What horror! The first signs of my inevitable decay.

[LadyFreesia]

I am starting to notice some fine lines around my eyes and an inkling of the crease to come between my brows. I am naturally quite perturbed by these unsightly developments and am compelled to plot my methods of attack. I turn to you now ladies and stray gentlemen of the forum and plead for your gracious wisdom to help me in my vain battle.

What really irks me is that I am only seventeen; not even a full score! I do not feel I am excessively hard on myself. I have worn sunblock consistently since my tween years and before that my Mom would see to it that I was well-coated in the stuff to abate her fear of my developing skin cancer. While I have yet to use anything marketed as anti-aging, I have been meticulous in taking gentle care of my sensitive skin. I do not party or otherwise live a hard life. My ancestors tend to look youthful well into old age. I simply do not understand!

The only culprits I can make out is being regularly exposed to cigarette smoke, the pollution level of the city in which I reside, and a diet that skimps on fresh fruit and vegetables. I am working to rectify the third, but is there no way to offset the effects of the two beyond my feeble grasp? A Retinoid perhaps? But then, what tyranny would be unleashed upon my delicate skin?

Share! You so experienced, kindly share with the unenlightened one.

 

[divadoll]

Perhaps you should rule out any medical issues you may have by seeing your doctor.  17 is really too young to be showing ANY signs of aging.  A 17 year old is not yet finished developing much less beginning to age.  

 

[Slinkycats]

I would have to say as well if you are that concerned you should talk to your doctor. Is it possible that you are experiencing what most teens go through which is over-emphasizing what you yourself can see but no one else can? I can read the dramatized wording and I am guessing you tend to be a bit theatrical but really you are 17 and all teens can pick out things about their own body and skin that no one else can see. Actually anyone of any age can do this but you are 17 and as a teen/young adult you are a bit prone to seeing everything being wrong with yourself.

I just want to be clear I am not patronizing or saying you are lying or don't have an issue just that your hormones may be the culprit here and if not you should definitely see your doctor.

Hope this helps.

 

[LadyFreesia]

I have not been experiencing anything more than my normal complaints, but I may benefit from going to the doctor when I have the means to do so.

My Mother is the one who pointed them out, but I may very well be overemphasizing what only someone closely observing can see. I usually try not to let her comments bother me as she is a very frank person, but this comment is in an area where I am exceedingly sensitive. It is far more positive to think that nobody save for myself and other hypercritical people would notice my flaws, but an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to caring for oneself.

 

[Slinkycats]

I have a mother who did that to me all the time. Every imperfection, every extra inch of fat she would point out. It wasn't until I got a little older, my late twenties that I had the balls to tell her to stop cause she wasn't helping the situation. My Nana did it to and since I lived with them until I was 22 I never stopped hearing it. My mom still does it sometimes but I just don't listen to her anymore.

The furrow of the brow I think can happen at any age, I have had that since I was a teen myself. I have no other wrinkles tho and I am 34. So its probably not aging. I think you are probably fine but I am not a doctor or an expert or anything like that so definitely consult some professional advice. 

 

[Firefox7275]

Originally Posted by LadyFreesia /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I am starting to notice some fine lines around my eyes and an inkling of the crease to come between my brows. I am naturally quite perturbed by these unsightly developments and am compelled to plot my methods of attack. I turn to you now ladies and stray gentlemen of the forum and plead for your gracious wisdom to help me in my vain battle.

What really irks me is that I am only seventeen; not even a full score! I do not feel I am excessively hard on myself. I have worn sunblock consistently since my tween years and before that my Mom would see to it that I was well-coated in the stuff to abate her fear of my developing skin cancer. While I have yet to use anything marketed as anti-aging, I have been meticulous in taking gentle care of my sensitive skin. I do not party or otherwise live a hard life. My ancestors tend to look youthful well into old age. I simply do not understand!

The only culprits I can make out is being regularly exposed to cigarette smoke, the pollution level of the city in which I reside, and a diet that skimps on fresh fruit and vegetables. I am working to rectify the third, but is there no way to offset the effects of the two beyond my feeble grasp? A Retinoid perhaps? But then, what tyranny would be unleashed upon my delicate skin?

My Mother is the one who pointed them out, but I may very well be overemphasizing what only someone closely observing can see. I usually try not to let her comments bother me as she is a very frank person, but this comment is in an area where I am exceedingly sensitive. It is far more positive to think that nobody save for myself and other hypercritical people would notice my flaws, but an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to caring for oneself.

Unless you have an undiagnosed medical condition, you are mistaking dehydrated skin for ageing. Unless you work as a motorcycle courier or live in a third world city your exposure to pollution should not be excessive. The smoking concerns me - is this first or second hand and is it at home? The best treatment for pollution, tobacco smoke and dehydration is a healthy diet. Other than fruit and veg do you consistently meet or exceed all your government's recommendations for healthy eating? I think this unlikely since lack of fresh produce will skew portion sizes of other foods.

I also think you should have a word with your mother, this is only frankness if she is concerned and thus willing to pay for medical advice. Otherwise critiquing a teenager's appearance is poor parenting and poor manners - mental wellbeing is just as important as physical health. If you are exposed to smoke at home as well ,,,,

 

[patsluv]

It's actually not uncommon to have wrinkles at 17 or thereabouts. I have met many people around this age with fine lines and wrinkles. If you are concerned about retinoid being too strong for your skin, you could consider Green Cream. I used it for a while and liked it very much. I also use EpidermxII microdermabrasion and Silkia camelia oil as part of my skin routine. These products made my wrinkles and old acne scars disappear (I'm much older than you), and have dramatically improved my skin appearance.