Anyone else age 15 years overnight in their mid 40’s
Posted by EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 324 comments
I grew up being small and looking younger than my age. Managed to get child prices long after I was eligible due to my baby face.
This continued up to and including my early 40’s. I feel as though I looked very similar apart from fluctuating weight between 27 - 43. I hardly ever told people my age and was assumed to be much younger. If I did reveal my age it generally surprised people. This allowed me to coast through life and not feel as responsible and grown up as someone my actual age. Even though I’ve never been what I’d call attractive or beautiful my baby face was my sort of superpower.
Then I hit mid 40’s and I swear I aged 15 years in 5 years. Gravity and aging neck and hand skin has hit me hard. No doubt exacerbated by living in Australia with our high UV levels.
Now when I look in the mirror I don’t see myself and can no longer be grouped with the ‘young people’.
I haven’t gone down the Botox route yet but I’m very tempted.
SnuggleMoose44@reddit
I got cancer at 45 and Trump was first elected when I was 47. Extenuating circumstances.
NotPlayingFR@reddit
We're the same age. 2016 to now (and beyond) and the ensuing chaos in my relationships have taken their toll.
Caro1275@reddit
When Covid first began in 2020, I was 43 and looked 35. I had COVID for the second time in late 2021 which lead to lingering after COVID issues. It was also the same time my mom passed away from Covid complications. This was one week before my birthday and 2 weeks before Christmas. Now I’m 47 and look about 50 (on a decent day).
Covid fucking sucks.
Dragonfly-fire@reddit
Yes. 😭 The lines on my face (smile lines, crows feet) seem to have doubled and deepened in the past 2 years (46 now). Tendons are sticking out of my neck in a weird way, the veins in my hands poppingout more. Yet I still get pimples and, oh yeah, perimenopause. 😭😭😭 I was not prepared for all this.
countess-petofi@reddit
For me it was when I hit 50. It was like somebody found the portrait in my attic.
fusionsofwonder@reddit
Have you seen what happens to people after using Botox? They look like the Joker.
MSPCSchertzer@reddit
Nah 48 and feel younger than ever.
MusicSavesSouls@reddit
They say 44 is one of the big shifts, but for me it happened at 52. I feel like I woke up looking like a completely different person.
elanadi@reddit
SAME.
violet715@reddit
I’m 44 now and can confirm. 10 pounds appeared overnight. I am a lifelong runner so I got back into it and got up to 30+ miles per week. Despite tracking calories, I looked worse. I’ve taken up lifting 6 days a week now and hoping that helps. Every joint aches, my memory is shot. But my doctor is dismissive of perimenopause concerns and instead referred me to a nutritionist despite the fact that I’m still technically not overweight and I’m extremely active. Fun times.
CuteAd1680@reddit
Ditch carbohydrates and don't fear fat. Try it for four weeks and see how you feel. Worst case you can just quit. Most people feel so much better they can't be convinced to go back for love or money.
greenblue_md@reddit
You can still run? Wow…
Axolotis@reddit
Also 44 year old runner here. Only avg 20 miles per week though. The pounds stopped staying off like they used to this year.
Dogshowling@reddit
Find a different doctor who will take perimenopause concerns seriously, if you can.
MasterCrowleys@reddit
You are describing me! I spoke to a dietitian, she recommended increasing my protein intake and how often I lift heavy. I have gained a few kilos since I’ve taken her advice 😭😭😭 Aging sucks but on the other hand we’re also lucky we getto age.
GboyFlex@reddit
We're the same age, I went from looking like late 20's to 51 when I turned 50 lol.. Covid kicked my ass repeatedly and accelerated my aging!
Axolotis@reddit
George Jones says he aged 20 years in five. But that was the whiskey and cocaine.
notjewel@reddit
I’m 51 now. People say I look in my early 40s but I didn’t see it.
We had a hard move out of state in 2018 (husband lost job without warning), followed by Covid, the death of my mom, 6 months later, the death of my brother.
Meanwhile a few weeks after my mom died in 2021, my daughter started to self harm at 11. Suicide attempt at 12. Multiple hospitalizations with debt we will be paying off for years to come.
Then a real estate dream that my husband spent $10s of thousands on went up in smoke. We still have the land. It was supposed to be 6-12 month for up and running. It’s been 4 years and it’s uninhabitable for the most part.
My wine consumption increased to nightly and I had to begin working a lot more to help with the hospital and real estate debt. So know I work in three hospitals in 2 cities and it’s exhausting.
When I look in the mirror, I just look so tired. Still fit, but a solid 15 pounds more than I was in 2018. We have a house and jobs and my daughter is doing well. Just celebrated one year hospital-free for the 1st time since 2021. Her big sister has autism. That’s just ongoing stress. BTW, I love my kids and have no regrets except for their struggles and pain.
But the scars of these past few years are apparent to me all over my face. Eyes look glassy, face and under eyes puffy.
I’m not the happy 40 something I was in 2017 by a long shot. Working on it, but no.
permanent_echobox@reddit
Both happened to me. At 42.i thought u still looked great. Then I lost some hair and a lot.wrinkles.juwt popped in at 44. Then at 52 my face kind of settled and I gained 25 ponds.
MusicSavesSouls@reddit
I am not alone. Yes, this past year has been rough.
permanent_echobox@reddit
I need to work on the weight but I have an eight year old mid life surprise and that means cooking a lot of food a 52 year old person shouldn' t have around.
missdead_lee138@reddit
Hey, I have one of those too !!! Isn't it fun ?🙄 😆 I swear, I'm too old to be raising lil ones again. I find that I'm much more carefree with this kid, compared to my girls who I had in my 20s, where I was a OCD control freak, helicopter mom. Now I'm just too tired to care. 😆 if he wants pizza for breakfast, sure, no problem... ice cream for dinner? Sounds good kiddo. 😆
Fun factoid... my son and grandson are in the same class at school. We're just an All American family 😀
permanent_echobox@reddit
Yeah my daughter has a nice and nephew a little older than her. My adult sons think I'm too lax as a parent now. I don't have the energy left to be a strict parent.
missdead_lee138@reddit
Yesssss. I completely feel the same way ! My adult daughters always tell me " you let him get away with everything!!! You didn't let us do - this or that- " 😆 That's the precise reason though .. "I don't have the energy to be a strict parent"! (Well said.!!) I choose my battles, and don't sweat the small stuff. Also, my little one is a boy and my adult children are both girls. So there's that too. He's my only boy and so yes, a little spoiled and very much loved. Granted, I was harder on my girls but I was young and full of energy and didn't know how to choose my battles. I thought everything had to be " just so". Honestly. It was exhausting. I'm way too tired to be that way now 😆 I'm sure he'll still turn.out okay ❤️
permanent_echobox@reddit
Also, both my adult kids turned out differently but good. It makes me think that as long as you keep them safe and let them know they are loved, it will all be alright.
gatadeplaya@reddit
I love that you have humor and grace around this!
Science_Teecha@reddit
Same. There’s a comedian who said, “sometimes I wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and say ‘…that can’t be right.’”
Science_Teecha@reddit
I look at pictures of myself at 40 and I looked so healthy and, like, full. Now I look like a candle that has spent a few summers in an attic. My face appears to be sliding off my skull.
in2the4est@reddit
Love this! A melted candle is a perfect description!
Science_Teecha@reddit
Not quite melted yet, just softened enough to be weirdly lumpy.
in2the4est@reddit
Even better...the definition I mean, not your experience :)
the-great-tostito@reddit
Conan O'Brien refers to his face as a rotting pumpkin sometimes! LOL
in2the4est@reddit
Love this! A melted candle is a perfect description!
guru42101@reddit
That very much happened to me, but it was kinda understandable. I was going through chemotherapy and lost all my hair. I've had a full goatie since I was 15. I couldn't recognize myself. Didn't help that somehow I managed to gain 20 lbs from cancer and another 20 from chemo.
