"As A 34-Year-Old, I Think My Time Doing This Is Far Over": People Are Revealing The Everyday Things That Age A Person Really, Really Quickly
The below article discusses child loss.
The truth is, there are a lot of factors that can contribute to someone "aging" more quickly. With *waves frantically* everything going on right now, it may even feel like we're aging at the speed of light as we speak. But what exactly may age a person? Well, when Reddit user rentinghappiness asked: "What ages a person REALLY quickly?" a lot of people brought their opinions and personal experiences to the conversation. Here's what they said:
1."A stressful job."
2."Poverty."
"Absolutely! The stress, lack of sleep, strenuous jobs for low pay, not being able to afford good hygiene products (i.e. skin care, hair care), can't afford good makeup (which can cause bad skin), and poor diet."
"Don’t forget the lack of quality health care (at least in the US)."
3."A toxic relationship."
"My cousin was married to an abusive man for 13 years. Her hair was thin, but she was beautiful regardless. She finally left him and married a kind, loving man 20 years her senior. She is so happy, stress-free, and thriving. Her hair is thick and luscious, and when I asked her how she got her hair so thick, she said, 'No more stress.' A toxic relationship can truly damage a person’s health in so many ways."
4."Having kids. If you’re 30 and want to look 40, have a kid. Then, two years later, have another so you can look 45. If you want to go from 30 to 50 overnight, have twins."
"My 18-year-old son just had an incredibly scary and stressful event happen to him, and it’s been emotionally exhausting. I think I got 50 new gray hairs in the span of 48 hours due to the stress and worry for him"
5."Cigarettes."
"The smoking one is startling. I went to my 30-year high school reunion just before the pandemic, and we were all 47-48, but the smokers all looked like pensioners. Every single one of them looked decades older than every single non-smoker.
6."The sun."
"My wife has been using sunscreen since she was five years old when her mom told her to consistently use it when going outside. Her skin is so good: no blemishes, no marks, just perfect. On the other hand, last year, I burned my shoulders so bad it hurt to raise my arms above my head to wash my hair. As a 34-year-old, I think my time 'sunbathing' is far over."
"Thank you for saying this. I am a licensed esthetician. People ask me for holy grail products and are often surprised when I say truthfully, there is no one holy grail product, and everyone’s needs are different. BUT the key is usually a consistent home care routine and SUNSCREEN. If I could underline the word, I would.
Wear it!! Even if it's cloudy."
7."Chronic pain."
"As someone who has had crippling arthritis for over 20 years, inflammation and pain are horrendous for you."
8."Loneliness and depression."
"Loneliness has been stressful and always given me depression. I've never felt like I've had someone who genuinely cared for me or fully understood me. I've never been loved and taken care of. I don't even know how it feels to have a person who is there for you, cares about you, acknowledges and supports you, motivates you, and is genuinely happy about the love you give back to them. If life has chosen to be this, so be it because I've tried to change reality and yet feel trapped here within this body."
9."Sleep deprivation."
10."Grief."
"My baby died, and I’ve aged about six years in five months. I used to get compliments on my skin from strangers. I haven’t had one since. I have forehead lines I never had before. I have dark circles under my eyes, and I never had those before. Grief absolutely ages you; I look haunted."
11."Stress."
"This is aging me so fast inside. I still look young, I guess, but I feel so worn. The past few years of fruitless job hunting, massive life plan changes, and being stuck with a family who are emotionally abusive have taken their toll."
12."Trauma mentally ages you beyond a reasonable amount. All it takes sometimes is one traumatic event, and you go from being trusting, happy, full of life, and hopeful to jaded beyond your years and a shell of yourself — not to mention quite hopeless and/or quiet, depending on the event."
13."No sense of humor."
"My dad is 49 but acts like he's 79. He doesn't find anything funny or takes issue with most things. My mom is 52 but loves having a good time and joking around. People think that she's younger than she is because of this"
14."Cancer."
"Yep, I had it last year. I feel like I’ve aged 10 years between the stress and the physical toll that surgery and radiation took on my body — and mine was very early stage, so I was able to avoid chemo. I can’t imagine how much harder it would’ve been if I’d needed chemo as well."
15."Being a caregiver. It doubled the aging rate for my mom (she took care of my dad)."
"Helping to take care of my dad, who passed about eight years ago from Parkinson's — and now, my mom has Alzheimer's."
16."Dehydration. I look so bad after being dehydrated from meds for a while."
Is there something in particular that you believe ages a person? Tell us what it is and why in the comments below.
