Looking at self in mirror & forgetting as one ages?

[Sky King]

I love this thread. I have decided to attempt to let my hair go gray, not so easy as now, to avoid the skunk stripe, my stylist weaves my more natural color in at every cut instead of doing an all over color. Has been ten weeks and I am very undecided.
Depending on the mirror and the light there are days I think I should just wear a hat

[badger]

I don't need a mirror to see age changing my body but I hate looking at how my skin's changing, and most of all the texture of my hair. I would look at pictures from even 5 years ago and I see a huge difference. It's all frizzy and dry looking now.

And I take objection to the fact I'm fighting pimples and wrinkles at the same time; that's just wrong!

[GLC1968]

And I take objection to the fact I'm fighting pimples and wrinkles at the same time; that's just wrong!

I hear you! Me too.

[emily_in_nc]

I don't need a mirror to see age changing my body but I hate looking at how my skin's changing, and most of all the texture of my hair. I would look at pictures from even 5 years ago and I see a huge difference. It's all frizzy and dry looking now.

Yep, I went from smooth and lightly wavy to CURLY with a strong tendency to frizz. Not fair t'all!

[missjean]

Two days ago, I got my new glasses. Holy cow, I'm amazed at how much I was missing! Not just in the mirror, but everywhere. Anyway, now a glance in the mirror shows way more wrinkles and flaws. Ouch!

Ha - that reminds me of what my mother said after she had cataract surgery - everything was so clear, but she was shocked at the old lady looking back at her in the mirror.

[PamNY]

the skunk stripe,

Can someone explain what the "skunk stripe" is? I saw it mentioned in this group before, but never heard it anywhere else.

[GLC1968]

This:

[deanywalker21]

I gotta jump in on this one. This fall I was at a bridal shower for my 25 yr. old niece. I looked up and saw this old woman among a bunch of 20 something’s...I was the old woman....talk about reality hitting one in the face. I am 57 and in my head I am still 28, well maybe 38 but in no way do I think of or feel 57.

Deany

[shootingstar]

The woman in the photo can wear her natural skunk well... her eyes look bright and energetic. She has good natural facial bone structure that will carry age well into the decades ahead.

**Anyway... what bothers me more: is that I simply look more tired. That probably jumps out the most in recent photos of self. Alot has happened in the past 2 yrs. And more to come.

However......I tell myself my aging is very different than my mother at the same age, who had 6 children. So really, I can't spend too much energy on what aged me in a way that surprises myself alot.

While yes, I have more freckles, etc. white hair strands creeping in, etc. because of cycling alot..despite sunblock, aging has solved/helped:

*just less shaving of leg hair, pits. I'm getting more hairless naturally in those areas. It's genetic tendency from mother

*my skin has become drier, less oily and very rare I get pimples. I had bad case of acne as a teen to a point where I did take oral and topic prescription drugs under dermatologist care.

*my hair texture isn't as a oily ...as when I was a teen.

*so far, no frizzier hair. My hair actually has abit more body and natural hold...because I live in a drier air climate now /combined with the natural aging.

And other things both good and not so good with aging in term of physical features.

The only way for me to counteract with "looking" tired (short of botox which I have zero interest of acqiring stiff facial areas)...is that more than ever it's quite important that I do some daily activities I really enjoy now, that I am with people are also curious, learning, creative and care about others. ***********But I can't see the good stuff happening around me and enjoy it, if I spend too much time in front of the mirror looking and trying to fix every imperfect pore, white hair strand.

In response to aging: Every day is gift.

[shootingstar]

Gosh, this thread has received over 400 views.

[Crankin]

The only thing I hate when I look in the mirror is my laugh lines. I've had them for a long time, both parents have (had) them, and I seriously want to do a dermal filler. I barely have any gray hair; it's probably only visible to me when I look closely. But, I have no intention of going gray. I already color my hair... I had enough trouble not being a blonde anymore! Sure, I have some lines around my eyes and my skin still breaks out, but other than that, the only thing I would change about myself is my hair. I wish it were straight, silky, and I wasn't a head sweater. The reason I have it short is to not have to deal with it when riding. I had it permed for like 15 years to deal with it, and when I stopped that, I cut it short. But, this has nothing to do with being older. I've had ugly, frizzy, bendy, twisty hair since I was about 12. I am good with paying a lot of $ to keep it styled and trimmed so it looks stylish, yet functional, as I have no tolerance or ability to use styling implements.
I have pretty good genes on both sides of my family. But, being active is my insurance that I will keep looking younger than I am. I was thinking about this as I trudged my azz up a black diamond nordi ski trail yesterday. If I can do this at age 58, then I feel pretty good that I am doing the best I can to stay young.
I wear make up. Again, this is not age related; I've worn make up since I was 13 or 14. My mom wore make up and so did both of my grandmothers. Both of my daughter in laws wear make up, and they are young (25 and 32). Somehow, makeup seems to be associated with caring too much about one's self. I don't know, I've always enjoyed fashion, make up, etc and being older or athletic hasn't changed the way I feel. Well, except now I spend more on my riding and other athletic apparel than regular clothes .

[Brandi]

I still look at myself in the mirror a lot b/c I have to put on sunscreen daily living where I do. I wear makeup only on the rare occasions when we go out in the evening, and much less than I wore when I was younger. It's just not appropriate living in the tropics.

My problem with mirrors is that when I look now I am astonished to see this 50-year old looking back at me. I still feel a lot younger and sometimes my reflection catches me by surprise!

You live in an awful place too!

[Brandi]

I don't need a mirror to see age changing my body but I hate looking at how my skin's changing, and most of all the texture of my hair. I would look at pictures from even 5 years ago and I see a huge difference. It's all frizzy and dry looking now.

And I take objection to the fact I'm fighting pimples and wrinkles at the same time; that's just wrong!

You,me, two pea's in a pod! Learn to love non frizz product is all I can say on the hair thing. But zits and wrinkles not a clue. Just went through an outbreak last week.

[OakLeaf]

You know, I realized I'm experiencing this from a completely opposite direction.

I don't wear makeup, but I do wear contact lenses, so I get a good close look at my face every morning. I'm used to it. I'm fine with it.

But my friend the race editor, often when he's sorting through old photos of an event, he'll find a snapshot of me that he took, and email it to me. It makes me wistful and a little sad to see how young and pretty I used to be.

But it only takes me about five minutes to get over it.