Now I'm rocking a full beard, with the goatie to my stomach, and a skullet because my girlfriend likes it. Getting close to two years since I've cut my hair or the chin, I trim the rest of my face in the summer cause it gets too hot.
Mixednutbag@reddit
Marc Maron?
Science_Teecha@reddit
Probably! That sounds like something he'd say.
MusicSavesSouls@reddit
hahaha! I feel this.
Islandsandwillows@reddit
It’s 48 for me, this year. It’s shocking
fake-august@reddit
Yep, 53 here and have aged 10 years in the past two.
It’s definitely the change in skin tone/elasticity for me that I’m struggling with…I’ve got some light Botox and a little filler in my lips.
Now I know why my mother kept hand lotion EVERYWHERE.
No_Function_4794@reddit
If HRT would have gotten rid of the dry skin-don’t know but I’d be on it like a shot the itching is driving me bonkers
Digitalispurpurea2@reddit
The dry skin is insane
the-great-tostito@reddit
I read this too. I thought it was 46. It happens at 63 as well.
belker@reddit
I am 52 and this happened to me this year. I figure we had a good run, making it all the way there before we made the jump.
PollutionQuick140@reddit
Same here, I have JOWLS all of a sudden...
bingbongloser23@reddit
54 here. I started getting a turkey neck and bags under my eyes around 52. I'm a guy so my beard hides the neck somewhat. Oh and some flabby skin and crepe skin is awesome.
I've been on the carnivore diet for 4 weeks and have dropped 14 lbs and sleep so much better. Giving up alcohol has changed the game for me and my skin looks better.
I'm hoping to be around for a few more decades.
Glass-Influence-5093@reddit
50/51 for me
Verycherrylipstick@reddit
Same. I say 51 - and I’m going through it as we speak! 😒
MissHell303@reddit
This is about the age it happened to me. In 2021. Worst year of my life and I came out of it looking like someone's grandma. If someone's grandma had a brightly colored Mohawk
basec0m@reddit
54 for me... the wheels came off this year.
stuck_behind_a_truck@reddit
That’s about my timeline. Darn it.
TheEpicGenealogy@reddit
Same, just posted I was 52 when it happened
jcclune73@reddit
I feel 51 for me. A little scary to look in the mirror but I am still here!
Usual-Revolution4543@reddit
I completely agree - overnight or seemed that way I went to bed at 47 looking like ( figuratively speaking) sally field and woke up looking like Brett sommers from match game
mrhemisphere@reddit
Charles Nelson Reilly agrees
OkPizza2686@reddit
This exact same thing for me at 52. I woke up and was someone new...I mean old 😪
nonojustme@reddit
Now at 49 I feel a hell of a lot older than I felt a few years ago.
shrapmetal@reddit
The last 5 years have been rough. 45-50. No hair or teeth.
Although I have noticed people almost never question my wisdom these days. I swear I could just make shit up, and it's taken as gospel.
Maybe that's the give and take in this ride?
Calm_Squirrel972@reddit
Happened to me around 51 accompanying a medical condition. I thought I was soaring through no problems then hit a wall.
SomeGuyHere11@reddit
Yeah… I’ve been considering TRT….getting old looking. I’ve also been working out mainly because I’m fighting Father Time.
chris_ut@reddit
They did a study recently on aging and rather then a slow and steady decline your telomere lose a big chunk in your early 40s and then again in your early 60s.
Time_Strawberry9535@reddit
Perimenopause.
Loss of estrogen affects everyone a bit differently but it can be brutal. If that’s happening to your skin, imagine what’s happening to your bones. Lift heavy weights and consider hormone replacement.
accidentalrorschach@reddit
44 def has done a number on me...hormones are a real bitch.
Fickle-Woodpecker596@reddit
I'm 52 now and everyone always said I looked 10 years younger. That's definitely starting to come to a close. Not that I ever was really trying but now I can see father time has caught up. Not just looks wise but also everything else healthwise. Hitting 50 and Beyond is a real wake up call. Now the reality of getting into the fourth quarter of the ball game hits home.
ctcx@reddit
Lol, this is exactly the same for me. I'm Asian and petite and have looked young even in my early 40s... I'm mid 40s now stil don't have forehead wrinkles but I noticed some weird ish now like when I smile I have crows feet now, it seemed to happen overnight...i swear i didn't even have this 1 month ago.
I just started using Skinmedia TNS human growth factor (wished I used it sooner) and all medical grade stuff like Skinceuticals Ce ferulic, Skinceuticals triple lipid, skinceuticals neck retinol thing etc... and getting botox too but I never had to put it in my crows feet before.
I also used to look 12 at 25 etc... and never had to deal with aging like most people
CookinCheap@reddit
I looked about 35 until i was about 45. Soon as I got married at 48, I started aging rapidly. Now 56 and look like my ma did at 76.
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
Great. So much to look forward to 😭
CookinCheap@reddit
Well everyone's genetics are different. Plus I work a hard manual labor job whereas my mother never worked at all, and I have a very rare autoimmune disease, so yay.
TheFlannC@reddit
Went 30 to 50 in like 5 years. The math isn't adding up.
Spare-Reveal5997@reddit
Thank you so much for posting this. I'm late to the party, but yes, oh so yes.
So glad I'm not alone.
InfamousArm1401@reddit
No. I’m in great shape. Workout, take walks. This shit isn’t that hard
ancientastronaut2@reddit
Yesss. Happened around 48 for me.
Apprehensive_Glove_1@reddit
I made it to 48 looking like I was still in my 30's. Went through chemo this year and... hoo boy... I've been catching up lol!
SelousX@reddit
It's not your imagination:
https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencealert.com%2Fstudy-finds-humans-age-faster-at-2-sharp-peaks-heres-when-they-hit&utm_campaign=aga&utm_source=agsadl1%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4
IIRC, diet and exercise can help mitigate aging effects.
Still, the Lizard King was right: “No one here gets out alive.”
If that's too sad a note for you, find and listen to Oingo Boingo's No One Lives Forever.
Beautiful_Run141@reddit
For me it was more around 36. But in my 40s I started making those old man sighing / grunting sounds when I sit down or stand up like my dad does
Urbaniuk@reddit
The other day I turned off my camera briefly in a Zoom call and realized that I had my profile pic set to a shot taken in December 2019, where I look like a fawn romping in the woods. There is very little relation between 2019 me and me now. The French call it un coup de vieux.
CosmicDreamer_07@reddit
Lol 😂!! “a fawn romping in the woods.”
Natural_Rebel@reddit
This is f-ing depressing TBH. Hasn’t quite happened to me yet and now I am concerned lol.
jenhinb@reddit
Yup, and same. I’m a small person, fair skinned and don’t see much sun, but still..
Beatrix_Kitto@reddit
Same here. Petite, small frame and always mistaken for a much younger age. Then I hit 46, although it felt more like 46 hit me, and I barely recognized myself practically overnight. It happens to everyone. You mentioned Botox, this definitely helped me feel and look more like the old me.
january1977@reddit
I had a baby at 42. That did me in. Everything started sagging.
bunnyhop2005@reddit
Same, except I had two in my mid-40s. The wheels didn’t just come off, they went flying off
Default-Name55674@reddit
Me too
MoonageDayscream@reddit
That is what did it for me. I figure I had a blessed 42 years, now I'm embracing becoming a crone.
mish_munasiba@reddit
44 has been a tough year for me. Throughout my 30s and 40s, people have always been surprised when they learn my age. I mean every single time. But now...I have wrinkles? And crow's feet? And UNDEREYE BAGS?!?! And this has all happened within the past six months.
