I’m a very healthy person who eats right, I drink a lot of water, exercise, get outdoors a lot, am happy and positive. My diet consists of mostly vegetables, fruit, nuts, etc. I never even eat fast food and cook all our meals. I wear minimal make-up and use a moisturizer every night. My family life is great, my kids are happy and my husband and I have a fairly healthy sex life (could be better!)
SO…. why the heck am I ALREADY getting so many wrinkles on my face???!! I turned 40 last year and since noticed more and more wrinkles around my eyes and mouth. It’s so prevalent now that even my Mom commented on it for the first time last week. My Mom is 65 yrs old and looks fantastic. She said she started to notice wrinkles on her face when she was about 45. I look at pictures of her from when she was that age and they are barely noticeable. I was looking at pictures that others took of me over the holidays and I was like OMG! Do I really have that many wrinkles around my eyes when I smile?? Even my Dad looks great at 67.
OK now that I have vented I’m hoping others can empathize with my pain! Did you notice more wrinkles after 40 or even before? Have you done anything about it like using creams? BTW, botox is very popular around here but it’s just not for me. Would that be my only alternative??? :-(
As much of a positive person that I am, right now my misery would love company!
TIA!!
Yes my Mom was always really good about making sure we always wore sunscreen. I've never been into getting a tan. The way I take care of my skin & body now has been pretty much like I did back then. Sunscreen has always been my best friend and I carry it everywhere! I guess because my Mom really taught us to take care of our skin since we were kids. I'm the same with our kids.
maybe it's just all the pollution in the air now. Who knows!!
Mum4ever = last part of your comment = LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have you lost weight recently?
Otherwise it's gotta be genetics...SOMEONE's genetics.
I'm 47 and I've got some good genes working on my mom's side.....but the f....f.....forty word brings about some changes...wait til you can't read a label! LOL
I am 26 and, after my first and only child I noticed my eyes have too many creases. I got L'oreal under eye cream/serum in the small pump and noticed results instantly! The skin was more plump, the bags are dissipating and I notice less lines (only been using for about a month now).
See if you can find a micro dermabrasion kit. Also, as other posters say, SUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN! And, my mom swears by cream with olive oil in it.
sunscreen sunscreen and more sunscreen!
Updated
sunscreen sunscreen and more sunscreen!
i had peels done, it really helps.
I can be your company! I was shocked looking in the mirror yesterday at the laugh lines, frown lines, brow lines (that no longer go away when I stop scrunching my forehead!) crows feet, etc. I'm 35 and was always told I look SO young (used to hate that). Guess I won't be carded anymore! LOL
I just chalk it up to life...I have a belly that looks like I had 2 kids, "girls" that are no longer perky, and now wrinkles and a few grey hairs...I just consider it evidence that I've been living my life, not sitting on the sidelines! I want this body to stop working because I've worn it out...not because it was stagnant!
Hola! Well I work at a plastic surgeons office and we see TONS of women around your age with kids, husband, and women that just have that daily stress (which contributes to an aging face) that come in all the time! I think you are at the perfect age to start looking at fillers. There are other alternatives other than botox like restylane, radiesse, sculptra, juviderm etc. Im in Beverly Hill and we see tons of women from everywhere that come in. Botox is extremely popular, and too be honest I think that it works great. I see amazing results with patients. Now dont over do it. I think its great to maintain yourself. Creames work to an extent, I know that Estee Lauder has an amazing creme that comes in a purple bottle its tiny. It promotes your body to start producing collogen on its own, but again it only works to a certain extent. I would research fillers, and creames. Oh just a thought too there are lasers that help with skin tightening. I would go into a medspa, and see if there are any facials that can help also. Making sure you take care of your skin is a biggy, with facials, constantly hydrating your face with water and hydrating creams. BTW creams that have caffeine in it help with building your skins elasticity. :) hope this helps
You'll get used to them..... I've had to.
Maybe you had a FUNNER life then your parents, so you have more LAUGH lines.
Wrinkles at 40 are normal. That doesn't make them suck any less.
Unfortunately we live in a world of celebrities who have no wrinkles because they get them "taken care of". They have to do it to make their money.
All of our print media and advertising show women without perfectly smooth skin and zero pores. The truth of the matter is that photoshop and graphic design techniques can create whatever 'desired' look an artist wants. Half the time what we are seeing in ads isn't real. Check out this Dove Evolution commercial about how a model is transformed and altered to be a billboard spec: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U (I am NOT selling or endorsing Dove in any way; I'm just giving an example of how the media twists things to sell products)
I know it is sometimes tough to accept but remember that you have many other qualities that make you a beautiful person by many peoples' standards :)
My first thought is the amount of sun exposure you had as a child/teen as opposed to your mom. I grew up in SoCA and I have more wrinkles than my mom and live somewhat similar to you, but I eat more animal protein. And collagen, the supporting structure in your skin, benefits from proper amounts of protein in your diet. And UVA/UVB skin damage is cumulative. So start applying sunscreen now, wearing hats and limiting exposure from 10am-2pm, but any damage done over the years will still take it's toll on your skin.
