When did you start noticing

[monarch64]

Wrinkles? I''m 29, and about 1.5 years ago I really started to notice fine lines around my eyes, sort of not so fine lines (about 3 horizontally) in my forehead, and tonight I was trying this Physician''s Formula loose powder I picked up for like $2 on sale at the drugstore and noticed it really accentuated any fine lines on my cheeks when I smiled in the mirror! Is this the beginning of the downward spiral? Argh. I guess I wasn''t expecting to see this type of thing until I was in my early to mid thirties...I got my first gray hair at 23, noticed it getting ready for my first post-college job interview, and I sort of freaked out about that. Maybe I''m just going to be one of those gals who ages less than gracefully? I exfoliate every day and use a moisturizer, as well as a humidifier all night while I sleep...I know I did some damage to my skin in my teens and early twenties with sun exposure, but seriously, I never thought I would be 29 and thinking about anti-wrinkle creams!

Please share--any advice or commiseration is welcome!

 

[Mara]

i never notice wrinkles. sometimes i wonder if i stared at my face closely if i'd find a bunch but i figure better not to know. haha. i am pretty good about moisturizing my skin, i like to switch it up and try different things, sometimes i wear a night cream for anti-wrinkle, sometimes i try other random eye creams or serums...and just figure that we'll see how things go. i think a lot of times you don't really know what is working til you start to age. also i have heard that good genes are important as well. my mom has the best skin .... i honestly would be jazzed to age as well as she has...so keeping fingers crossed!

 

[TravelingGal]

I''m 34 and I am just starting to notice some fine lines in my upper cheeks. Other than that, not much. You know they say "black don''t crack?" Asians are not as blessed, but "yellow just mellows." Hehehe. One thing I say about asian women is that we look good...

we look good...

we look good...

then...

BAM!

Overnight we are hunched back, prune-faced little ladies with a gray bun!

 

[diamondfan]

Well, at 41 I am thankfully grey hair-less and mostly wrinkle free. I do not and have never smoked which helps, and I use facial sunscreen most days if I am not being lazy...(my favorite item right now is the Laura Mercier oil free tinted moisturizer spf 20, combines three things in one and actually gived a great coverage, easy to pack too!)..anyway, I have a couple concerns for down the line, crows feet and those furrow in the forehead lines (and do not tell me to Botox it reallly freaks me out right now!) I am not doing too bad, and I still even get asked for id sometimes (when I have on no make up and my hair is back, usually) but since I do not smoke or sun bathe, I try to wear sunglasses so I won't squint a lot, and I wear a hat if I will really be hanging out in the sun for hours...and I try to use good products, hopefully it will be okay. I would try to find a regime that you like, that is simple, and whose products work well for you, and get into the habit of taking care of your skin. Sadly, I do think some of it is really hereditary, how does your mom look and the genes you were born with...my friend in high school went grey at 16 (totally grey) and had to color her hair every couple weeks to hide it. It was something that happened to the women in her family for some reason...

 

[monarch64]

Mara, maybe my best bet is not to get so damn close to the mirror...

TG, you are just hilarious. I am totally cheered up now!

DF, my mom has great skin! She''s 64 and looks 54, but for a head of natural white, thick, beautiful hair in one of those stacked in the back and longer in the front bobs. She''s really gorgeous (did pageants in her younger years)...but she also is part Norwegian and has very pale, yet still-glowing, younger looking skin for her age. My father, OTOH, is part native American and doesn''t have the same anti-aging qualities with his skin. I think I inherited more of his genes than hers in that department, sad to say.

TG, what do they say about red skins? Cause I think I fall more into that category!

All: am I maybe just having some sort of "about to turn 30" life crisis? Jeez. I don''t even have kids yet, God knows what that will do to me.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 1/25/2007 1:58:53 AM
Author: monarch64

TG, what do they say about red skins? Cause I think I fall more into that category!

Hm, I don''t know. Red don''t shed?