Ok_Comfortable6537@reddit
Here’s your answer ! https://www.sciencealert.com/study-finds-humans-age-faster-at-2-sharp-peaks-heres-when-they-hit
Scary_Sarah@reddit
Yep. Early 40s was still getting carded and having people think I was my kids’ friend not mom (they were teens). Late 40s, I started getting offers to use the 55+ discount at the grocery store WTF???? 😭😭😭
This_Bus_2744@reddit
Was just saying the other day. When I was 48 I felt like 38. Now that I'm 58 , i feel like 68. !!
doobette@reddit
Yep. As soon as I hit 44, things started to "fade." But I refuse to give in to any cosmetic work to attempt to look younger.
catchinNkeepinf1sh@reddit
Im 44 now and the skin is definitly not the same. Work outs are tougher to get through and cant sleep as well.
Timely-Youth-9074@reddit
50 for me.
Still treated like a kid at 49.
Now I look like an old hag at 54.
Independent_Lie1507@reddit
It's the drop in hormones. HRT helps
nerdvernacular@reddit
Yessir, I'm perpetually exhausted and my hair is making an exit strategy.
External_Cantaloupe@reddit
Yes late 40s here - my eyes have always been great, never needed glasses. This year almost overnight the change was crazy, now I have to wear glasses to read almost everything
MichaelDicksonMBD@reddit
hang on....lemme get my glasses
coddiwomple_ma@reddit
Totally. Hit me a few years ago in my mid 50s. I was just thinking about this the other day. Glad I'm not the only one.
thrillhouz77@reddit
We go through two rapid aging cycles, 40s and 60s.
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/08/massive-biomolecular-shifts-occur-in-our-40s-and-60s—stanford-m.html#:~:text=We%20undergo%20two%20periods%20of,to%20a%20Stanford%20Medicine%20study.&text=If%20it’s%20ever%20felt%20like,might%20not%20be%20your%20imagination.
sweetsourpus@reddit
Currently in year 50 and the changes in my skin are very noticeable. Getting very “crepe-y”, even on arms and legs. 😭 doesn’t help that I live in a desert.
PeanutMcGoo@reddit
Gold Bonds anti-crepe lotion is great for this, I’m a bit crepey after losing weight, and love this stuff (it’s affordable and one of the only drug store products that actually work, at least for me).
autumnab1@reddit
How often do you use it?
robin__nh@reddit
Looks interesting. I might have to buy some.
Rainbow_in_the_sky@reddit
You know, some of these comments made me break out in laughter b/c I get it! It’s crazy to look at pictures when I was in my early 40s looking like late 20s/early 30s. Then bam, 50 hits and aged YEARS!
I was looking at the mirror and asked when did the tiny lines show up on my forehead but my main angst are the bags under my eyes. Never realized they were bad until I clicked on a Teams meeting and saw my face on the monitor. Dang, why do I look so old???? Definitely crazy how we can look so young at 40-48 or so and then 50 strikes!
Jj23lions@reddit
Yep. Add me to the 52 club. My face is holding out ok but my body/butt/legs/neck looks like a candle melting in the sun. I felt like it happened overnight.
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
My body is actually holding up okay (apart from my dodgy back which you can’t see). If I lost a few kilos and toned up I’d look great.
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
My body is actually holding up okay (apart from my dodgy back which you can’t see). If I lost a few kilos and toned up I’d look great.
WeathermanOnTheTown@reddit
Are you Asian? The cliche is that they often age 20 years in two months.
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
Nope. Australian with English heritage (though my colouring is more Mediterranean).
HelicopterUpbeat5199@reddit
I assumed it was the children what caused it. You got em?
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
No, child free here. The economy, parents getting older and modern life in general is enough stress for me!
mminthesky@reddit
Yes - this exact thing happened to me. Always looked younger and suddenly look like I accelerated my age all at once. It’s difficult to reconcile me now vs then.
Adept_Requirement645@reddit
You won't look like one of the young people with Botox. You'll look like one of the lizard people, thats it. Get comfortable in your body because it only starts to rot more and more. Find your beauty in the person you are , not in your assets.
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
The Botox is more for the 11 lines between my eyes which give me permanent RBF. I’m not looking for the Kardashian effect 😁
Maud_Dweeb18@reddit
My god I looked 30 until 1-2 yrs ago and bam I am positivelyo geriatric.
The1JKC@reddit
I swear my forehead grows every night.
ukegrrl@reddit
I had my shift at 40 too. I looked pretty much the same in my 20s and 30s and then bam, 40s hit and I aged.
I was quite upset about it but I updated my haircut and changed my skincare and makeup (dark eyeliner is totally aging) and I feel pretty good about myself now.
I am now in my 50s and feel I look pretty much like I did in my 40s. I guess the next big age might come in my 60s!
It also helps to look at my older relatives and friends and they are absolutely beautiful in my eyes. So I just think my friends and family must see that same beauty when they look at me and I need to stop being so hard on myself.
showmedogvideos@reddit
Exactly!
I'm 50 and started contra dancing last year.
There are so many women in their 60s, 70s and 80s who are just absolutely lovely people. I see their beautiful energy and smiles and not so much their aging.
Tinnitus-1975@reddit
I saw on r/menopause a lady who said, she could cope with mood swings and weight gain but what the hell happened to her neck?!
gotsthegoaties@reddit
Big age shifts are 45 and 60. My eyes got worse at 45.
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
I’m still in denial about my eyesight. Why do they print labels with such small print these days 🤣
bluesunoc@reddit
🙋🏻♀️
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
I see you 🙂
One_Hour_Poop@reddit
Everybody says they look younger than they are. That's what old people do. 😃
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
Except it was true for me. Baby face is real for some people
Pleasant_Studio9690@reddit
I was in the same boat as you, often clocked as 10 to 15 years younger than I am. The difference is I expected that when the appearance of aging finally came, it would probably hit me all at once. Now that 50 is staring me in the face, it's happening. We had a good run. ;)
showmedogvideos@reddit
I've been warning my husband about this for the last few years. Just turned 50...
MaiHammyMawdul@reddit
I have been so afraid to ask this question. I could have written this post. Just turned 47, I feel like I look my age for the first time in my life, and it has been more challenging than I’d like to admit. Thanks for posting this because I relate to every word💛
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
I’m sure like me you look fine for your age but it still doesn’t change the shock when we look in the mirror. Worst part for me is I still have acne around my period. Why is life so cruel 😭
IDisturbTheForce@reddit
Stay out of the sun. That is the culprit.
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
I’m basically a vampire in the summer here but damage from my younger years is coming back to haunt me. I’ve never been a sun or tanning person (I hate summer) but I had horses for years so it was impossible to avoid the sun. At least the skin on my legs still looks great 🤣
kckitty71@reddit
I always thought that I looked younger. Once I hit menopause, I started to really look my actual age. Next week I’ll be 53. I’ve aged more in the last three years of my life than I did in the first 50. There’s no denying it. I’m old.
moooeymoo@reddit
It hit me hard when I turned 50, too.
BeerWench13TheOrig@reddit
Not yet, but it happened to my older sister, so I’m pretty sure it’ll be any day now. I’ve worn sunscreen every day since I was 19, so that has helped dramatically (she never wore it except at the beach) and I have been putting vitamin E oil on my face every night before bed for the last few years, and that has seemed to help too.
My hands are another story, but I bake sourdough every week and cook every night, so my handwashing is over the top. The E oil helps, but not as much as I wish it did.
I just turned 50, so the threat is looming and I keep waking up every morning with a fear of who might stare back at me when I look in the mirror.
Confusatronic@reddit
So far, early 50s, and I appear to be aging gradually and quite acceptably. I'm quite nutrition and fitness conscious, so maybe that's some of it.
