I’m in my mid-30s, and my skin is showing signs of becoming more…delicate. I like the word “delicate” here, rather than the word “crepey.”
I don’t lose weight as easily or as quickly as I used to. And when I do lose weight, my skin is saggy rather than springing back immediately.
I made fun of a slang expression by acting as if I didn’t understand what it meant. This immediately reminded me of my grandfather pretending to think the word “cool” was meant literally. Har har, old person.
Lip hair. A couple of chin hairs. Nose hair seeming more intrusive. I’m still holding out for these being a pregnancy/nursing side-effect, but I’m losing hope. The worst is a couple of long freaky white hairs that grow in the area between my eyebrow and my hairline—and I usually don’t find them until they are more than an inch long. *Shudder* I think, “Oh, hey, I have a cat hair on my face,” and I brush it away and it does not brush away.
Upper arms are looking more matronly. Also, recently they’ve gotten redder? What is THAT about?
My mom and I were discussing another family, and gradually we became aware that the grandmother in that family was not, in fact, my mother’s peer as we’d been assuming while talking, but in fact only about 10 years older than me. A grandmother! Ten years older than me!
The Girls prefer increasingly wide/padded straps.
I see more veins in my legs. A few of them are varicose. I try not to think about it.
I see more little tiny veins on the sides of my FEET, like a pattern of reddish-purple lines. This is something I associate with my grandmother’s old-lady feet, and so I find it upsetting.
My default term for teenagers is “kids.” If I try to correct it, I come out with the even-worse term “young people.” YOUNG PEOPLE.
The skin on my face seems to be shifting downward. Just a little. But enough so I’ve started giving myself wrinkles from peering at it in the mirror.
My hands look older. More veiny, more wrinkled. Rougher, even with lotion.
I keep turning on lights for people who say they can see just fine. I remember my grandparents doing the same for me.
Is my hairline receding? Maybe just a little at the temples?
Ha! I’ve decided to pretend to not care and instead look forward to the time when I can spend my days whiling away the time at bookstores and movie theaters. Because that’s my old-age plan. :)
1000 miles indeed!
My mom has the beginnings of arthritis in her beautiful hands. One joint of her pinky is crooked. And for the first time, instead of being all “Oh that’s too bad,” I realized that this is going to happen to me, too.
Also, I keep telling my children (and the neighborhood children!) to put on a coat/sweater/hat because I’m cold. Whatever, Granny.
I JUST turned 34 and yes. yes. yes. I think my hair is THINNING. At my natural part, it seems there is just less there. GAWD.
I also have a tiny vein on one thigh. I don’t know if it’s varicose and I’m afraid to wikipedia it to find out.
My favorite part is where you said “Young People.”
I’m 28 and I call teenagers “kids” too.
Oh, God, I know.
How can we be talking about baby *digestive* issues one post and then THIS the next?
I was horrified (HORRIFIED, I’m telling you) to see crepey skin on my breast. The very same breast on which my child was NURSING.
That is just SO wrong.
I’m 23 and bitch about all the “damn college kids” in our neighborhood. Then I remember that I am one myself… lol
Tell me about it. I’ve been going gray since I was 25. Now that I’m 30 I find new things every day.
I hear you. The red upper arms–boy, do I have that, and BOY, do I HATE IT. I’ve started working out and actually have arms to be proud of for the first time in a LONG time, but I’d die before I’d wear a sleeveless shirt (short sleeves show enough). If you figure out the cure for that one, let me know!
My biggest issue right now? The fact that my neck looks like plucked turkey skin. It doesn’t sag (*knock on wood*) yet, but it’s very, umm…porous.
I have two chin hairs that I forget about until they are staring everybody in the face at an inch long. I’m not used to this stuff yet, man.
They appeared AFTER I stopped breastfeeding.
We’re our own worst critics. I look in the mirror and finally understand what the commercials are talking about when they say ‘fine lines’. I see new grey hairs. I get swollen joints.
Then I got ID’d when I wanted to buy a bloomin’ R-rated movie… Ok, so the cashier looked about 90 and probably needs a new glasses prescription, but still… She made my day.
I’ve got the red arms, too! It kind of looks pimply, but smaller than pimples and ALL OVER. I was thinking/hoping it could be the Bath & Body Works soap I’ve been using… No? I’m just old?
I also have a mole on my face that has a hair growing out of it. AND dark hairs mysteriously grow out of my neck that I don’t always catch before they’re pretty long. Disgusting.
Am I getting mole-ier? Is that possible? Pretty soon I’m going to be one big mole…with a hair sticking out of me.
This post is timely!
