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71 Bodily Changes That Women Only Started Experiencing In Their 30s And 40s
The pressure for women to age gracefully distorts how society views middle-aged women. On one hand, women in their 40s are bombarded with de-aging products and expectations to stay youthful. On the other hand, they experience natural physiological changes that come with aging. The contrast is tough to navigate.
Recently, some Reddit threads on r/AskWomenOver30 and r/AskWomen asked middle-aged women to share their experiences and perspectives on aging. Hundreds of answers flooded in, bringing some clarity to bodily and psychological changes. Some offered great advice and encouraged others to take better care of themselves before it gets tougher, while others introduced unexpected transformations to the conversation.
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#1
Gravity is cruel and my body has betrayed me in my early 40s. A random man hair tries to grow on my chin and I even found a white one on my cheek. Weight gain goes to my gut now instead of my backside. My stomach does not like cheese anymore and it backs me up when I eat it. Whoever came up with the phrase "aging gracefully"?
सूफ़ीया ज़मीर 12 hours ago
I started from 200 lbs a few months ago. It's going really slow (mainly due to lack of consistency) but I've lost 12 or so lbs. I'm 43. There's a place on my thigh where the fat has gone but the skin hasn't shrunk so when I press it the skin sort of sinks in and just stays there. I don't think I have my head screwed on right though because I find this absolutely hilarious and just keep pressing it for fun 🤣
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#2
My hair used to be like a nice tawny brown, and poker straight. Now I’m 39 and it’s turning wavy and it’s very dark brown, almost black. I’m also getting grey hair but only on the sides of my head by my temples. My hair is long so I’m basically becoming the Bride of Frankenstein and I’m here for it.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 8 hours ago
My hair was light blonde when I was a kid, a sort of light apricot-blonde. I always hoped it'd turn red or strawberry blonde when I got older, as I'd been told my biological father had red hair, but instead my hair became a lovely golden color when I was in my teens and 20s. Now I'm 44, and my hair is this weird dishwater blonde color that doesn't really have a specific term/word for it XD See pic in comment below of Baby Lakota (on the left) and Old Lakota on the right re-creating the same pose 40 years later XD
Aging is a natural part of everyone’s life. And it doesn’t just hit you in your 30s, although sometimes it may feel that way. It starts the moment you’re conceived, but the process looks different for everyone. Genes, environment, and lifestyle all shape how you feel as you age.
For women, aging is often a tough road to traverse. Psychologist Amber Wardell, Ph.D., says societal norms may push to preserve a youthful appearance, while bodily changes point toward a new chapter. Expectations can create a disconnect between what a woman sees in the mirror and how she feels inside. It can get disorienting or upsetting.
As a result, many middle-aged women invest in expensive, time-consuming procedures, skincare routines, and try to fit into clothes that no longer suit them. Most still feel young and vibrant internally, so the need to hide external signs of aging grows stronger to better align the mind and body.
#3
My ribcage expanded with pregnancy, to the point where some clothes no longer fit even after I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I expected my hips to get wider, but not my ribcage.
#4
My feet grew a shoe size, adult acne, wrinkly knees.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 8 hours ago
My mom is 82 years old and is constantly freaking out about her wrinkly knees. She can't handle having wrinkly knees at all and won't wear shorts, even when it's 90F/32C outside. She keeps trying to find a plastic surgeon who will do a ... knee lift? knee skin tightening? so that she doesn't have wrinkly knees any more. Obviously, no one will operate on her any more at her age. I've been trying to tell her for years that absolutely no one else is looking at her knees nor cares about her knees, but she's fixated XD
#5
My skin has started growing stuff that I'm not happy about. On the plus side though, my libido took a dip in my early 30s and is now ROARING at 37.
Wardell names shifting the narrative and focusing on the inner self as key to thriving in your 40s. First, don’t give in to the anti-aging industry. The industry is built to reinforce toxic societal norms and profit from it. View aging as a natural part of life. There is nothing wrong with seeing a mismatch between the inner and outer self. Your body will change, but your psychological self can remain youthful as long as you desire.
The psychologist also advises separating oppressive gazes from self-worth. Objectification is a part of society’s toxic obsession with youth. Freeing from it with age is an opportunity to grow as a person.