Lemonblueberry579@reddit
There are pics of me in Feb 2020 (age 40) and I looked so relatively young and carefree. I now look 15 years older than that person.
NightNight916@reddit
Same! The Covid years aged me.
mbgameshw@reddit
Agreed. Those were odd years that seemed to have been harder on the bod. But it wasn’t just Covid and I think it continues, with wars, the environment, cost of living, threat of further pandemics… the world is either on fire or under water.
I so miss the 80’s and 90’s. No wonder we looked younger then 😜
bubbygups@reddit
I feel you. Same here. I thought it might be all the Covid alcohol or something
Fluffy-Opinion871@reddit
If you think things are bad when you are in your 40s you are in for a whole different level of hell in your 60s.
Son0faButch@reddit
I saw something that said we see rapid aging around the time we are 45 and 60. I'm late 50s so I'm not looking forward to the next few years.
guano-crazy@reddit
I have a pic with my wife and kids from about 8 years ago and then one from last year, taken at the same location. My oldest daughter saw it and joked that she and her siblings have put me through a whole presidency, haha
gramma-space-marine@reddit
That’s hilarious.
MildColonialMan@reddit
Yeah. I'm 44, wife's 36. In the last year, three people have asked if/assumed I'm her father. It burns.
zaypuma@reddit
Similar. She started dying my hair.
Improvident__lackwit@reddit
Oh man, when I was 44 I thought I looked young as I aged pretty well since my 20s but my hair was graying. I was at a birthday party at a chuckle cheese type place with my daughter and a young mom of a classmate asked “is that your granddaughter?” Oof.
Then, several years later I hit the wall everyone is referring to here.
MalcolmApricotDinko@reddit
It's currently happening to me at 55
cbrworm@reddit
Right around 50-51. All of the sudden my skin got thin, my hair receded (more), and my lips disappeared. I only really notice if I see my reflection when I don't expect it. I'm like - look at that old guy... oh.
UpbeatAd2250@reddit
Are you me??
Upper-Shoe-81@reddit
Aging is weird, and so is genetics.
My big win is that I'm 47 and still have smooth, clear skin; minimal crows-feet but that's about it. I go without makeup 90% of the time because I feel like I really don't need it. Usually when people ask my age they're surprised and compliment me, which is flattering.
My younger sister (46) on the other hand looks like she's in her mid- to late-50's. We went about 8 years without seeing each other, and when we finally met up again my jaw hit the floor at how much she had aged with deep lines in her face, sagging skin around her chin and jawline, and tons of grey hair (I have a few, but hardly noticeable). While I tried to hide my shock and pretend she hadn't changed, she was actually the first to get pissed off and yell at me for not having aged a day.
The craziest part? I've been a smoker off and on for 30 years. My sister has never smoked.
PicklesAndCoorslight@reddit
Yeah, i looked about 28 until maybe age 43. Now I definitely look my age.
edmc78@reddit
45 now, energy levels are 60% of x2 years ago
SeparateCzechs@reddit
Don’t. Dont do Botox. I received Botox for migraines for less than 2 years and had an incident where they injected too deeply. It got into my bloodstream. I had narcolepsy for 9 weeks. Sudden weakness where my legs would just give out. A truly terrifying episode where the muscles in my torso went lax and I had trouble drawing breath. For weeks after my knees would suddenly have fluid bulging out beneath the patella. This was 2018.
Now I have been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Myasthenia Gravis. I suspect I also have Raynauds syndrome, though that has not been diagnosed. They are both autoimmune.
The neurologist who dispensed the Botox refused to report it. There aren’t many articles about this and I suspect underreporting is the reason. It’s a very lucrative drug to dispense
Here is one article recounting similar experiences.
Here is another.
Hankjams@reddit
Happened to me this oast year. I will be 50 in January and it became noticeable after I stopped menstruating last January 😔
thelordwynter@reddit
I was much different. By the time I was eighteen, I looked like I was mid-30's, or so everyone around me swore. Then I crossed into my forties and people started thinking I was a bit younger. Now that I'm 48, no one wants to believe it. It's bizarre how people age.
Perfect_Fennel@reddit
Totally but it was 49. At 48 people still thought I was in my 30's and it was like one day I woke up and I looked 50. It really blows. I was used to looking a certain way and now I don't. I want a facelift or fillers or SOMETHING but that stuff is so expensive and you have to maintain it. There's no amount of creams or serums or retinol or peels that can fix it at this point except maybe Estrogen cream. I haven't tried it but am seriously considering it. I think HRT helps a little but I worry I waited too long.
hoborocketatx@reddit
Exactly this for me too. It sucks.
wpmullen@reddit
Yes! I'm 51 and the wheels fell off at 46
MysteriousPark3806@reddit
I just saw an article recently saying that humans age in two big spurts in their 40s and 60s, so maybe that has something to do with it?
JoshWestNOLA@reddit
Aging hits some people really fast. Botox is not going to fix loose skin. Maybe a facelift and/or neck lift.
Lost_Constant3346@reddit
Yes. I just turned 47 and got my passport renewed this week. The new picture versus the one from 10 years ago was shocking. My face has just...fallen. My eyelids are droopy, I have jowls, my chin skin is loose, my cheeks are flat. Beyond my passport horror, my arms and hands look like crumpled tissue paper. I know it's inevitable, but it's depressing.
heynowpeanut@reddit
Omg the new passport photo… brutal. Who belongs to this face?! Certainly not me, right??! Right?!
Excellent_Vehicle_45@reddit
Sunblock and moisturizer for life. Every wrinkle is a blessing.
Psychological_Tap187@reddit
Yep
listeningisagift@reddit
NAD+. It really works, Injections. There are online doctors who will write you a script quick, I’m 48 and I see/live results daily. But….. just like anything else in life you just can’t expect to take it and look and feel younger over night. Diet, exercise, etc must be maintained regardless at any age if you plan on living your healthiest life.
robin__nh@reddit
I’m about to try that. Does it help appearance or just how you feel?
listeningisagift@reddit
Yes it absolutely does.
I will tell a bit of my history and what’s been working for me. I’m 48 and have had chronic Lyme disease since my mid twenties. I self medicated for years and it eventually caught up with me as I was only hours away from getting my left foot amputated in September of 2021 from a “ miss “ that turned into a bad staff infection. I spent 4 almost months in Wycoff Hospital crushing bags of Vancomycin. Although there were some circumstantial factors, my poor decision making almost killed me and I needed to make a change and fast. Sober since 6/11/23 and I have my chronic Lyme under control, it’s much more manageable.
3 nouns that I swear by are.
coconut oil ( it’s has a million and one topical and internal uses and I use it all !! )
Creatine . 4-5 grams a day. ( it’s not just for muscle growth, the cognitive benefits are mind blowing, literallym )
NAD+
Honorable mention - 🍋🟩 & sea salt water all day especially 1st thing morning - intermittent fasting, I eat once a day, some days I snack if I’m burning a lot of calories, and I probably eat around half the portions I used to eat, I don’t think humans are not designed to eat 3 times a day. everyday Sunlight in the morning!
robin__nh@reddit
Interesting. Thanks for the reply! Creatine is another one I'm planning to try. I could definitely use some mind blowing cognitive benefits!
stephenforbes@reddit
This happened to memat 48. Started noticing major signs of aging such as wrinkles, gray hair and energy levels plummet.
goodthingsp@reddit
52 for me also
Cade_02@reddit
I’m a man. I’ve aged well. Had enough bad shit in life happen. I’ll take it.
I look 10 years younger than everyone I graduated with. Mid 40s.