Rather than botox, there are fantastic facials offered now that work beneath the surface to literally erase wrinkles and stimulate the collagen structure to tighten up. Combine that with a topical treatment and you'll be pretty as ever. Then you can whiten you teeth...get a boob job..drive a fancy car...I'm just kidding. I don't miss the materialistic side of SoCA at all...
I'm a little bit older than you but in my family they look younger than they are. That said I swear I've aged 10 years in the last year. I particularly dislike my upper eyelids and of course the only thing I've heard that can cure that is plastic surgery. I don't want to look ghoulish I just don't want to feel like I won't be able to see because my eyelids are flapping down further and further everyday! I guess if it does get so bad that it impairs my vision I'd have a valid medical reason to get surgery, UGH!
Does your mom live where you do? Irvine is VERY sunny and I'm sure that contributes to it. If she doesn't live in the same area, she's not exposed to the same elements.
Some of it is genetic. Mom may not have wrinkles, but does dad? How about siblings? You might look for a moisturizer that has some sunscreen in it so you don't have to apply 2 products to help.
I wouldn't do botox either - ick. Maybe you just smile and laugh more than anyone else in your family!
Oh, you are still so young! Try a series of mild chemical peels from an esthetician. They are self normalizing now and very safe and the results are cumulative. They really make a difference. Use moisturizer with sun screen every day that contains peptides or ceramides. Use a good night cream with antioxidants. Skin Medica makes a good serum for the eye area - it's expensive but it lasts a long time.
@Tori - My eyelids got so bad I was holding them up with duct tape at night. Literally. Had the surgery just on the uppers (insurance paid for it) and I am thankful every day that I did it!
Same here - the wrinkles around my eyes and the thinning of the skin under them is driving me crazy. Just started to notice it about 6 months ago. Turning 40 is a downer! I don't want botox or plastic surgery either and I have always used moisturizer - even as an oily faced teen! I don't understand it either. I hope you get good answers!
I'm in the same boat, not so much with wrinkles but that crease between the brows. No one else in my family has it! I do think stress contributes greatly as I started noticing more and more after having kids. Dh travels and is gone 50% of the time. I would like to do something natural too. My chiropractor recommends meditation. It does help a bit but they always come back!
Lack of sleep?
I also JUST read in "Prevention" magazine www.prevention.com
about this product for being an "age eraser":
"Lumene ExCELLent Future Deep Repairing Cream" ($30) at CVS stores.
It has an apple extract, that is supposed to make skin smooth and glowing. This is the 'cheaper' version, of what Michelle Obama uses, for her great skin. HER product she uses is "Clark's Botanical Lifting Serum."
Wrinkles... can also be due to collagen breakdown or lack of it....
good luck,
Susan
I'll be your wrinkle buddy! I turned 40 this year, and holy cow, what happened? I've actually considered gaining weight to look younger. My face looks rather gaunt. Like yours, my parents look amazing. Maybe we're just harder on ourselves. Whatever it is, I don't like it. I do look much better when I get enough sleep, and I have used good moisturizers on my face and neck for 20 years. I don't know what else to do.
just being outside, with or without sunscreen. your skin takes a beating!
water helps, detoxing helps.
i would try a chemical peel! they are supposed to work wonders, ive seen before and after pictures, but you never know how your own skin will react.
Hmm, I was going to ask about sunscreen, but you answered that in your update. Well, at 40 our hormones really do start to change and everyone starts to go through the "change" at varying times. My Mom started peri-menopaus in her early 40's. Hormonal changes are a big factor in women losing collagen (skin elacticity), less hydration, etc.
I have a friend who goes to a homeopathic hormonal person (Dr?) where all of her hormones were tested, and then she takes various types of vitamins and hormone type therapy to keep her hormone level up as close to her current state. In other words, she won't go through menopause and will always have her period (as long as she is taking these hormones). Something like that would probably help and is more natural than something like botox.
Other than something extreme like hormone therapy or botox, I say start embracing it;) The fact is that at 40, all sorts of things start to change. I turned 40 this year too and have noticed little differences here and there. I spend slightly more on my eye creams and moisturizers now and less on cocktails & nights out;)
The best thing you can do for yourself is continue your healthy lifestyle, get lots of sleep and drink lots of water. Oh, and give up any sodas & caffeine (max 1 cup coffee/tea/day) - those will wreak havoc on your skin.