#6
My periods are so much more intense, mentally and physically, after having children. They like, basically run my whole life now.
I don’t know if this was always the case or if I’m just noticing it now, but I feel like I’ve gotten grosser. Smellier, sloppier, just all around yucky. I fantasize about grooming myself and it feels good to do it in a way it didn’t when I was younger.
The skin on the bottom of my feet is so thick I have to debride it with razors mounted on debriding tools.
My hair is thinner and I’m balding.
#7
Slowing metabolism and weight gain.
Even though this is well known fact as you age, I still wasn't prepared for how much a slower metabolism would impact my weight, and the need to make so many changes to my diet and exercise habits to maintain a lower weight. I think the consistency is the hardest part.
I joke with my younger cousins: "you know when you're like 22, and if you just eat healthy for one day, you're back to looking great? Well, in your 30s, it takes 3-4 days of that. And in your 40s? Well, you pretty much can't do a 'cheat meal' more than once a week"
It has been the most disappointing thing as I've aged. :(.
Giraffe Sitter 2 hours ago
I can’t even do a cheat snack. A couple of grams of saturated fat and I gain about a pound. It’s weird and awful.
#8
OH! Note to all: in my late 30s I started getting "hot flashes" after my evening meal. This was just dismissed as perimenopause.
Turns out IT WAS FOOD ALLERGIES.
I figured out through some blood testing that I developed allergies to innocuous seeming things. In addition to gluten, i'm allergic to potatoes, rice, most nuts, corn.
So in case you're wondering that's most starchy food.
After cutting those foods out as an experiment, not only did my GERD resolve but my "hot flashes" after eating are gone. In fact my whole body feels cooler ad more comfortable.
Do don't just assume weird body things are hormones, it could be allergies. Even GERD! I was on daily antacids for 10 years and I'm off them completely now.
Get vocal about the changes you experience with age. Speaking up will help normalize healthier attitudes and understanding of the aging process for yourself and other women. Foster a community with different outlooks and share experiences and opinions.
#9
My b***s grew a lot. So much that people comment on it.
Between the ages of 36-38, I went from a size 4 to a size 8 with no change in diet or exercise. Was always thin and now my body is curvy.
I always had super thick hair and it is still thick but WAY less thick. I'm guessing in about 10 years it'll be thin.
I have wrinkly/droopy skin on my legs. My legs were always my best asset and now I don't let anyone see them. My forearms and hands are getting this, too; next thing you know, I'll be fully cloaked in all seasons, lol.
My chin has become more square. I don't recognize myself sometimes.
Aging is so much funnnnn! I also have had body dysmorphic disorder since age 12, so I'm having a fantastic time. 😎.
D Stonewall 12 hours ago (edited)
Don't worry. After 50, you won't give a d**n what you body looks like. I'm 57 and the world gets me as I am. If the world doesn't like it, it can p**s off.
#10
I lost a lot of weight (80 lbs). I assumed that I'd be smaller, stronger, and more energetic. Instead, I was riddled with loose skin, fatigue, and physical insecurities.
A lot of days, I regret the weight loss because I was lucky enough to look good before the weight loss, and I even felt better physically/health wise before the weight loss. Now, I am weaker and more tired than before.
This isn't to discourage weight loss, I didn't lose it in a healthy manner. Illness, depression, and rapid loss were the cause of feeling worse.
Today, I have gained 20lbs back and have been seeking strength and energy training to maintain and gain back my healthy energy/strength. I don't feel like I look as good (thanks society 😅), but I certainly feel better physically.
#11
A mole has popped up on my nose. Not cancerous. My mom has it. My grandma had it. Every woman on my mom’s side of the family has it. I didn’t think I’d get it but one day I was looking in the mirror and there it was. I like it, gives my face a little more character.
George Costanza 3 hours ago
Fibrous papule of the nose (angiofibroma). Could also be a dermal nevus.
Therapist Carolyn Karoll, LCSW-C, CEDS-S, offers more helpful advice for women to embrace aging. She encourages adopting realistic role models that embody strength, wisdom, courage, or other values beyond physical appearance. Following someone you admire will provide motivation and create a more realistic view of aging. Especially if you avoid media images and instead find strength in family members and friends.