My mom is Sicilian. She aged well. Probably got it from her side of the family.
rowrowfaster@reddit
I aged backward when I stopped drinking! Alcohol is not kind to older folks.
robin__nh@reddit
Curious how much were you drinking? I wonder if my one glass of wine with dinner is having an impact.
rowrowfaster@reddit
It varied but I definitely drank most every day. I haven’t drank for 2+ years and look much better now.
No_Function_4794@reddit
Why are you commenting then?
BohoXMoto@reddit
Ya... We really got the short end of the stick with the collagen hand outs. UGH.
crystal-torch@reddit
Yeah, everyone was shocked when I told them my age, I was very thin and have fuller cheeks. But then I had kids at 41 and 45. The second one absolutely did me in. Nobody is surprised now when I tell them I’m 50. I also gained ten pounds in three months cause ????? I’m not even perimenopausal yet, had the hormones checked and still unfortunately totally normal. I dread what menopause is going to do to me
veryforsure@reddit
Didn’t age, but the years disappeared.
brookish@reddit
Around 47 I was suddenly middle aged.
Small_Tiger_1539@reddit
They say that there's basically 2 times in your life you see a huge change facewise in aging. First is 44-46 and the second one comes at around 60-62. I'm just starting the second phase. As a woman, it's sheer hell. God help me.
scarlettohara1936@reddit
I was 25 till I was 45. Then all of a sudden I felt like I was 60!
"A recent study published in "Nature Aging" suggests that humans experience two distinct periods of rapid aging, primarily around ages 44 and 60, meaning our bodies undergo significant molecular changes at these points rather than aging at a steady pace throughout life"
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/aging/research-shows-ages-metabolism-undergoes-massive-rapid-changes-rcna166367
tree_or_up@reddit
It was 50 for me, on the dot
Antmax@reddit
At about 45 my eyesight deteriorated noticeably and now at 51. As an Artist, I have glasses everywhere, and 3 or 4 different types depending on what I'm doing lol. Lutein helped a little, less strain, fewer headaches but the only thing that really improved was distance vision. At about 48 my hair started thinning but I haven't changed THAT much.
I'm 52 this weekend and in the last few weeks I noticed the skin on my forehead is quite dry. Actually thinking of using moisturizing cream lol.
Monty-Man-X76@reddit
My body took a leap in internal physical age this year of 48. Felt still capable at 44 but now I’m feeling the struggle gonna get me. As for looks, I believe the downhill has really started. Wheeee….
CharlieC307@reddit
I started losing hair in HS and instantly gained 10 years to my age. Youre lucky it lasted as long as it did!! We to my friends 21 st birthday at a bar. He had to show his ID at the door. I came up next and said you don't need to see my ID do ya? Oh no...go right in! I was 19.
geminiloveca@reddit
Yeah, but it happened in a period where I was suddenly under a lot more stress than typical, with fewer ways to manage it. Major life changes age you like a MFer.
bookon@reddit
I am 59. I have grey around mu temples, the same widows peak hairline I had at 30, and my wife recently commented how unfair it was I don't have any wrinkles ( am sure I have a few)...
And yet I look into the mirror and I see an old man. I think we all think we look worse than we do.
thelliam93@reddit
The comments are amazing and reassuring. Thanks all
Comedywriter1@reddit
Yes. Felt like I aged about 10 years during the pandemic.
The lockdowns left me with too much time to obsess about things, including how my neck was looking older, the gray in my hair, etc. 😂
Have been feeling a bit younger since then though.
FreeThinkerFran@reddit
Yes, and a lot of us were on Zoom calls looking at ourselves and thinkg WTAF is that????
Comedywriter1@reddit
Ha! Very true.
D05wtt@reddit
Yeah exactly. Nothing but time for self reflection and staring at the mirror back then.
OldManThumbs@reddit
Probably closer to 30 years
FreeThinkerFran@reddit
Happened to me at 50. I lost all of the fat in my face (which I hated when I was younger) but then everything just *fell*. Had a facelift at 52.
LeGrec76@reddit
I’m 48, have had three spine surgeries and just scheduled a hip replacement in January. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to change the tennis balls on my walker.
And get off my lawn
Bird_Watcher1234@reddit
Yea for sure. At 45 I began perimenopause and had first of four psychotic episodes and was diagnosed with bipolar 1 with psychotic features. I’m 47 now, it’s been rough.
robin__nh@reddit
That’s terrible. So sorry. I had the exact same when I was much younger, and it’s slowly faded over the years. Now I just get depression and anxiety/agitation off and on. It started getting worse again around menopause, but getting on HRT has helped a lot.
Bird_Watcher1234@reddit
I was advised not to do HRT even though it would probably help me because my mom and her sister both had breast cancer.
robin__nh@reddit
That’s unfortunate. Isn’t there a kind of estrogen that doesn’t contribute to breast cancer? Like estriol maybe? I know it’s all a bit controversial, but maybe worth looking into. Your mental health is crucial, and frankly the drugs they have for this condition are mostly awful.
Bird_Watcher1234@reddit
The gynecologist didn’t offer me any solution other than over the counter supplements. They help a lot with the hot flashes and stuff but not so much mentally. I take mood stabilizers and doc adjusts dosages as needed. We’re hopeful that when my hormones settle down I can go back to living med free like I did for 45 years.
robin__nh@reddit
I wish you the best. Hang in there!
Bird_Watcher1234@reddit
Thank you! Thank you for your well wishes and taking time out of your life to comment. That means a lot to me actually. Very touching.
AjaxkidRN@reddit
It hit me when I turned 50. I took very good care of my skin starting when I was a teenager (thank you, Mom, for being a good role model) and wouldn’t even tan. I used to have the prettiest skin and I would get so many compliments. I actually glowed, dammit.
Then… one day… there I was. I looked in the mirror and my fine jaw line was starting to disappear into my neck. My neck looked like crepe paper. I wasn’t glowing anymore either. I realized it was inevitable, in spite of my very best efforts,that I was changing into Grandma.
Well, I’ve switched up my skin care routine just to keep better moisturized and dewy. I’m absolutely not doing Botox or any surgery. I am getting old and that’s what we all do. I’ve had my day in the sun and I have to move on. Hopefully, after I get past this awkward phase, I’ll end up being a cute old lady.
robin__nh@reddit
If your skin can handle retin-a, it can bring back some glow. My skin’s too sensitive for, but I would definitely use it if I could!
Unlucky_Amphibian_59@reddit
Sure. Around 45-50, I aged hard. But, unlike you, I was the opposite. At 19 I had bulky muscles, a full beard and receding hairline. Looked 30 lol.
bettesue@reddit
Early 50’s for me. People tell me I still look like I’m in my 30’s but I see the differences and it’s crazy how fast it happens.
sumostuff@reddit
Perimenopause does this really fast. The hormones dry up and suddenly your tummy sags and pooches out and you're fatter and your face sags too. It sucks. Happened to me really suddenly. I lift heavy and do CrossFit and nothing changed in my activity or diet and suddenly I have a belly.
WildcatLadyBoss@reddit
Seriously I could have written this comment. It’s SO weird going from people not believing how old you are and insisting you must be younger to suddenly assuming you’re at least 50. I’m 46 and this started 2 years ago for me. Incidentally, I started ‘embracing the gray’ right around the same time but now that the rest of me has suddenly aged so fast I’m really thinking about dying my hair again.
fuddykrueger@reddit
I plan to continue dying my hair indefinitely. I’ve been going gray since my early 20’s so I’m pretty used to it. Funny that my dad and sister didn’t start to get grays until their mid-40’s.
