<p>OK Ladies…where to begin, 57 next week.4 kids, granddaughter 13mo,great DH. This is the first time that I have struggled with my appearance. Present to myself Ultherapy 2 months ago, followed by a Laser CO2 peel yesterday. Today I lok like a monster!! I hope I feel that I did the right thing a week from now!</p>
<p>It’s not that I had great beauty to lose. But I did look young, and I have lost that. And I don’t like it.</p>
<p>I lost my looks? Hmm, I guess if I put on reading glasses, I could tell.</p>
<p>The thing I find strange is knowing half a dozen people from different walks of life in the same age range, say 55-60, and you would not think that any one of them looked particularly older or younger, but if you lined them up, they look vastly different. Some don’t look older, but they look rougher. I do think hair is a large part of it, I have a friend with absolutely gorgeous silver hair, yet when I thought of her and my red head friend as being the exact same age, I was taken aback. The silver haired friend seems more ‘grown up’</p>
<p>Momma4, have faith. I looked like a burn victim for a week after my facial treatment and when I looked closely my face looked like it was pixalated. I go again on Wednesday and I am dreading the days after.</p>
<p>I turn 50 next month. Physically,I’m in the best shape of my adult life. Have lost a fair amt. of weight (50 lbs) over the last year…eating healthier…exercising regularly. I feel better and look better in most ways but in others it probably has aged me. My face is very thin now. My collar bones stick out like an old lady’s. My chest has sunk deeper than any of Johnny Depp’s quests. I got the age spots and blue veined hands. I really don’t like my wrinkly butt! I’m still pear shaped with thighs that I hate. Even though I run 10-12 miles/week just can’t change DNA:( My neck is pretty long but not flabby or wrinkly so I’m OK with the neck. My friend dislikes her neck sooo much that she won’t wear ANY shirt that doesn’t have a collar to hide her neck! I tell her that’s just crazy.</p>
<p>All of my friends color their hair…some would look better if they didn’t. I’ve had gray hair for the last ten years … never colored it. Maybe my age will soon catch up to my hair!
My MIL is 81 with more wrinkles than a Chinese Sharpei but still colors her hair an unnatural reddish/auburn color every month. Isn’t there a point when you just stop?</p>
<p>DH(three years older than me) and I married young and I had babies earlier than most of my friends. So I am almost always one of the youngest of the moms with kids the same age as mine. They prob. think I’m older because of the gray hair. I really don’t care.
I’m OK with myself. I’m not gonna worry too much about 50.</p>
<p>I have always taken care of myself when it comes to my face and how I dress. I should do better with exercising, but I eat very healthy, I am still the same weight as in college. I don’t dress like my girls, but I keep up with the latest fashion. I do facial, put night/day cream on my face, and always use hand cream (including prescription from dermatologist). I have tried botox and collagean. I have to say those shots make me look less tired. For few hundred $, it is worth it. I don’t really care to look a lot younger than my age, just to look well cared for.</p>
<p>Post 50 here and I think I look OK. I eat really good stuff and keep very active. Some of how we look to people is related to how we behave. I tend to walk fast and talk fast and smile a lot. And not dress in mom jeans with white tennis shoes. 
I think that helps. And yeah, I color my hair. Used to be real dark and now it’s kinda blondish. Still startles me when someone calls me blond…lol.<br>
Anyway, I try to play to my strengths. Don’t wear skirts much cause although I’m pretty thin, I do sorta kinda have those cankle things…and I HATE them. Funny…my older hubby has gorgeous ankles…hah. Whatever…</p>
<p>If only my health were as good as my looks. My BC of 4 years ago came back this time last year, yet I’m the picture of health and truly don’t look my age. All of that great estrogen that keeps the skin soft and the figure young can be too much of a good thing.
I would trade my youthful looks for my health in a heartbeat.