Red don''t spread (maybe useful for the buttock area?)

Red''s ahead? (of mellow yellow?)

Yeah yeah, I know. TG is kooky.

 

[TravelingGal]

a ha...got one...

Don''t dread with red.

 

[diamondfan]

TG, you are cracking meup...

Monnie, also hydrate by drinking water, but do not overdo, some woman died last week drinking two gallons of water in too short a time (how weird is that?)

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 1/25/2007 2:18:29 AM
Author: diamondfan
TG, you are cracking meup...

Monnie, also hydrate by drinking water, but do not overdo, some woman died last week drinking two gallons of water in too short a time (how weird is that?)

I heard that story, I think Diamondfan. It was for charity and it was a contest...how much they could drink without going to the bathroom. It was toxic for her or something...

 

[diamondfan]

she was trying to win a Nintendo Wii for her three kids, and supposedly too much water too quickly is toxic, causes organ failure (kidneys) and brain swelling, how great. When alcohol was banned from fraternity rush (yeah I am sure they all listened) some kids were being made to consume huge quantities of water and a few died. If you are not replacing needed fluids, and just keep drinking, esp. if you hold it in, well, not good. Just as too little is bad, so again is too much...what a sad and senseless thing.

 

[TravelingGal]

I didn''t know about the wii thing (no pun intended). How sad for her kids.

 

[galeteia]

Date: 1/25/2007 2:24:37 AM
Author: diamondfan
she was trying to win a Nintendo Wii for her three kids, and supposedly too much water too quickly is toxic, causes organ failure (kidneys) and brain swelling, how great. When alcohol was banned from fraternity rush (yeah I am sure they all listened) some kids were being made to consume huge quantities of water and a few died. If you are not replacing needed fluids, and just keep drinking, esp. if you hold it in, well, not good. Just as too little is bad, so again is too much...what a sad and senseless thing.

Her poor children! That is a terrible thing to have happened!

I remember when all the hubbub went on about people dying from water poisoning while on E because they were trying to avoid dehydration. Ugh.

How must her children feel, knowing she was trying to do something for them (however foolish it might have been)? That is so tragic.

 

[bookworm21]

LOL, TG, so true about the Asian woman thing. (I''m Asian too.)

As for wrinkles, Monarch, don''t feel bad. I just turned 26, and I started noticing a smile line forming on the left side of my face two years ago. It''s deepened the past couple of years. I have fine lines under my eyes, but my esthetician said it''s the shape of my eyes that are causing them, not age.

I''m super paranoid about getting wrinkles, so I have a nightly skin regiment that I follow religiously. Murad has this great product, Anti-Aging Acne Treatment, and it works really well. I had stopped using it for a while, because my skin got really sensitive at one point, and when I started using it again, I really noticed a difference in the resiliency of my skin. Worth it, in my opinion. I also use it on my neck, applied right before my moisturizer. I don''t want lines on my neck either. But definitely try the Murad AntiAging treatment. You don''t even need it to treat acne, just use it to prevent aging. It''s never too young to think about anti-wrinkle creams. It''s easier to prevent than to reverse. I also use a nighttime eye cream, also Murad, but I''m not quite sure if I like that. I don''t think it''s moisturizing enough. I really liked Shiseido Benefiance, but it was a bit heavy.

My morning cleanser is Murad Vitamin C cleanser. It''s really gentle, and supposedly has anti-oxidants in it to counteract the smog and pollution in every day life. I also drink a lot of water in between alcoholic drinks when I do drink. I also don''t smoke, because that breaks down collagen in your skin the moment you take a puff.

My foundation, Bare Minerals, has SPF 15 built into it. On sunny days, or when I know I''m going to be outdoors a lot, I also use an SPF 30 sunscreen under my foundation.

I still tan when I get the chance (bad, I know!), but I always alway always cover my face with my sarong or a T-shirt or something. I figure I''ll be even anyway, since my face and neck see the sun more so than the rest of my body.