WildcatLadyBoss@reddit
I think my first gray hairs popped up in my mid twenties, but I always died my hair all sorts of funky colors anyhow so I never cared. Two years ago is when the aging hit. Good old perimenopause came in like a freight train and suddenly my skin and body aged so much! I always thought I’d be down to be a silver queen but I’m gonna nope my way right out of that for now
fuddykrueger@reddit
Yeah, you’re way too young to let the gray win! (one random unknown Redditor’s opinion, for what it’s worth! 😄)
WildcatLadyBoss@reddit
Thank you, I’ll take it! It’s all the further justification I need to go back. 😂
USAF_Retired2017@reddit
Yes. As soon as I hit 46. Looked ten years younger my whole life. Now, I look old as fuck.
Much_Substance_6017@reddit
I woke up on my 46th birthday with perimenopause. Happy fucking birthday to me! One day, fine. The next, a hormonal basket case with the worst brain fog ever! I’m getting to know the new me. She’s lippy, sassy with no filter and even less fucks. It’s liberating!!!
fuddykrueger@reddit
Yes, the aging sped up in my mid-40’s and really kicked into high gear at about 50. I aged ten years in 2-3 years. Menopause is cruel.
JohnMoxam2@reddit
I (53m) keep telling people, "I'm aging in 'dog years' (1=7)".
Was a young, skinny puppy 5 years ago.... now I sleep by the fire at every opportunity and growl at anything annoying.... what happened?
heynowpeanut@reddit
Happened this year at 47. I turn no heads anymore. Kinda depressing but also liberating.
robin__nh@reddit
There is definitely that silver lining. No more creeps to fend off!
Judgy-Introvert@reddit
I mean, I’ve aged like people do, but no. I have never felt it was rapid or that big of a jump.
lllasss@reddit
I always think it’s a bad sign when my phone doesn’t recognize me in the morning and I have to enter my passcode.
fuddykrueger@reddit
Mornings are the worst!! lol
ih8javert@reddit
I always looked young, for my age. I ,for sure, still act like I’m in my 20’s though.
When i was in my mid 40’s, not too long ago, I hit on a gal who was in her 30’s and she said “but, you’re like my father’s age”
The Arthur fist meme would be the most accurate way to describe how i felt. That was my wake up call. Well, that and my now thinning hairline - sigh
Front-Enthusiasm7858@reddit
I'm forty-five and this is happening to me right now. I spent my thirties looking like I was in my twenties, and now suddenly I have age spots on my hands, crow's feet, lines around my mouth. I look rough, and it makes me feel really insecure.
Kblast70@reddit
I broke my ankle when I was 26, thanks to bad treatment it healed wrong and then I needed surgery. All in all I sat in a chair for almost 9 months without being able to walk or work. I was clearly depressed and my wife cooked a desert for me almost every day. In 9 months gained 40 lbs. I still struggle with maintaining weight and in a couple months I get ankle replacement surgery so I'll be stuck in a chair again, but god I hope to end 26 years of cronic pain with this surgery.
Cocojo3333@reddit
Mid 50’s for me.
robertva1@reddit
My wífe did. Had a heat attack at 48.....a medical event like that ages you and the rest of your family by at least a decade
fuddykrueger@reddit
Yep this is what happened to me. Three serious health events over the span of three years.
um_chili@reddit
Few years ago I was looking at pix on my phone and was like "When the hell did I ever let some random 80 year old with Nixon jowls give my daughter a ride on his shoulders?" Then I looked closer. You've guessed it by now: That superannuated dude was me.
Went to get some Dysport and filler not long after that. It was a game-changer. Highly recommend if you want to smooth off the rough edges of incipient aging. Or lean into it and own it, either's cool.
Internal_Craft_3513@reddit
Yes, everything changed as soon as I hit 42!
BigFitMama@reddit
It took 3 years of Covid and 1 year of teaching end of Covid to age me 15 years. I never let stress get to me before like this.
Two weeks ago I developed an eye twitch from stress. And I'm looking at Botox if this doesn't stop. Might as well do my forehead too. Dammit.
I'm done. No person will ever see me as a sex object again. I do my best to look professional but this void of sadness and an exhausted voice in my head saying "Bring it on" just remind me I have to go beyond the place of exhaustion to the accelerated pace of becoming a warrior mentality again.
(Stress because my job and 6500 people's jobs are now pivoting of if Congress and Senate can refuse to remove the Dept of Ed. That's 1.9 billion in grant funding that fuels my life and the life purpose of helping people transcend poverty to academic and trade cert success. And they want to delete us or starve us out. This is why.)
Left-Cry2817@reddit
Yup. Happened when I became a dad at 45. Lack of sleep and relationship stress, plus that age acceleration age. I suddenly have eye bags that would make great pillows for squirrels. I’m 47 and still only have a few grays and not many wrinkles, but the eyes, man. Looks like they are sinking back further into my skull. Also, 25% more forehead.
CloudFireRain@reddit
Every night lol. I figure I'm about 1,000,000 years old by now.
EquityDoesntRoll@reddit
https://amp.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/aug/14/scientists-find-humans-age-dramatically-in-two-bursts-at-44-then-60-aging-not-slow-and-steady
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
I read that too. Depressing but at least I know I’m not alone.
Low_Cook_5235@reddit
Yeah, the last 10 years for me have been rough to say the least. Menopause weight gain, which has led to sleep apnea and creaky joints. I don’t care about the wrinkles, I just want to be able to stand up normally.
heathers1@reddit
i was doing great til 58. I think i got the 44 and the 60 all at once lol
Perfect_Fennel@reddit
Interesting!!! I think I noticed it a little later so maybe I'll be 63 when the next horrible round hits. It totally tracks though, it's not like slowly gaining weight or something, it IS overnight.
examinat@reddit
Yeah, that happened to me too.
yurtfarmer@reddit
It’s not me in the mirror anymore , it’s my dad .
bingbongloser23@reddit
My wife has a particular look when I do or say something my Dad would say.
Paperbackpixie@reddit
I don’t know about a completely different person, but I do acknowledge the aging overnight 15 years phenomenon.
Ruthless27@reddit
Yeah, pain accelerated aging 5 to 1
polishprince76@reddit
I feel like someone flipped a swich. My blood pressure and acid reflux jumped. My knees got way worse. It was crazy.
Twisted-Mentat-@reddit
My back aged 30 yrs ago a few yrs ago.
I know have the back of an 80 yr old and I'm not even 50. Shit can happen fast.
fapestniegd@reddit
40 is old for a young person; 50 is young for an old person.
Best-Bunny23@reddit
Yep. I was still hot at 47. Suddenly at 48 it was all downhill.
KatBenMike1268@reddit
It’s hard, especially turning 50-body weight changes, disc injury, broken tooth. Just in two years. But, what other choice do we have?
vlajko1@reddit
It's not looks good me, it's my general well bring that went to the toilet around 46-47.
I'm not unhappy with my looks, but just few short years ago, I was in shape (ish), I felt healthy and strong. Now everything hurts and I get tired... so tired.
drivingthelittles@reddit
This is the exact reason I laugh (on the inside) anytime someone talks about how young they look(ed) before 44. We all looked young, we all got carded long after 18, we all had a baby face forever.
It’s not a super power it’s called being young and it lasts until early 40’s for most of us. Then one day we look in the mirror and want to scream, I LOOK LIKE THE CRYPT KEEPER!!! A la Jamie Lee Curtis.
It’s why older people say youth is wasted on the young, because we all thought we would coast into middle/old age when we are in the first 3 decades of our life. We don’t know what’s coming.
It’s ok, don’t fret. With wrinkles, extra pounds and lots of ouchie spots comes wisdom and you start to care less and less about stuff you used to lose your shit over.
argenman@reddit
Nope…
VoodooKittyS197@reddit
Just wait till you hit 48. You’ll look and feel like an old fart. All your conversations start to include health issues. Hormones, for men and women, start dropping. It was f’n awesome ☹️
krissym99@reddit
I swear I've seen a noticable difference between 40 and 43. I will add that I lost 40 lbs at 40, so that might have aged my face. But as I approached 43 I started noticing fine lines, weird bunches of skin around my armpits that are apparent whenever I wear a tank top, and more moles/spots on my skin. (I go to the derm regularly, everything has been benign) My neck is the biggest giveaway. I was also baby-faced for a long time, so in some pictures it's jarring to see some of this so suddenly.