#12
My hips widened and have chronic pain, and make me look completely differently shaped. I weigh so much more than I used to, despite there not being much of a clothing size difference. I struggle to lose weight, even with consistency (in my 20s I could work out like twice a week and the pounds would just fall off, now they stubbornly refuse to budge). My skin on my face got oily. My hair gets oily much faster between washes than it used to. My beautiful bright red hair faded to a dull, flat brown. I can't tolerate excessive heat, and excessive cold isn't too great either.
#13
Yesterday at work, I had a few mouthfuls of pasta and onion in my salad from the staff canteen. I spent the afternoon going from my desk to the loo where I unleashed hell in a stall, and returning to my desk to pretend I was absolutely fine. Please tell me IBS-C is worse than IBS-D.
Weight goes to my stomach now and clings on for dear life.
The drooping of my hoods make my eyes look tiny, and exhausted.
I used to have a smiley upturn of my lips, now the corners of my mouth are closer to my nipples than my eyes.
My nipples are also lower than they were 10 years ago.
My back/rib cage is constantly growing wider. By the time I'm 60, I expect my silhouette to be a full-blown triangle.
ETA on the upside, I'm happier than I ever was as a tight, sprightly 18 years old.
#14
Adult allergies. i used to be invincible. now i have near-constant swollen turbinates, take a daily zyrtec, and need to have a fastidious cleaning regimen.
Karoll emphasizes self-care and self-compassion. Taking good care of an aging body can do wonders for physical well-being and also help close the gap between mind and body. Good starting points include stretching, meditating, and seeing your doctor regularly for checkups. Respond to your body’s physical needs. Even something as simple as applying lotion to drier skin helps embrace the change. Don’t blame your body for the natural processes of aging. Treat yourself with the same kindness and care that you would a friend.
#15
I am the heaviest but also the fittest I've ever been, my 20s were riddled with body dysmorphia and chronic pain from endo, my 30s I got a hysterectomy and my 40s a double mastectomy, and I feel almost as good now as I did as a child. My whole body was f****d from 20 years of chronic pain, and it's taken 10 years to rebuild, but now I can lift 100lbs easily, my core strength is solid. I ride horses twice a week now and have almost no daily pain.
I always suspected my 40s and 50s would be good but I was not prepared mentally for becoming an actual athlete, let alone a fat one. I'm even preparing for competition. The best part is despite the idea that over 200lbs is too fat to ride (it's not), my weight is actually an advantage with this type of riding (dressage). I have the weight and strength to physically manage my horse, help move their body with my own and support them through different movements by holding my body correctly. I ride big horses and feel like a warrior. I'm happier with my body than I've been in decades.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 hours ago
It's not just about 200+ lbs being "too fat to ride" on the human's part, one HAS to take the horse's health and comfort into the equation. The horse has to be large enough and healthy enough to carry the weight of the rider.
#16
Chin acne in my 30s. Just brutal.
also, my lower stomach is holding onto a little pouch no matter how much I workout. Could be from 2 babies too but also age for sure lol 😂.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 hours ago
I'm 44 and I still break out when I'm on my period! It's absolutely unfair, I tells ya XD
#17
How much sleep I get once I hit 40 is anyone's guess.
Some nights it's 4 hours, some it's 8, some it's 13. Regardless? I'm exhausted by midday. It's utterly absurd and annoying.
Clinical psychologist Julie Erickson, Ph.D., says adults can feel a myriad of negative emotions about growing older. Some get scared and anxious about becoming weaker, more vulnerable, and being less in control of their bodies. Some get embarrassed about the new limitations they face. Others get angry.
These emotions are normal for someone who’s experiencing involuntary changes, but physical challenges shouldn't drain meaning or fun from life. They may change how you live by your values, but not the values themselves. It’s tempting to dwell on how things were, but reevaluating what matters most can help you cope and adapt as you age. Fostering meaningful relationships, community service, learning new things, and connecting with nature are all great ways to build life satisfaction.
#18
Oh, I got faaaaatt. I was always the skinny kid, when I got stressed my weight would go down and I’d be unable to eat, my period would disappear, etc. Always had a thigh gap! Had big b***s and nothing else.
