Has anyone seen a picture of themselves lately and freaked out?

Welcome to the club, savinggranny. Oh my gosh, I remember I use to look 10-15 years younger than my age.... I had aged very quickly in the past 6 years of having a major illness and dealing with my aging parents. The skin on my face look terrible, I tried most of the anti-aging creams but gave up. And my hair has thinned out... YIKES.

And the weight I have gained... ok, I know that mother nature likes to re-arrange one's weight once we got past menopause, but what in the heck happened??? I use to be a gym rat and use to have lifted weights... now if I say that people look at me like my hair is on fire.

It really irks me whenever I see the Victoria Secret models !!!

I have a couple of scars on my face from childhood - one vertical one between my eyebrows and one by my hairline. I also have a dog bite scar on my cheekbone under my eye. I noticed a couple of months ago that I have DEEP permanent forehead wrinkles and that center scar is so deep it looks like I'm always frowning...well, I typically am, but that's besides the point. Lost 40 pounds 3 years ago - managed to gain it all back. I look like sh*t - at least 15 years older than I am.

Oh yes.. in my mind I do not look like this! sometimes I suprise my self when I see myself in a window/mirror in a store!

my son took a pic of me in the garage a couple of years ago . had my specs on only cause i was cutting with the torches and was actively engaged in a quite serious fabrication project ( wood stove ) . the pic ended up entitled " stooped old cat " .
it was hilarious , shame it got wiped out in a PC crash .
i dont care . i am old . im thankful to live to old age .

Something I've learned is to NEVER do a selfie if you're older than 40, but if you do, snap your reflection in a mirror. The up-close ones will make you look even older and worse than real life. Selfies are self-torture for old folks.

I'm only in my forties and living with my mother for six months and I have visibly aged. I've developed a gray streak in my hair and though I didn't have much gray, the amount that is there has doubled. I used to be able to get by without reading glasses, now I can't. And I have an autoimmune disease that's worsened as well. I keep telling myself I have to find a way to deal with the stress, but I just can't seem to. If this is what 6 months has done to me, I hate to think what the years to come will do. I am working on moving out, but I will still bear the responsibility.

I prefer to see myself in the mirror because when I do, my eyes are on my hair (brushed? barrett in place?), my lips (put on lipstick), eye brows (put eye liner) and then an overall look with my clothes. All I'm seeing are bits and pieces of me.

When I look at myself in photos, I see all those gray hair, that awful double chin and ... is that sagging cheeks?! So, I avoid having my photo being taken. I agree, I've aged a lot since Dad had his stroke. I also see unhappiness in my face - so I avoid looking too hard, lately.

I just had to get my drivers license renewed and even though you never expect a great picture to be taken I was shocked by how weary and worn out I look. I'd say it was just a bad picture but in honesty it's exactly how I feel.

Drivers licenses and work badge photos! I am so glad my badge is all worn off!! And when I got it taken.. the photo snapper asked the sweet cute little thing in front of me if she liked her picture, or wanted him to try again... Hello!! I need multiple retakes please.. or just give me the pix the sweet little thing rejected....

For decades I use to use eye liner otherwise my eyes disappear.... now I had to stop using the eye liner because my hand quivers too much to paint the line on correctly :P Without it people ask if I am feeling ok.... ECK!!!

It is amazing how in our minds eye we look a certain way but Wow!!! when we see an actual picture of ourselves, we are taken back because it is not what we necessarily we want to see, LOL!!

I'm getting close to 50 and can hardly believe it. The last time I saw a photo of myself I was shocked and like,...that can't be me. All worn out and freqflyer,..the thing I hate most is the thinning hair. Sooo upsetting. I"m trying all I can to keep what I have.

Francis, if you find the solution against thinning hair, please let me know ASAP. I'm losing so much, that my hair is beginning to look scraggly. If I put it back using barretts or a head band, I can see my scalp. I've tried all those creams, pills, shampoos and conditioners that promises new hair growth. So far, none has worked.