I''ve read that exfoliating everyday isn''t necessarily the best thing for your skin though. Once or twice a week is supposed to be ideal for it, but I''m no expert, it''s just something I read, so please take that with a grain of salt.

Another thing, when applying eye cream, pat it on, don''t rub it in. The skin around the eyes is really thin and can stretch really easily, which causes wrinkles.

One last thing: I HAVE AGE SPOTS ON MY RIGHT CHEEK!!!! They are NOT freckles. And they aren''t going away. I''m considering using a skin lightening treatment; Shiseido supposedly has a good one.

On a positive note though, some people still mistaken me for 21/22. And at Walgreen''s they IDed me when I bought a package of NyQuil. So maybe I can still pass for 18!!! YAY!!!

Okay, that''s all I can think of for now. I''ll add some more when I think of more. Hope this helps.

 

[TravelingGal]

Wow, those are some cool recs Cinderella...

Well, I am ashamed to admit this....but...I use no cleansing products on a regular basis.

Not for lack of trying, but I found them drying, and some would actually make my skin worse. Same with lotions, although I try to remember to hydrate more often in the winter. My cousin works for dermologica and give me all kinds of stuff, much of which just kind of sits there.

I wash my face with water (from a faucet filter that hasn't been checked for germs and icky things, btw...hehehe) and hydrate when I remember. People have asked me what I use, and I am always embarrassed to say, uh...er, nothing. My mother hates that I don't use stuff and is always giving me some asian anti-aging stuff. I tell her that her skin looks great and she says it's because she takes care of it. However, my hunch is that it's her genes.

I DO use sunscreen...er...when I remember.

 

[Beacon]

Hmmm - 29 still looks very young to me! I think you might be having a pre 30 freak out moment.

Once again , Diamond Fan is ME, but with a different avatar. I am amazed.

Anyhow, she gives good advice. Buy an excellent sunscreen and use it every single day, even if you are inside and it is raining. Forget those cheap powders - "crusty and dusty" is not the way to go. Pay up for the good stuff or just stick to the sunscreen. If you smoke, quit. Don''t drink much alcohol if you can help it. Get a great pair of sunglasses that cover a lot of your face and wear them anytime you are outside and especially when you are driving.

Buy a good B supplement and take that and see if it helps your hair. Some premature grey is said to come from shortage of B vits. Visit your stress level, you may be stressing yourself into aging. It can happen. My husband had a few grey hairs when we got married - he was 26. After a few months I saw something so unbelieveable I really could not believe it. Some of those grey hairs had turned black at the root and were still grey at the end. It was going grey in reverse! I cut it off to show him cause I was totally stunned. I think he had grey hairs cause his diet was really bad before we got married and he was such a stress case.

You are still young and you can take action

DF - last night I read the product disclosure on Botox which was in my House Beautiful magazine. After that I would seriously think twice before botox, so I think you are making a good decision.

 

[bookworm21]

Just remembered something else: your hands really show your age too, because the skin is so thin. Make sure you also take care of your hands. I just recently bought an anti-aging hand cream that I use at night from Bath and Body Works. I''ve been using it for about a week, and it does make a difference in how my hands look. I don''t know by how much, because I didn''t think to take any before pics, but I''m pretty happy with the results so far. The lotion contains alpha hydroxy acids, and it will make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so I only use it at night and use my regular lotion during the day. it doesn''t smell that great when you initially put it on, but the smell fades away, and my bf never complained about it, so I might just be really sensitive to the scent.

Okay, it''s off to do my Pilates Yoga blend workout now. Better late than never.

 

[diamondfan]

I told you we were twins Beacon!

The hand thing is vital too! Remember the commercial for the dish soap where they showed the mom and daugther''s hands and were trying to prove the soap made the mom''s hands look so young you could not tell them apart?!