Then in my mid-30s my body decided it was going to reverse the trend. Get stressed? Get hungry. Hello, b**t. Hello, thighs that touch. Hello, *even bigger b***s*. I look like a female dwarf in a fantasy game. Or some sort of s**y anthropomorphic raccoon lady. I guess it’s not bad. I just really didn’t expect it.
#19
In spite of the fact that I've avoided the sun and wore spf daily & never smoked a single cigarette . . . I still ended up with deep creases on my forehead and between my brows by age 32.
Life takes a toll. Please have exact change.
George Costanza 3 hours ago
That's probably more due to facial expressions you make frequently than just age or sun exposure. If you frown all the time you'll get forehead creases.
#20
Back. Fat. I remember turning around in the mirror around age 34 and noticing rolls under my shoulders. I guess I just gain wait there! Still have a pooch like always.
The psychologist says that, for some, aging brings many unhelpful thoughts. People like using their minds to peek into the future, but those peeks are rarely completely accurate. The first challenges of aging bodies can get scary and raise many “what ifs?” While feeling prepared can help ease stress, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the possibilities that might cross the mind. Tackle problems as they arise, and practice mindfulness to stay grounded in the present moment.
#21
I can't eat like a dirty raccoon anymore. Acquired a few weird, random food sensitivities.
And I've started to have to hold my phone farther away from my face to read text clearly. Not a fan of that.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 hours ago
I used to be able to eat an entire large pepperoni pizza when I was a teenager. Now if I eat more than two slices, it's heartburn for two days straight XD
#22
This lower back pain... and the way my pelvic organs aren't where they are supposed to be so soon. The way my THICK hair is now so thin, and my skin is so wrinkly already... I mean I'm very dry and could moisturize more but I also didn't realize the upkeep required lol. No one taught me!
#23
My rear end used to be one of my nicest features. I’m 39 now and must have lost a lot of collagen, because my b**t has kinda flattened. Not gone completely, just not round and somewhat plump like it once was. And it’s been really challenging to get it round and perky again : (.
Getting older can frighten some people. It’s completely normal to feel hesitant about stepping into a new part of life, but it helps to remember it doesn’t bring you to a screeching halt. As you cross into a new decade, you bring all your wisdom and values with you. Let them guide you through whatever challenges you might face.
#24
Hormone induced melasma, jowls, under eye bags, loss of subcutaneous fat (now making my already long arms and legs look even goofier) and somehow, my b**t went from being cute to flat 😭.
#25
I was not prepared for giant puffy bags under my eyes, wiry hair on my head and chin, pancake b***s, and a belly flap. These things make me so sad.
#26
My periods are different every month, but they’re always accompanied by liver pain and reactivating my tendinitis in my shoulder. My hair was always thick and wavy, but it curls a bit more now especially on one side. I’ve had varicose veins since my early 20s and recently had to have a phlebectomy done (I’m 33). One of my knees has been constantly sore for the last 2 years. Eating greasy food is limited to once in a while because it takes forever to digest and it’s so heavy. I’m still tall and thin, but I have slightly wider hips and a nice b**t (lol).
And I also love midday naps because I’m always tired and I wake up during the night after the end of a sleep cycle.
#27
That I'm actually not unaging, immortal, or invincible.
Unstoppable for 40 years, still always getting carded to prove I was over 21.
Then, all in the first four years of my forties, I suddenly got riddled with blood clots for no discernible reason, then herniated a disc in my back, then had a lump in my breast, then diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, and, just to add insult to injury, developed some wrinkles and some grey hair and now look my age!
Bloody rude awakening, I can tell you.
#28
Your hormones are so much more than cramps, bloating, pms, and periods.
Perimenopause and low estrogen is just the start of “well it couldn’t be worse than periods or pregnancy.”
• You get rage, unpredictably of course, when your hormones are out of whack and no longer follow a monthly cycle.
• Skin start looking older and less elastic.
• v****a gets dry, you get more infections because it’s dry,
• your labia and clit atrophy.
• You get facial hair.
Love your body as it is in your 30s and care for it. You don’t realize how much you are taking for granted by neglecting it.
#29
I am 40.
I can no longer just power through. My body has limitations and no amount of 'digging deep' will let me push past them.
Sleep is the number one determinant of how my day will go. If I sleep like s**t, the whole day is a wash.