As I was plucking a shockingly long, dark chin hair out, while sitting in traffic the other day, I wondered if I was the only 30-something I know with random hairs, thinning hair, spider veins, weight that sticks despite at least a little effort to get it off, slowly rising cholesterol, etc. What ever happened to the days of being toothpick thin despite eating a batch (or two) of homemade cookies once a week and a dessert after every meal? Why am I now overcome with guilt when I bake a cake or cookies or go for a second helping of food? Because my body has begun to betray me, that’s why!
I’ve been wondering if I’m too young to be going starting this or if most women my age also think this – but don’t talk about it outloud!
Ahhh, to be a college “kid” again!!!
I know! It sucks!
I’m 50 and it just gets worse and worse.
Guess what I did the other night? Soaked my sore feet. IN EPSOM SALTS!
i’ve had the red upper arms all my life. i just pretend it doesn’t exist, now.
i’m TERRIFIED of my hair thinning. it’s so thin already, if it thins out AT ALL i will be going BALD.
The skin stretching after weight loss thing is actually one of my SERIOUS MOTIVATIONS to lose the rest of the weight NOW, while I’m 24. Because otherwise it will hang like a sack by the time I hit my goal weight.
You had me at more veins on my feet; what is up with that?
We have joined the Sisterhood of the Traveling Veins, apparently.
SOB.
When I got my cup of tea from the drivethru this morning I was upset that this KID called me “dear”. She must have been 10 years younger than me. Then it occurred to me “OMG, kids who are 10 years younger than me are holding full time jobs!!”
Uh. Now that I think about it, I’ve got all that going on too. Sigh. I didn’t know anyone else got those weird white hairs on their forehead though!
Ugh aging. I’m 38 and this last year I managed to mildly tear my rotator cuff while playing Wii (embarrassing AND painful) and it’s taking forever to get better even with PT. Also now I have both wrinkles and the occasional zit. Damn it. I’m not old enough to just say “to hell with it” and run around like a crazy old woman and not young enough to look decent without effort. Sucks.
The red arm skin is actually a dermatologic thing and can be cured. I make my husband (who has the red arm/bumpy pimple-like combo) scrub with Neutrogena liquid soap (the kind with salicylic acid in it) in the shower. Normal arms appeared after a month or so. My sister-in-law uses some prescription cream on hers.
I looked in the mirror and noticed some changes the other day. Stuff like blotchiness that’s harder to cover with make-up. The weight from this second pregnancy is definitely harder to lose compared to my first.
And I feel the weight of wisdom/experience that comes with age. It is hard to watch YOUNG PEOPLE make the same mistakes I made and not scream, “NO! I made those mistakes! Don’t do it like that! Do it like THIS!”
But! Some young, chiseled-face waiter CARDED me the other night. And yes, I know he just wanted a good tip, but it was a nice ego boost.
Most of what you said, but also, all of a sudden and inexplicably, I’m finding construction workers attractive. What is THAT???
Yesterday I saw a girl wearing a bra with those clear plasticky straps and I wondered how that didn’t cut into her shoulders. Then I realized that her boobs aren’t heavy and old like mine. And it bothered me that I could see her bra-strap. Kids these days!
sorry, sweetie. but it’s really all downhill from here ;-)
I just turned 33 in May and I think that if I’m really quiet I can almost hear myself getting fatter as my metabolism slows.
“Kids” are anyone younger than me. You’re 32? You’re a kid. Music that I used to love (TOOL) is now too loud. If I go out and stay up until the wee hours of the morning it takes me two nights of twelve hour sleep to recover.
I don’t feel old though, so I guess that’s saying something.
Youth is totally wasted on the young. Damn kids!
The red arms sounds like keratosis Pilaris…and yeah, there is no cure. But you can spend lots and lots of time buffing them with exfoliating products and then slather on fake tanning lotion…makes them look better at least.
I was about to feel all sorry for you and stuff but then I remembered how incredibly YOUNG you look, especially for having FIVE kids. Stop this crazy business, dahling you look mah-va-lous.
And yes I am totally watching those pesky veins that threaten to go all vericose on me too. Jerks.
Since you’ve blessed us with pictures, I can assure you that you’re lovely, and you can be assured that I’m not lying to you.
Although I did stifle a laugh about the cat hairs. I find freaky long hairs on my arms sometimes. Like the hair on my head, except, no, it’s growing out of my arm. So I think I’m shedding. And I’m so not.
I have that spotted red skin on my upper chest that my grandmother had. I slather on the SPF now but not till my late 20s did I really get on the ball.
I was fine with fine laugh and smile lines because hey I’m HAPPY, smiling, laughing! But now I have fine vertical lines between my eyebrows, the frowny, scowling kind. NOT SO FINE with those.