I try to use gloves if I will be in a lot of water, and sunscreen with SPF for day, and then cuticle cream and hand cream with lighteners in it for pm. I have those ick spots on my hands (really obvious when taking ring picks and posting them here! I do not think my hands look that bad IRL)...I might look into one of those cool touch lasers to get the marks off of my hands, might be worth looking into for the facial area too, supposed to be pretty effective and painless, but I do not know the cost...

I totally agree it is better to prevent than to fix later on...

 

[Ellen]

I think to an extent, gray hair and wrinkles are just in your genes. I absolutely cooked myself in the sun when younger (shudder), drink ocassionally, and smoke. I''m 47 and have some fine wrinkles, but nothing horrific. I am never guessed at my real age. I was in a jewelry shop not too long ago looking at rings while waiting for mine. Some lady asked me if I was getting engaged. I busted out laughing and told her hardly, that my 25th anniversary was coming up. She told me I didn''t even look old enough for that.

I could''ve kissed her.

My hair started turning maybe 8 or 9 years ago, but it was not really noticable until about 3 years ago, and then not even that bad. But I started coloring it before it did, as I''ve seen some friends and SIL''s go from gray to not and it''s obvious they started coloring. I''ve found a color so close to mine, and started early enough that very few people know I color.

My mom is almost 81, and looks fantastic for her age, and she smoked for years, but quit long ago. So I''m thinking I just inherited it.

 

[asscherisme]

35

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Not sure if anyone''s said this yet but make sure you drink LOTS of water. Not gallons, but more than the 8 glasses doctors tell you to drink per day. When your skin gets dehydrated the fine lines show more. Oh, and I''m 26 and I already have lines under my eyes and on my forehead so you''re not alone.

 

[ellaila]

Just recently

I''m 35. Just a few lines under my eyes and -- what drives me nuts! - PUFFINESS under my eyes. AGGH!

My grandmother''s hair turned white when she was in her 20s. I started getting grays when I was a teenager, so I just say "Thanks, Nana" each time I get my hair colored! I tell my hubby that I''m going to just stop coloring one of these days and be a "silver fox"

Right now I''m using Philosophy Purity as a face cleanser, and I love it. Philosophy microdelivery mini-facial (something like that) pads when I remember to use them, Kiehl''s moisturizer w/sunscreen everyday, and Oil of Olay night cream. I just bought a new eye cream yesterday actually - Clinique All About Eyes, b/c it got good reviews - so here''s hoping! Jeez, sounds like quite a process when I write it all out! But really it takes two seconds.

 

[KimberlyH]

Monnie,

If memory serves you are a smoker. One of the most amazing things that changes when one quites is the appearance of skin. I look 5 years younger than I did at 27 because I quit. This is absolutely not intended to offend you, it''s just an unfortunate fact that smoking ages people quickly.

They just came out with a study that special moisturizers are not worth the money, use a basic brand (Oil of Olay is truly my best friend!) that has an SPF level of at least 15 and just make sure to moisturize twice a day.

So sorry for the frustration! I have some age spots that make me so sad (I''m a fair skinned Irish girl) and are difficult to cover with make up (one on my cheek and one on my right eyelid) but the wrinkles haven''t set in yet. I started finding grey hairs at 18.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I''m not a smoker but my mom didn''t believe in hats or sunscreen when I was a kid. Hey, it was the 80''s.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/25/2007 10:52:24 AM
Author: KimberlyH
Monnie,

If memory serves you are a smoker. One of the most amazing things that changes when one quites is the appearance of skin. I look 5 years younger than I did at 27 because I quit. This is absolutely not intended to offend you, it''s just an unfortunate fact that smoking ages people quickly.

They just came out with a study that special moisturizers are not worth the money, use a basic brand (Oil of Olay is truly my best friend!) that has an SPF level of at least 15 and just make sure to moisturize twice a day.

So sorry for the frustration! I have some age spots that make me so sad (I''m a fair skinned Irish girl) and are difficult to cover with make up (one on my cheek and one on my right eyelid) but the wrinkles haven''t set in yet. I started finding grey hairs at 18.