I have 3 autoimmune conditions and a spine injury. If I let the follow-up on any of this drop, I will totally mess myself up. I have to be on top of it at all times. It's exhausting but absolutely necessary.
#30
I'm 5'2 and about 130lbs I'm thick in all the right places..... but I have a "mommy pouch" ( and am not a mom).
I have a TINY waist (29 inches) big hips (41 inches and you can see/feel bone) and yet i have this "pouch" of fat just above my pubes that just won't go away through diet and/or exercise...i feel like it's max 2lbs of fat but it's the only part of my upper half that jiggles (yeah b***s jiggle a little but i'm bottom heavy they're a 'victoria's secret D' which in any other brand translates to B.)
Anyways.... extra belly fat, why?
#31
Hair dulling, dry/more greasy at the roots, skin less elastic. I feel stupid in hindsight because I think I’d heard of these things from much older women via movies, tv, work, etc. but I didn’t really understand the slow process of it. I didn’t have women close to me in my family who taught me what happens at different points of your life so everything always feels like a s****y surprise that probably should have been more obvious.
Sometimes I don’t mind though. There are certain things I like more about myself as I get older. I know how to be comfortable in my own body, around other people and in space, I can see a difference in photographs especially - I look older but more sophisticated, more effortless. The awkwardness of your teens and twenties often glares through no matter how good you are at posing and editing. Don’t miss that. 😅.
#32
My hips widened! I remember trying to put pants on one day and struggling. I weighed myself and I was the same weight, but my hips had significantly widened and I was not prepared for that. I believe I was 26/27 when that happened. Also I gained ten pounds, try to lose it, then gave up. I’ve always been very thin and the extra weight actually looks good on me.
#33
Hemorrhoids!!! Finally feeling better and I want to dance in the street. My pain tolerance is soooo much higher.
#35
My physical fitness sucked all the way into my mid to late 20s no matter how much I worked out, and I was always sick with something.
Things started improving drastically after 30. My face is starting to show signs of aging, but otherwise I seem to be only just hitting my prime. I’ve never been as fit and healthy as I am now.
I did not expect things to turn out this way. When I was about 25 I was sure I’d be completely decrepit and borderline d**d by 35, at the latest.
As for general looks, I haven’t changed that much.
My natural hair color went from honey blonde to ash blonde in my early 20s, but then again I also started going grey at 17. I’ve been dyeing it for most of my adult life anyway, because blonde isn’t my thing.
The only real complaint I have is that my migraines seem to be getting worse with age. And I’m hot all the flippin’ time. I used to be cold all the time when I was younger but now it’s the opposite. It’s annoying.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 hours ago
I'm overhot all the time now too! I'm 44. When I was a kid/teen/in my 20s, I was freezing cold ALL the time... and I live in Southern California! I'd be in double layers of a longsleeve shirt under a t-shirt, with jeans and socks, all the time, and sometimes I'd even put on a jacket when I was too cold. I couldn't go into the dairy or veg room in Costco because it was too cold for me! XD Then in my 30s I stopped being cold all the time. Once I hit my 40s, I'm overly warm no matter what XD I wear cargo shorts and a t-shirt most of the time, and when it's just me alone in my house, I go completely pantsless (sorry for the image) because I'm just too warm! My mom and sister live next door and sometimes they call me over to help with something and I just wander over pantsless (the backyards are connected) because IDGAF. One time one of our employees was visiting them and she saw me pantsless. Luckily, I'm 44 and IDGAF! XD
#36
I was an A cup up until adulthood. In my mid 20s I gained a couple of pounds and not all of it went to my belly. My b***s became fuller to the point where I had to purchase new bras in a whole cup size larger! I finally have cleavage. It's sweet.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 hours ago
As someone who has been a DD cup since age 13, I'd have been so happy to be an A cup. Cleavage is overrated XD I've got those lovely permanent divots in my shoulders from wearing a bra.
#37
I got a grey hair on my eyebrows. I didn’t even know that was a thing but Idgaf since I fill them in with brow stuff anyway.