I am going to pretend I never read this and continue to believe that I look exactly the same as I looked when I was 18, whether that is true or not. Except I had visible veins everywhere when I was 18, so maybe I have just always looked old.
depressing
Um, I am not even quite TWENTY FOUR and my stylist informed me the other day that I have “quite a few white hairs- did I know that?” HELL YES I know. Good Lord, that’s like saying, “Hey, do you know your thighs are disproportionately large for your body size?” CHECK.
I was at the dentist the other day because I’ve been having jaw pain. The assistant asked me how old I was and I told her 28, and she replied with “Yup, almost 30, that’s when stuff starts showing up.”
What’s that suppose to mean!!!!
And thanks for the warning that it’s only going to get worse.
*sigh*
Young people. HEE.
Ha. My daughter just noticed my white hairs, finally, today. They’ve been there a long time.
sigh.
You’re starting to scare me here. Although I think my “don’t look too closely” strategy has been working pretty well so far.
And I do a random hair check every morning, yet when I discover a hair, it’s always long. I swear they sneak out at night when I’m sleeping!
I definitely have old lady hands, way before my rightful time. At least it’s way before my rightful time in my opinion…. The worst is the weird turkey skin effect when my skin is pushed together. It happens on the inside of my forearms, of all places.
Oy, I know what you mean about the crepey skin thing. Damn! I have chin hairs, too, and my face seems to be a little south of where it used to be.
Teenagers, and in fact anyone under 25, are kids. Actually, anyone under, say, 15, is a baby, as in when I see them on the news for any reason, it’s ‘poor baby’ had a car accident or whatever.
And those damn whippersnappers ride their confounded skate machines down the middle of our street shouting their foul language and thinking about getting on my LAWWWNNNN (oops, lost my dentures…)
Would this be a good time to say thank you (oh and hi, love reading you!) for recommending the Night of Olay cream? Because hey, don’t forget that you still have lovely youthful skin! Now I just need to find something that works as well for the ENTIRE body as that stuff.
I’m almost 30 and find myself getting especially grumbly with the “young people”, even though I remember being annoyed in my teens-early 20s when it seemed women in their 30s naturally disliked me. I won’t even get into all the weird aging body issues I’m going through, but I hear ya.
I see we’re the same age. I try not to notice, but it’s becoming increasingly hard. Last week, I was in a bathroom in NYC with shockingly good lighting and the state of my vein-y legs was surprising to me. Couldn’t wait to get back home to my “soft light” bathroom.
I’m going to keep working out LIKE CRAZY….(I am older than you…) I have all the vein-y stuff going on, and I’m *considering* having some sclerotherapy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sclerotherapy) but I’m scared and wimpy about optional treatments involving needles or any pain!
However, I am FIGHTING the matronly arm thing (and not doing too badly if I do say so myself) by lifting weights (I’m really strong now!), doing push-ups, and aerobics! (I like to work out though so it’s fun for me. I’m one of those crazy types.)
Working out is inexpensive, and does help in the fight against aging. (Yea, I know… I’ll shut up now!)
I am 35 and I can relate to each of those items. Even though I feel like I am more comfortable in my skin at 35 than I was at 35 and I actually look better- better hair, more stylish, nicer clothes I still feel age creeping in. I work for a bank and I have a lot of customer contact. When I commented to a high school girl the other day that I was twice her age she said “wow! I thought you were like 26!!” Which really meant she thought I was 30 but I will TAKE IT!! The cliche age is just a number is oh so true. I look good, I feel good, I color my hair and use moisturizer and under eye concealer and am a big ole fraud but I don’t care! It’s all good.
Just found you through Playgroups Are No Place for Children…
I hear ya! I’m 38 and the other day when I caught a glimpse of my furrowed in the rearview mirror, I nearly died! Who was that grumpy old woman in the car with me!?
Ack!
just recently found your blog and have really been enjoying it. love this post. i’m 33- almost 34- and i found my first age spot on my hand the other day while also spying 3 gray hairs at my temple. i have these crazy hairs that grow out of my chin that my husband will yank for me when he sees them. and my husband asked me the other day “does calling all the young kids driving their cars ‘PUNKS’ sound like an old man?” :)
I’m worried about approaching 30. It’s a few years off, but I notice the aging already. Luckily no white/grey hairs yet. But the chin hair…I get. (Although my sweet MIL pointed out that it didn’t start until after I was pregnant, so I’m hoping it was that. Too bad I still have the problem. Now I understand how my mom could stand in front of the mirror for 1/2 with the tweezers on her face.)