Slycer999@reddit
Definitely feel like I’ve aged 10 years in the last 5. I’ve largely cut out drinking and smoking and it seems to have helped. Still trying to figure how to cut out stress though.
Electrical_Fishing81@reddit
I recently turned 48. Over the last year my body has been going above and beyond to let me know I am not young anymore (hasn’t been easy accepting this). I’ve never been happy with my body/appearance but seem to becoming more at peace with myself since I started this job.
MissStatements@reddit
51 and my transformation into the Crypt Keeper continues apace.
BlueProcess@reddit
Same. Often mistaken for being in my 20s all the way into my 40s and reasonably good physical health, then Wham!
Sea_Baseball_7410@reddit
43 here and it feels it went downhill once I turned 39.
CatStretchPics@reddit
There’s an “old man look”, where you cross a line. It’s different for different people. I don’t think I’ve crossed it yet, and I’m 55. I am half Asian though, so when I do cross it I expect it to be drastic, like the comic of the Asian woman that looks 20 until she looks 80 :p
BohoXMoto@reddit
I'm in the exact same boat and having a very difficult time with it. I was always very pretty and looked about 15 years younger than my real age. Now at 55 I feel that gap is rapidly closing. So sad! 😭 Acceptance and gratitude are our friends.
muphasta@reddit
I went to bed the night before my 45th birthday with at least 20/20 vision.
I awoke the next morning and couldn't see shit past 12 feet. I needed glasses for the first time in my life. I'm early 50s now and I can't see shit beyond 6' w/out my glasses.
I got my first gray at 12, and now my hair is basically all white. It was getting to salt and pepper when I was 45, but it went gray/white quickly.
covenkitchens@reddit
Somehow I’m happy, relieved really, to know I am not the only one.
sanctuarymoonfan@reddit
I just now feel my age at 50. It sucks.
luckeegurrrl5683@reddit
Age 45 hit me hard. I started wearing more makeup. Also had a lipoma removed from my forehead.
jnortond@reddit
I was young and cute looking my entire life. I had breast cancer and then weight loss surgery in the span of 2 years (2020 to 2022). I swear that I aged 15 years since. I am 53. I am healthy and thriving but I look so damn old.
I_Am_The_Zombie_Woof@reddit
I quite drinking entirely at 44 and I feel like I got those 15 years back. It did wonders for me both mentally and physically. I also took up surfing at the same time after a 20 year hiatus. Now at 52 I feel better than I have in decades
Exciting_Pass_6344@reddit
I turned 50 and it all went to shit. Gained a bunch of weight I can’t lose, everything hurts and creaks and pops when I get out of bed or up from a chair. I struggle to get up off the floor if I don’t have a chair or something to grab to help me up. So not my 40s, but age 50. And it really did seem like it happened overnight.
Vegaprime@reddit
I rarely look in a mirror, but my wrinkly hands at 47 reminds me of my old age regularly.
LumiereGatsby@reddit
I started getting old in my 30’s and then said Fuck That! And got serious about my looks.
Been consistent in 4 days of working out per week with cardio and weights and goddamn Pilates and core shit.
48 now and I still look old but physically fit and healthy looking old.
My plan is to be a gorgeous old man, play a sexy Santa in my 60’s.
TheEpicGenealogy@reddit
With me it was 52, now 56, Covid and just life hit hard, it’s crazy how much older I’ve gotten since 2020. Someone asked me recently what years I served in Nam. Wow
PGHNeil@reddit
For me it's been a downward slide since 45 when I first blew my back out. 52 was definitely a big shift in that I gained 20 pounds and went on a statin. Now i'm pushing 56 and hearing that 60 is another big shift. I feel like I either need to start taking hormones or go on one of those expensive diet programs just so that I can chalk some big adventures off my bucket list while I'm still able.
OldManSpartan@reddit
I'm 56 but people think I'm early 40s, good genes maybe but I feel like I'm in my 60s
MyriVerse2@reddit
Almost literally, but when I was 39.
Suddenly, I developed rhabdomyolysis in my left leg. In layman's terms, that's muscle rot. It's usually caused by compression injuries, drug use, severe dehydration, but I don't fit any of those things. Doctors still don't know why I got it. But I did... and lost most use of my left leg. It will just barely support my weight for brief periods, but I need a cane to walk. This also slightly damaged a kidney, but I don't have any ill effects from that.
It recurred a few months later, but not as severe.
Luckily, at 59 now, I'm otherwise healthy and don't need any meds.
B00bsmelikey@reddit
I think so. A number of my preferences and habits changed quickly, feel like a different person.
geetarboy33@reddit
It happened to me in my early 50s. I went from feeling like I’d won the genetic lottery to wondering who the old man in the mirror was. I think it’s primarily losing the elasticity in the skin of my face and neck. I now look like my father.
gatadeplaya@reddit
I was asked if I had an updated profile pic for a bio. I was like…that pic is 3 years old! 😱😂
My Botox appointment was Monday.
affemannen@reddit
Im lucky that it's only in my mind and in chronic pains. I feel like an old person when getting off the couch, but people think im 30, im 50.
tuenthe463@reddit
I got slammed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2014 when I was 41. Every single day since has been some new, weird pain that just rotates around my body. When I wake almost every single morning and dig my elbow into the mattress to either roll over or get up, I immediately know how the day is going to go by the pain in my spine and my ribs and my neck. Not every day is terrible but many days suck.
moldy_fruitcake2@reddit
Yes! As soon as I hit 45….bam! My face changed. Drastically.
NerdyComfort-78@reddit
Research has found rapid aging at 44 and 60.
Can’t wait! /s
Trick-Mechanic8986@reddit
I had a car accident and physically aged all at once. 32 to 65 in a moment.
hesathomes@reddit
For me it happened at menopause in my mid 50’s. My neck and face changed dramatically within a 2 month period. It was bizarre.
Iamshortestone@reddit
This. I'm in early menopause and my face is literally warped! I'll look in the mirror and it's almost like looking at myself in a fun house mirror. I hate this.
Iamshortestone@reddit
48 here and I'm also petite and have a "baby face". I was getting carded right up until about last year. 48 hit, and I'm not sure what happened. My face is not mine. I don't have a lot of wrinkles because I'm a little chubby, and swath on retinol and sunblock, but I can't explain it. It's just not me. My eyes are sunken in, my lids are kinda drooping over my eyes, lol... I'm definitely getting grey rapidly. When pictures are taken and I look at them I expect to see me, and instead I'm like... "Who the fuck is that lady"??
D05wtt@reddit
Up to a few years ago, I could eat and drink anything without gaining weight. And all those years of doing that has finally caught up to me. Spent a couple days in the ER a year ago and through tests found out that I’ve had a mini-stroke in my past and that I’m prediabetic, have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. So this last year has been me getting used to the rest of my life eating boring foods and drinking lots of water, green tea, and coffee. On top of that for the first time…taking daily medications.
ElderberryUpset4436@reddit
Got on the Ozempic and lost 45 pounds. WOW does weight loss make you look old at our age! Aged like 20 years. I got carded until I was 45ish very young looking and now boom! I look like grandma.
Ok_Seesaw_2921@reddit
At some point in my mid 40’s I started making old man sounds every time I stood up or sat down. When the hell did that start?!?
Alternative-Dig-2066@reddit
I used to marvel at the sounds my father would make just getting up from a chair… now that I’m close to needing a knee replacement, I’m making very similar sounds!