#39
My entire front end being the only place I put on weight. I look like an emperor penguin but from the back I’m still in college. It’s truly weird.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 hours ago
I don't put on weight like my family does (they're Mexican, so they're pear-shaped and put on fat in rolls all over the body) nor do I put on weight like most women of my ethnicity (I'm white; I'm adopted) who usually deposit fat in their bútt, hips, lower abdomen and thighs. I, gloriously, get fat "like a man". I have a beer belly. I do not drink beer. I just deposit all my fat on my belly like a dude XD I don't really care overall, but sometimes it makes me look funny in clothes!
#40
Yep, your hormones shift as you age and it's super common for your hair texture to change. Tons of kids have baby waves that straighten out or loosen around age 4-5 or so.
I was born with red hair, which lightened to a strawberry blonde that was super straight, and then when I was 8 or so, it went brown and wavy and doubled in density, which is what it still is today (30 years later).
I was underweight and not at all curvy as a teen/in my 20s, then in my late 20s and 30s I basically went through a second puberty and the curves came in.
#41
That i should have enjoyed my body in my 20s especially, then my 30s all the while i was thinking it wasn’t good enough.
So now im trying to enjoy it in my 40s, so i can look back in my 50s and go, “okay, i actually felt good about it then!” 🤣😂.
#42
That your body really does keep the score.
That as a woman, hormones get more brutal as you age, then they just stop and leave you in a state of unrest that makes you wish you still had them and everything terrible they brought.
That every part of your body can and will hurt for no reason or some reason.
That growing old gracefully is really known as inner peace.
That men and women are just as gorgeous in their 40s.
#43
That it's beautiful - I don't know what happened but when I turned 40 I started to see my body different. I stopped tearing it apart like I had for 30+ years. I think I stopped comparing to younger women and starting to think, "Yea, I'm in my 40s... I look and feel pretty good". Just a different mindset.
#44
My eyes have turned a duller color. They used to be a nice hazel shade that would look green or amber according to the light; now they are just a flat brown.
#46
Hair thinning was the least of my worries. I started dislocating all of my joints constantly with the slightest movement or sneeze. Was diagnosed with a genetic condition, hEDS, at 32 after a lifetime of pain and illness.
#47
At 40 I had to realize I need to chose between my a*s and face. If I want my a*s to stay the same size my face will be skinnier by the year, if I want my face to stay filled out my a*s will grow.
Giraffe Sitter 2 hours ago
I feel this - to get anywhere near a flat stomach or a tight b**t, my face looks like I’m dying of something.
#48
Halfway through my cycle i get bad cramps, lots of clear discharge and epic bloating due to ovulation. Its kind of like having a period twice every month.
Doctor said it’s normal for some woman to have changes like this when approaching 40.
So yeah, fml.
#49
My hair is falling a lot, it's not like I'm balding or anything, but it was distressing at first to pull so much hair with no effort at all. Also, my f*****g back hurt after a flight for MONTHS now, I think it's never going away D:.
#50
I’d always been skinny and had a flat stomach. Then BOOM, menopause pouch when I turned 41.
#52
My voice changed. I use to be able to sing incredibly high, but after my second pregnancy I never could the same way.
#53
I became allergic to the sun several years ago. I don't mean that I *just* burn easily. I mean sun makes mast cells go brrrrrrrr.
#54
My body feels like it’s falling apart. I do believe I have fibromyalgia however. I also work a pretty physical job. It surprised me that I started to slow down and get tired quicker at 35.
I used to run around and get tons done. Now I’d rather relax. Things will get done.
#57
This is more how I feel about my body. Just that I wasn't happy with my body when I was thin and fit so why am I so hard on myself for not being as thin as I used to be? As long as I'm not unhealthy, I should stress less about my jeans size.
#58
In 30s, exercise for hours like a long hike or basketball game felt great and weight was no problem. In 40s the weight and joint pain both creep up despite not changing diet or exercise.
Now, my body needs short bouts of high intensity exercise like sprints 3-4 times a week alternating days with weight training 3 times a week, and then just gentle movement the rest of the time. I am consciously not exercising for hours anymore and my joints feel so much better. I need rest and smaller quantities of healthier food to be the best me.
#59
I have to stretch. Every single day. Before I get into my car. Otherwise, I will be paying for it the rest of that day and possibly the next.
#60
I’m 37. I grew up on a dairy farm. I drank milk every day of my life up until the last few months, when I developed this lactose intolerance
#61
My hair went from blonde as a child, to coppery as a young adult, to nearly black in my mid 30s. My eyebrows have always been black though so I guess that was a clue.
