helps with frown lines - but I feel like at the moment it would be a waste of money as it wont help my jowls, double chin or massive eye bags.

I do feel that maybe I need to lose weight, the only realistic way to do it for me would be something like Ozempic (I go running about 5k twice a week, and walk a lot, but have no time for more exercising) but with Ozempic, I be heard it makes your face even older? Also, I'm worried about side effects as I have gall bladder problems already.

I have not looked into HRT, don't even know where to start - I suspect I might be peri because of how I feel, but still have regular periods so not sure how to go about it.

I have lost a lot of weight over the past few years, and am now a BMI of 23. Look and feel better, but it hasn't affected my face much. I am also on HRT which hasn;t made a blind bit of difference.