Meep42@reddit
CalgonThrowMeAway222@reddit
51 kicked my ass.
ThatMeasurement3411@reddit
F Yeah, 45 was the beginning of the end. Up until then I was determined to rock life like Tina Turner, Strong!
Well Happy Birthday to me! The demise was swift. An achy spot turned into a full on limp and trying to come up with a word in a sentence was akin to attempting to catch the cash in those “Blowing Money Boxes” on game shows.
Little things that people did were now criminal acts. In my head they were sentenced to a year for every finger that they kicked at the lunch room table.
Somehow my sense of smell has vanished. But only for pleasant aromas.
My stomach starts to eat itself if not fed every four hours. It doesn’t matter that it is now a hot tub filled with vinegar, it would like carbs please.
But with a little encouraging Tina stirs. Turns out it wasn’t an assignation, the Tina within just had a little down time. The leather skirt has said goodbye, but the muscle memory in those legs remains unbreakable.
NorseGlas@reddit
I’m 47, I definitely feel like I aged more in the last 5 years than I had in the 20yrs before that.
I’d say I felt no different turning 40 than I did at 27. But man do I feel my age now. But at the same time, others getting older, getting sick…. Whatever …..is making me realize that I too am mortal.
meekonesfade@reddit
U am 51. At about 50, maybe 51, I aged much more quickly
IdahoDuncan@reddit
My hair won’t grey really fast in my mid 40s. From almost none to almost all in like 2 years
Thoguth@reddit
Every day
lgramlich13@reddit
Almost immediately after cancer treatment (at 45,) the lines appeared. I haven't cared about my looks in decades, though.
SheepherderItchy4597@reddit
I can relate! It is the turkey neck wobbeling, the droopey eyes, cheeks going South😂😂...but after starting the right ad mentally stable, counts for everything imho😆🥳
Odd-Perception7812@reddit
This is a thing. We age hard all of a sudden. I looked 30s up to 50, then brick wall. Everyone guesses age now. I don't get flirted with anymore. I had a great autumn, which is making the coming winter look pretty harsh.
Puzzlehead-Bed-333@reddit
Yes, this has been the most surprising thing. It’s like I went to bed looking like a late 20 year old and woke up a 50 year old. My baby face is a rough middle age and that’s with decent care. It’s hard to swallow.
OminOus_PancakeS@reddit
45 - 50. Visibly seemed to age more than 5 years.
AprilOneil11@reddit
I made it to 48, now my sleep is an issue , it's got a ripple effect on my mind and body. Having to work 6 days a week to help the kids isn't making it better. Cost of living right now is outrageous! I remember my parents doing ^freedom 55". I doubt I'll see "sit down 86", lol. My mother was a homemaker, I wish we had that choice at least.
But, it's how we keep going that will hopefully carry the next gen. They can't move out or buy a home, we are trying to fix the future for them.
"If you build it they will come", type thinking, thanks Wayne
kegsbdry@reddit
I'm in my mid 40s now and I fear the other shoe will drop at any moment.
GaRGa77@reddit
Yes
Stardustquarks@reddit
40s is one of the times your body goes through major aging
NastyOlBloggerU@reddit
Yup. 47 was the age I turned 60. Stepped off a ladder and kicked off 2 years of sciatica. My weight because of it went from 95kg to 110kg. The (Australian) interest rates blew up and cash became limited do overall health nosedived. So- lord, take me the F#ck now-please!
AbsurdistTimTam@reddit
Yeah I can relate to this. 47m - kids are 4 and 7 (we had them later than we’d hoped) so being tired all the time doesn’t help.
I’ve taken pretty good care of my skin and that’s still hanging in there, but my hair has started to thin more noticeably the last couple of years, which kind of drags the whole presentation down.
Sigh trying to be philosophical about it. Tossing up between trying finasteride or buying some clippers…
Intelligent_Arm_7186@reddit
black dont crack, asian dont raisin! :)
Finding_Way_@reddit
In my case, I totally didn't understand what the big deal was about turning 50. I felt exactly the same as I did when I was in my 40s.
Fast forward 7 years and I started having trouble driving at night, had some mild but noticeable aches and pains, and felt very very disconnected to current trends, music, etc. it came at me hard and fast!
I have a sibling to whom this happened as well, but not until they were early 60s.
Sigh
bealR2@reddit
I aged 10 years last year, I swear. I see my mom staring back at me in the mirror now.
Patient-Cap-4004@reddit
53 here. Physically, I don't have a lot of complaints except for some hearing loss and a persnickety prostate that makes going number 1 more complicated than I'd like.
Mentally, though, that's another story. Most alarming is a decline in memory. Long-term memory is fine but not terribly applicable for day to day functionality. Short-term memory is going to shite and has turned 8-9 hour workdays into 10-11 hour workdays.
Sleep is also problematic, and I have to make peace with the fact that anything more than 6 hrs is bonus.
ComfortableHat4855@reddit
I was in my prime during my late 30s to early 52. And then covid. Ugh
Mindless_Baseball426@reddit
God yes. Early 40s hit me hard.
Sea-Magician-1818@reddit
I was a mayor of a small town in my 40’s and I ended up aging 20 years easily from the stress on top of the shift. By the time I was 52, had cataract surgery, glaucoma, arthritis, digestive hell, and a serious return of asthma. I’m a walking old person commercial. 😆
But it happens fast… then it’s time to get repaired and healthy for the next shift. Don’t let it get you down or do ridiculous things to try and recapture youth…. Usually does more harm than good. Adapt to your situation and try to be healthier going forward to reduce the size and severity of the next shift. That’s all anyone can do.
pdx_via_dtw@reddit
44 is the shift.
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
😭
pdx_via_dtw@reddit
ill be getting my face sand blasted and botox within the next year. my partner is in nursing school (graduating 12/13) and we've had one income the last 2 years. once we have more disposable income....girl......im ready at 46. the sun damage is so bad.
im most interested in microdermabrasion and a little tox.
beckybooboo1978@reddit
I started laser resurfacing on my face this year. It’s so worth it.
FKpasswords@reddit
Car wreck at 52, went from 35 to 75 overnight. Now I have to work in agonizing pain
hatetochoose@reddit
I went through chemo at 40. Went from passing for 32 to passing for 50 within a year.
defeatmyself3@reddit
This is my story exactly. 44-45
LithiuMart@reddit
I can relate to that. I was able to get child fare on the bus to work at 17, and needed a Proof Of Age card to buy a drink at a pub when I was 19. In my mid 40s my head went from a hairline just above my eyebrows to looking like Amos Wilkes in what seemed like just a few years.
SissyWasHere@reddit
I could sometimes pass for a teen until my 40s. Mid 40s even worse. I can eat nothing and maintain my weight. Good thing I didn’t gain too much in my younger years!
MowgeeCrone@reddit
No no. I don't want to come across as a know it all, but, I think you'll find the problem lies in what is considered acceptable workmanship nowadays compared to the craftsmanship of yesteryear. It's not the reflection at all, it's actually all those cheap mass produced materials mirrors are being made of now. Nothing works as good as it did compared to the 80s. That's the problem. It's not you. It's because, kids these day, capitalism, etc.
YOUVE STILL GOT IT!
Ihaveaboot@reddit
Honestly - this post lost me.
I'm not sure what you are even asking.
AffectionatePeak9085@reddit
used to look young.
and now looks old
EcstaticOrchid4825@reddit (OP)
Felt like I aged quickly in a short time after looking young for my age my whole life.
Alert_Adeptness_8306@reddit
35-38 for me. Never had to use face lotions, serums, etc. literally woke up one morning and it just happened
Roguefem-76@reddit
Yep. Visible aging hit me like a Mack Truck during lockdown, just when I was getting to mid-forties.