Ditto Kim! That is one of the huge benefits I notice, my skin looks plumper and fresher and feels softer.

 

[Miranda]

I''m 31, 32 in May, and I''ve had little eye lines for about 2 years. They are very small if I drink enough water and they are DEEP if I drink too much caffine especially Diet Coke. My dad was completely grey at 25. Fortunately, I started a little later with a little grey in the front at 27. I thought, Wow as I get older, my hair gets lighter..............I guess it''s my bimbo blonde because it took me a while to figure out it was grey.

My grey hair is totally stress related like Beacon''s DH. I notice when I go through something stressfull my hair turns grey. A month later it will be grey with dark blonde roots. I''m gonna try extra B because my hair has been looking bad lately. Anyway, back to the wrinkles, During the past few weeks I''ve noticed more shadowing in the lines around my mouth.....GASP.......I don''t know what to do. I drink lots of water, exfoliate, moisturize, wear sunscreen. I''m not sure what is causing them. The only thing I can think of is that my kids make me smile or laugh all day long...Maybe we''re just to silly.

 

[Mara]

I thought about that too Kimberly..Monarch I know you have made noises in the past about wanting to quit, maybe this is a really good reason!!! What if it takes 10 years off? Literally!?!

 

[VegasAngel]

Knock on wood no lines or winkles here, yet. I like to think it is because my foundation has sunscreen which helps. I am only 27 though so ask me again in a few years. What I do have an overabundance of & have since i was 18 is grey hairs. I used to try and pluck a few here and there but there are too many now. I remember when I was maybe 20 in 2 weeks time had five people mention something about my greys or telling me to stand still so they could pluck them out.

 

[Beacon]

I notice there are a couple references to skin lighteners on this thread. Be cautious here if you are using a product containing hydroquinone, a common skin lightener. Hq has been banning in Europe and there is a proposal w/ FDA to ban it in the US as a carcinogen. This is meeting with big resistance from the US dermatologists who use it a lot.

I guess we''ll all have to make our own choice, but wanted to point this out.

 

[ebonykawai]

I just turned 41 two weeks ago and I think I noticed ''the sag'' before I really noticed wrinkles. I''m not a sun person at all, so all I have so far are the real fine lines under my eyes. But I''ve noticed that darn sagging in my face about 4 years ago. I hate it.

Has anyone tried Athena 7-minute Lift? It looks amazing.

 

[monarch64]

Yes, unfortunately I am a smoker. And I definitely understand that one of the many negatives of this habit is premature aging...I do have a quit date planned and am working on my smoking cessation plan at this time so I can have as good a chance possible to successfully quit this time around. I probably quit smoking about twice a week currently...I can honestly make it almost 72 hours before I feel like I want to crawl out of my skin, which is why I''m working on the cessation plan and trying to figure out coping skills and find the right nicotine replacement for that 72 hr. freak out. The nicotine gum has not worked for me in the past. Anyway, I am not offended by anyone bringing that up...

I definitely notice that my skin looks worse on days when I don''t get enough water, or the day after having more than 1-2 drinks! I really do try to drink plenty of water, that''s basically my beverage of choice anyway, aside from the occasional cup of coffee or Coke.

I just read somewhere also that you should avoid sleeping on your face (like the prone or fetal positions) as this can contribute to wrinkles developing faster. I am a fetal position sleeper, unfortunately, so I guess I''m going to have to figure out how to sleep on my back now, lol! But that''s sort of a dilemma: do I lose optimum sleep because I am not in my most comfortable position and age myself that way, or do I continue creasing my face by having it smushed into the pillow? OMG I really need to get a grip here!

So...today I made sure to get my required intake of water (64+ oz.), didn''t smoke at all (yay!), and I PATTED on my anti-wrinkle eye cream before getting into bed, where I will try my darndest to sleep on my back and not smush my face all night!