I was always slim and then after I had a kid and was in an unsatisfying marriage, I gained a lot of weight and have been dealing with that ever since. I’m a size 16, at my largest I was a 22, but I was a size 8 pre baby. However, I have always dealt with disordered eating and have mostly escaped that in the last few years.
Not to toot my own horn, but a pleasant surprise is that my face looks really no different in my 30s than in my 20s. My grandmothers lived to their 90s and they both could have passed for in their 60s. I have friends getting Botox and I’m baffled because I don’t know what they are Botox-ing. (I can’t take any credit- it’s sheer genetic luck.).
#62
As soon as I turned 25, I developed three creases along the front of my hip on one side. They appeared suddenly and have lasted for the past 11 years. I've been very fit, slightly overweight, and very fit again and they never change. A friend of mine had the same thing happen when she turned 25. What are they????
#63
My hair went from fine/straight to coarse/wavy as I let it go gray, I got a belly I never had before. I had always carried extra weight in my a*s and thighs, now it piles on my belly. I can't drink alcohol anymore. It makes me so ill it's not worth it. Allergies, asthma, anxiety and depression all reared their ugly heads as I aged. Most of this, I attribute to menopause.
#64
Hair loss, I have relatively average to thin hair with little volume when I had a ton of hair as a kid to young adulthood.
I picked at a mole on my face until it lost melanin, so it looks like a wart. I'll likely get it removed or something.
I had gerd as a child and stomach ulcers. I can't have my stomach empty or else I throw up stomach acid now, I take medication that helps only sometimes. Weight gain due to needing to eat something and not feeling full.
I ended up getting like 15 white course hairs on my chin. I can't get it removed via specialists because I'm such a pale blonde.
#65
Everything you suppressed in your 20s & 30s so you could get on with things comes back.
Your body keeps the score.
#66
Yes, be kind to your body. Do not push its limits. If you push limits n your 30’s you will pay for it in your 40’s.
#67
It’s breaks really easy. It aged snd things I did when younger are coming back jn a big way.
Protect your back and joints when young. Stay out of the sun or use sunscreen all the time.
#68
How bad handovers can be. I don't get drunk anymore because it's just not worth it. I can enjoy a drink or two and be more than done.
#70
I used to drink red wine all the time, and now I have an allergic reaction to it, so no more! My sister loves beer and developed some sort of gluten intolerance (not Celiac). I've heard of others with the same story, too.
#71
I developed hay fever at about 42 after never experiencing it before in my life. I only recently learned that allergies are typical of perimenopause, and it clicked that it may be that.
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L.V 2 hours ago (edited)
I was prepared for the wrinkles, but I get under eye wrinkles where most people get bags. The jowls are what really got me, never mind that my mother, aunts, and grandmothers have/had them. My periods might be early early or completely skipa month, but will always be heavy, with random pains that carry every month. And I'm always exhausted.
Герберт Майн 7 hours ago
I'm a bit surprised by many of these. I'm 37 and I am at my freaking prime. I've never been so strong, toned and acne-free in my life. ...but obviously it is so because I've worked on it. I've started weight-lifting and cardio training (first time in my life) when I was 34, I quit smoking when I was 33, I started counting calories at the same time.
Earonn - 4 hours ago
Clearly, exercise is good for the body, but sorry - my prime was in my mid-30s but that didn't prevent my body to age in my 50s.
Load More Replies... L.V 2 hours ago (edited)
I was prepared for the wrinkles, but I get under eye wrinkles where most people get bags. The jowls are what really got me, never mind that my mother, aunts, and grandmothers have/had them. My periods might be early early or completely skipa month, but will always be heavy, with random pains that carry every month. And I'm always exhausted.
Герберт Майн 7 hours ago
I'm a bit surprised by many of these. I'm 37 and I am at my freaking prime. I've never been so strong, toned and acne-free in my life. ...but obviously it is so because I've worked on it. I've started weight-lifting and cardio training (first time in my life) when I was 34, I quit smoking when I was 33, I started counting calories at the same time.
Earonn - 4 hours ago
Clearly, exercise is good for the body, but sorry - my prime was in my mid-30s but that didn't prevent my body to age in my 50s.
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