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.

I also have noticed ageing in spurts. I actually remember when I was early 30s post baby that I suddenly looked different and needed to change my style slightly. Obviously looking back I wasn't looking old at all! I really noticed late 40s, when I was peri-menopause, changes to my face. Especially my eyes which seemed to be disappearing. I'm 56 this year and changes have happened again. I'm post meno but on HRT, weight train 3 x per week (and always have) along with 2 cardios plus general activity and eat a balanced diet albeit with a bit of alcohol here and there at the weekend. I feel I have no eyes now but my face looks big (weight is the same) and the texture of my hair has changed too. I've got grey and have colours put in. I've started paying attention to my skincare a bit more and am on a medik8 regime which I feel might be helping a tiny bit. Not ready to go down injectables and might never be. Actually just want to be the best version of my age I can be, healthy, strong and flexible.

You can still have regular periods during perimenopause. I know for me, my periods were the very last thing to go awry. HRT definitely helped my face, am rather devastated that I am no longer able to take it.

This was me! Looked really good at 50, but by the time I was 53, I had developed hooded eyes, big eye bags and a saggy neck. I aged 15 years in 3 years, iyswim. I had upper and lower bleph, neck lift and face lift last October. I documented my journey on here, if you'd like to see it. Cost £10k.

Yep ! Eyes got smaller- nose bigger- eyes wrinkled.
However- Ive found that 2 things helped me - these are tretinon and a teeny bit of fliller on the apples of my cheeks- this appears to maintain facial structure amd gives my face something to hang the skin on ! Its not for everyone but i like .

Does anyone take hrt just for skin care?
i sailed thro menopause and so it never occurred to me ..

To offer a counter to all the posts suggesting tret, collagen and HRT. I am using all three oh and use factor 50 every single day . I think it's genetic as my face is still falling off a cliff - the cheek lines are a new one. Awful. One tip i would give is never ever look in the rear view mirror when it is light and you have your glasses on.

Ugh, mirrors! I bought a super magnifying mirror, which is probably the worst thing I've ever done for my confidence 😭
It is truly horrific, especially with an unforgiving blast of bright sunlight 😮
Trouble is, I can't tend to my crop of whiskers without it and if I don't deal with them I end up feeling like 🐿Nutkin 😬
I'm starting to think a Georgian moustache and beard combo would be a good idea to hide my collapsing, anaglypta-textured face, so might just let it run wild 🤔...

Not just for my skin but it was part of why I chose to use it, I started early as well.

@TorroFerney When did you start all these things? I am just wondering if starting when you are younger makes any difference as opposed to starting when older? For example Melissa 55 on youtube started tretinoin in her early 30's and she looks great.

Just looked up Melissa 55 and she looks like she has had fillers and Botox. I don't like that look, personally.

Yes probably, I've not sunbathed for about 20 years, factor 50 every day even when cloudy probably 5 years, tret 2 years, hrt 3 years , collagen powder two years. I suppose what i was saying is that none of this seems to be slowing anything - but I don't know that for certain, perhaps I would look a lot worse! My eyelashes are better with the HRT and physically i feel well which is of course the main thing.

I don't carry any extra weight though, I think it's the old adage you have to choose face or bum. I have chosen bum I suppose, well in that I don't like to put any weight on.

I suppose we can't actually know what anyone has done but apparently not she has very severe crones disease, has had multiple surgeries and is on antibody therapy for her illness. She says she avoids botox and filler due to this and not wanting to risk her health. Personally I believe her to be telling the truth and I think she looks very good for her age indeed.

Which HRT worked for you?

I’m 50 and reckon I’ve aged a good 10 tens in the past 2. Seriously depressing. I’m on HRT so that’s definitely not helped but assume peri is a contributing factor to my face slide😫.

I’ve not got the budget (or desire) to go down the boxot or fillers route and have seriously upped my skincare routine and religiously apply spf 50 (have done for past 5+ years) so I’m now most interested in making some dietary changes. I’ve often wondered whether my carb heavy diet contributes to puffiness or if reducing sugar would help. I’ve lost some weight recently and generally eat ok so less bloated looking but still haggard.

Ive recently noticed crepy skin and looking old 😫 I’ve been using tretinoin & factor 50 suncream which is really helping skin texture and fine lines. I get the Tretinoin prescribed by a dermatologist from Skin & me online. I’m a bit obsessed! I got this trial pack for £3.50. Have a link for £3.50 if anyone is interested in trying it….. https://www.skinandme.com/?promocode=VICTORIP5MUK

I’d also really recommend avoiding ultra processed foods and refined sugar. It’s awful for skin. I’ve started a healthy weight loss/healthy diet recently with second nature, and that (combined with the tretinoin ) I’ve really seen a difference in my skin (and feeling generally better in Myself). Also have another referral link if anyone is interested in that!
https://www.secondnature.io/invite/victof0

@jenniabc yes please do share which hrt you’re on.

It’s definitely a thing to have what is called ‘ageing clusters’. We do not age in a linear manner. It’s awful! You wake up one day and think ‘shit I look awful’ but assume in a few days you’ll be back to normal. And then a month later you realise that is your face now…

Things that have helped me a bit (I’m 47). I’ve had - lasers (improve pigmentation and stimulate collagen), Sofwave - supposed to tighten and stimulate collagen (not really worth the ££), profhilo (it’s a long game treatment and not much bang for your buck).

Used tret for 8 years.

Anything that tops up your collagen bank is good.

Botox is ok but does not address the sagging and your face can thus look mismatched between top and bottom.

The amount I’ve spent on ‘tweakments’ I may aswell have saved and just had a face lift at some point. This is not lost on me..

I take an immune suppressant that lowers my estrogen

I recently started the progesterone only pill that also lowers estrogen and overnight my skin has aged.

I was OK on the immune suppressant but this is too much now. So my theory is that it's linked to a drop in estrogen.

I'm 43 and use spf 50 every day. The immune suppressant I take lowers UV resistance. If I have not been using SPF 50 I notice it. When I use it regularly I notice a difference in a couple of weeks.

It’s definitely linked to a drop in estrogen. Which is why HRT helps. Tricky if you can’t or don’t want to take HRT.

I can't have HRT as the immune suppressant is for an estrogen sensitive condition. So am thinking of stopping the progesterone only pill, not just because of the skin but to be honest that's a high factor.

I think standards are very high for women these days,because of social media, and nobody can meet them. A friend of mine in her late 50s is getting a face lift, and she looks fine! But she wants to look fantastic. Everybody is expected to look like Nicole Kidman these days.

I look a lot like Karren Brady these days. I think she looks great, but definitely a bit of the bulldog chewing a wasp look.

The amount I’ve spent on ‘tweakments’ I may as well have saved and just had a face lift at some point. This is not lost on me.

@Delatron I am taking notes. Thanks for sharing your experience of tweakments. They must have cost a lot and hurt and taken up your time, including recovery.

Some other posters mentioned Melissa 55. I had to google her. No way she has that face in her 60s without a face lift or face lifts at some point. She does have good bone structure which helps.

Me too. 50 this summer.
I am taking it out on my hair (not necessarily improving it) and muttering to myself about radical self acceptance. It’s a work in progress.

I am so vain right now. I’ve never really been this vain.