Tia, I'm right there with ya. I turn 42 in two weeks and I don't know what happened this past year, but I've certainly aged remarkably (more wrinkles around eyes, especially). I've always taken excellent care of my skin, never ever go to bed w/ makeup on, always wear sunscreen year-round. AND I've been using eyecream since I was 13 years old (I had the forethought to think ahead even then :) I also eat well, etc. My mom is 63 and her skin looks fantastic, barely any wrinkles. My dad looks his age - 65. One thing that I may consider in the future is laser work on my face (but never ever a knife or botox). My MIL just had this done on Dec. 28 and her whole face was wrinkled from the days of no sunscreen and lots of sunbathing. Now, my goodness, her skin looks fantastic after the laser work (had her whole face done) and she said it was relatively pain-free so it was totally worth it to her. Hang in there; YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! :)
I am 33 years old and just yesterday I was twirling my hair in my fingertips, contemplating how I should cut my hair next and what did I find? A WHITE hair!!
What?
How is this possible?
I am only 33 years old?
Neither my mother or my father turned grey or white at an early age!
How could this be?
I hate getting older!
I so sympathize! 40s aren't kind! Avon has introduced some new products that are unbelievable. They have "Lift & Firm Pro Serum", which is basically a face lift in a bottle. They say that 97% of women has improvement in 3 days. They also have a new line of Anew called Reversalist which is specifically for women in their 40's. I have used this one (waiting for the lift & firm still) and it's awesome. (and Avon has a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so they'll take return on anything you don't like or that doesn't work for you.) Not meaning this to be an advertisement, but I can send you samples of both if you want to try them.
Naw -- Due to never ever smoking, I have almost nothing to complain about except e few lines on my forhead that show when I have a look of amazement on my face. I guess that just means I have spent the last 39 years in a state of amazement! =) So wrinkles aside, I am less than thrilled about gray hair!
My parents both smoked until their 40s though and they look older than they should. Plus, I think the more fair skinned you are, they more susceptible you are to wrinkles/damage? The other factor could be hormonal. A woman's skin (and fertility and bones and blood pressure and cancer rates) alters significantly after 35 and as you edge ever closer to peri-menopause, the elasticity of your skin changes. Perhaps you are healthier than your parents and perhaps your mom aged late...But she might have had a radically different menopausal experience than you did/will.
Well it takes two, meaning your mom might age slowly but what about your dad? No matter how great we take care of ourselves genetics always wins out. Sounds like you do everything possible and I am anti botox as well. Do you wear glasses, if not do you squint a lot? Maybe get the eyes checked see if maybe you are no longer 20/20 and maybe that is contributing to it? Dunno, but if you find the fountain of youth can you share the secrets?
Hi. I will be 45 in March and strangers guess my age as 27, everyone asks me what my secret is and it is really just good skin care and reading magazines like Allure that have up to the minute articles on anti-aging skin research, etc. I agree sunscreen is the ultimate anti-aging cream..you MUST wear it every day, all the time, even if it is cloudy, etc. I would never even walk outside without it. Make sure it has zinc oxide in it, physical blocks are more effective than say avobenzone or chemical blocks. Under your sunscreen wear an anti-oxidant like Prevage or something with vitamin C + E in it to protect from free radical damage. I also have been using Retin-A for years, you need a prescription but the generic is cheap and it is super effective at erasing sun damage and stimulating new collagen to grow. You put it on at night. Simple moisturizer is not enough at this age, regular moisturizer does nothing for anti-aging...you need to alternate the Retin-A at night with a cream or serum that contains peptides like Olay Pro-X or Kinerase. Also, since you already have wrinkles, you might look into getting a chemical peel or laser work done, they both stimulate collagen growth. Light botox is good for the forehead or crows feet if you need it, also Restalyne or Juvederm in the side of the mouth lines if you need it. Good luck and I hope I have helped!
We live much more stressful lives than our parents with lots more opportunity to sleep less and, yes, environment plays a factor too. I started using Sensaria's products nine years ago now and my skin looks better and younger than back then. Don't even think about Botox yet, at least if you are going to, check out Sensaria as we have what we can 'natural without the needles botox'.and the products are for the whole family, even your husband will like them and the kids can use them.
Love yourself some more and I so agree with the answers that have said maybe you're just having more fun:o)
www.sensaria.com/J./
Hi Tia,
You're probably experiencing what we call accelerated bursts of aging. It usually happens some time in our 30s or 40s, when we look in the mirror and all of a sudden, we see something that wasn't there before! We start to see lines, or skin beginning to sag, or bags under our eyes.
I would love to offer you a free demo of the Galvanic Spa - a patented hand-held device that diminishes wrinkles and tightens the skin in a 5 minute treatment, while detoxifying the skin. The technology, called ageLOC, targets aging at the source. We partnered with Purdue University to be able to stop the enzyme that causes the accelerated bursts of aging (the enzyme is called ARnox or age-related nox.) The demo is with no obligation to buy anything; I just want you to experience it.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I'd love to help you. You can email me at ____@____.com or call me at ###-###-####.
I am a couple of years older than you (OK, four years!) and back when I was spending my childhood at the beach and we NEVER used sunscreen. As another poster said...Botox in moderation works wonders and doesn't give the frozen face.
See a dermatologist,you don't have to go for the Botox I wouldn't either the can recommend a facial cleanser,moisturizer,anti-aging skin creams