In the end, I bought a wig that is close to my hair color. I'm thinking of ordering more 'fashion' wigs that I can change daily to match my mood. I'm already planning ahead for my eventual baldness but still hoping a miracle will happen.

LOL Bookluver, I love your idea of changing hair to match moods. Wish they would invent something like from the Jetsons where you would put your head under a dryer-dome thing and PRESTO!! Real different colors and styles whenever you want :) I am taking Ginko Biloba (supposed to help with circulation and supposed to be good for the brain, so I figure, what the heck) and the gummy chewies for Hair, Skin and Nails. Also I found online a brand of shampoo and cleansers from Just Natural Hair Care. It's expensive but I think it is helping. They also have a hair treatment and it is very oil based so I have to plan ahead (no pun intended) and use it the night before I intend to wash my hair the next day. Then they have a rinse cleanser that uses vinegar which I use about ev. 2 weeks. You smell a little bit like a salad but I think it helps. Anyway, I think I'm seeing some improvement but it gets discouraging when I comb thru and still have all the fall-out. I'm hoping for that miracle too. If I thought I could be "cute" and get away with being bald, I'd go for it cause the stress about it is probably causing whatever is trying to hang on, fall out.

Book~I think wigs would be great. I work with a woman who has had very thin hair where her scalp showed on the top of her head and this was even back when she was in her 30's. She bought a wig and it changed her attitude about herself so much she went on a diet losing 30 lbs and looks so happy and confident now.

My sis uses rogaine, she likes it but you have to keep using it and it takes about 1 year to see the difference.

FF I love the eyeliner pencils from Avon, that twist up. You can smudge them with your finger if they are not perfect and they still look good!

The dark circles under my eyes make me look like i'm a goth grandma. I never get more than 4 hours straight of sleep, it is like having a big wrinkly baby with colic. ladies, if you haven't had your thyroid checked, do it now. 2 years ago during the change, i told my dr about this and she said it was a symptom of low thyroid. I have lose 30lbs and my hair is probably improved by 50%. Not as thick asbefore but much much bettrr, it just takes time.

Dang tiny phones! Why can't we edit our posts?

We should be able to edit them, I agree :) Thank you for the advise on thyroid, am going to ask on next Dr. visit.

In the past almost 4 years of caregiving life:

I have not been in a hair salon one time. My hair has gotten so much more gray that I lightened my hair (on my own) to try to get it to blend better.

I have discovered how great elderly ointments - like A&D - are for my skin. I put it around my eyes every night and it works great as an anti-wrinkle, I think!

That's all I can think of at the moment because I'm tired. But... I do highly recommend the A&D ointment around the eyes at night! Hugs.

I agree, we should be able to delete a post if we want or edit it.

When it comes to make up, I prefer Urban Decay...LOL!! eyeliner, it is waterproof and last the best of all I have tried. I am not much for foundation and powers but will use a tinted moisturizer from NARS. They are a bit pricey at JCPenney, but I havent found any that work as these do.

6 yrs ago when i was taking some really rough chemo for hepc i used to look in the mirror and think " you poor , dumb , bastard . i saw another patient online describe the fatigue one time . he said that to untie the twistie tie on a bag of bread to get a couple slices of bread was just more effort than the sandwich was worth . its true . to stand up was a culmination of every speck of energy one could muster .
that was a medical situation tho . now the hepc is resolved and i look like one of those 15 yr old male students that female teachers keep molesting .

good for you Cap...so happy for you!!

I used to be thin. When I graduated from high school I only weighed 88 lbs and was a size 6. What a change.

Oh my goodness! I am 57. I am so depressed looking in the mirror. I have aged so much caring for my mom. On the up side...since I only get a quick run to the grocery store these days if I have someone to sit with her...who cares anymore? I used to have an active social life with my husband and kids and friends...all gone. My siblings are useless. They quit being involved. aargh!