Don’t mean to be Debbie Downer. Just remember to count your blessings.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, moonchild. I hope everything goes well for you. </p>
<p>I’m 51.5 and Asian, so I’ve always looked younger than my age. I have no facial wrinkles to speak of. I joke that Asian women have no wrinkles til they’re seventy and then they just become a pile of wrinkles. I’m more fit at 51 than I was at 30, because of Pilates and a breast reconstruction procedure for breast cancer that I had at 42 that basically used my belly fat (I called it my Mommy Fat) to make me a breast. So I essentially had a tummy tuck, and I have a super flat tummy and a muscular body. It’s not tiny, but it’s hard. I also agree with those who think that women who are quite thin look older than women who have a little extra padding. </p>
<p>I also actually dress better now than I did twenty years ago. And I’ve got good Asian hair that I keep long-- breaking the old cardinal rule that old ladies should not have long hair! </p>
<p>I’m too lazy to have plastic surgery (other than getting a new boob, haha) but I don’t begrudge women who do it. Though it might be nice to buy a chin, as I was not given a great one the first time around…!</p>
<p>I’m impressed with all of the healthy self images in this 50 and over crowd! </p>
<p>I agree with moonchild that health is far more valuable than looks. </p>
<p>I like to think that our benchmark for beauty matures as we do. Meryl Streep is stunning. Jamie Lee Curtis is another who isn’t overly obsessed with fending off age. I’d be happy joining their club.</p>
<p>I went through some major back surgery a few years ago and was forced to be very inactive during that time—plus I had to wear a pretty nasty brace. Now I really appreciate every healthy day. </p>
<p>Oh, and Lo’real. I really appreciate them. :)</p>
<p>Blessings to you, moonchild.</p>
<p>I think I have a fairly good attitude about aging. I don’t expect to look 23 again. I am 57. My criteria is to look as good as my other 50 something friends. There are some things I cannot do anything about. But for the other things I want to do what I can: weight management, sunscreen, hair color, teeth whitening, fashion, etc. </p>
<p>Actually, I feel like I have more energy than I did before menopause which I attribute to not being slightly anemic anymore. I can play tennis for hours, hike all day and feel fine. </p>
<p>I would like to have my eyes done and my chin. Maybe for my 60th birthday.</p>
<p>Let me recommend the fake eyelashes that they put on 1 at a time and Botox. I got them and my partner is very impressed.</p>
<p>How long do those fake eyelashes stay on? I always had short eyelashes.</p>
<p>Mine lasted 3 and half weeks and then I went in for a 30 minute touch-up. One of the best things a ever did. Everyone, including complete strangers mentions " what pretty eyes you have". I think you should Try them -you won’t be sorry.</p>
<p>Even my son thought they looked fab!</p>
<p>I work part time in a plastic surgery OR. There are certainly things one can do to make you look “rested” and “good for your age.” Some of the “gravity” issues in my face may convince me to do something about it, not to look younger or even “rested,” but to avoid looking mad. Sometimes I think I’ve started to look angry, when I’m in a perfectly good mood. One of our docs is great with face work, so maybe I’ll get my courage up someday and do something pretty conservative to deal with that. Wrinkles I can deal with-it’s the sagging that I dislike.</p>
<p>But too much of a good thing is awful. I’ve seen that all too many times with women who can’t seem to stop having procedures done. There is most definitely a point of diminishing returns. Also, even one face lift or eye job can be a disaster if the surgeon isn’t top notch.</p>
<p>
Google Donna Versace, somehow she didn’t look quite right in recent pictures.</p>
<p>I just turned 50 in October. It’s been very thought-provoking for me and not just in the looks department. In so many ways I feel like I’m not where I should be. I was laid off in July 2010 - third time since college - and I’ve always foundered career-wise. I finally found something else in January but cried my eyes out at the thought of starting all over again at an age where I should be getting serious about retirement. My husband, who is 8.5 years older than I, had a mini-stroke in March 2011, about the same time my father started seriously going downhill. In watching my mom, I see my future as a caregiver stretching out before me.
But there are good things. It’s nice to be a half-empty nester and to have my life back in some ways. I like that H and I can spend time with our friends now without navagating a maze of kid activities. It’s wonderful to see my kids doing well and showing flashes of maturity now and then. And there’s still a lot to look forward to - grandparenthood, retirement. But I do wish my financial and career future looked better.</p>
<p>I was always a good looking woman - pretty face, tall, blonde, fit and well groomed. At fifty, I notice that I don’t get the attention I used to, which has been a gradual change. I sometimes feel invisible. Twenty years ago, people would stare at me - just as many women as men. Strangers used to approach me and comment on my looks. It’s a mixed bag now - I miss not having the “wow” factor, but at the same time, it made me uncomfortable and I received a lot of unwanted attention. My family and friends still think I look great, and I’m happy enough with that. I know it’s still downhill from here, looks-wise, but there is certainly nothing I can do about it, and I try to keep it in perspective.</p>