What Makes People Look Old(er) When We Don't Have Wrinkles or Sagging? Doctor Answers, Tips
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What Makes People Look Old(er) When We Don't Have Wrinkles or Sagging?

A good example of my question might be looking at Hollywood. Guys who are in their 40's who do not have wrinkles or sagging but they are still obviously in their 40's. What makes them look that age without any wrinkles or sagging skin? I've looked closely at pictures but can't determine what it is that doesn't make them look like they are on their 20's.

4 Doctor Answers | Asked by ADPR08 in New Berlin, WI
+2

Poor skin quality also makes you look older

I agree completely with the answers below about loss of bony structure and underlying tissue support. Another issue that contributes to the appearance of aging is the quality of the skin itself. When you look at a child's skin you see smooth, plump skin without wrinkles, bumps, spots, scars. The pores are small, almost invisible. Over time, with continued sun exposure, gravity, repetitive muscle action, smoking, environmental toxins, glycemic diet, weight fluctuations and... more
+1

Aging is more than skin deep

I fully agree with Dr. Shafer and Dr. Altman in their comments and won't repeat them.   However, I will add that the skin wrinkling and sagging are only the obvious surface issues that people attribute to the appearance of age.  The shift of deeper structures will occur in subtle ways that require an appreciation of the hidden anatomy.  The descent of the cheek fat away from the eyelid fat compartments will lead to the exposure of the bony rim of the lower orbit that... more
+1

What makes a person look older if there are no wrinkles?

As we get older there is a decrease in the amount of bone and soft tissue which redistributes the facial skin downward, sort of like a deflation of a balloon. That changes the shape of the face from heart-shape or reverse triangle  of youth to oval shape or pyramid of old age.  The fullness of the upper and middle third of the face decreases.  Those changes reflect the aging process even outside of wrinkling.
+1

Looking Older

As people age, the skin quality changes, the bone structure changes, the volume of subcutaneous tissue diminishes.  All of these factors contribute the appearance of age regardless of actual wrinkles.  
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Comments (2)

Sylable 26 Dec 2012
I have always wondered about that myself. I think the answer to that question will never be known. It's a mystery and no matter what a doctor does to your face you will still never look younger...you can look better or good for your age but never younger. If you put old pictures and new ones together you definitely look different but can't quite put your finger on what it is. I think it's all in the eyes if you ask me. The eyes look more youthful and Innocent. Maybe the shape of our eyes change over time. Whatever it is it's just not meant for us to change the way we look from God. I think in the future scientists will figure out what it is like most things in this world but wont be able to fix it like the cause of a disease but not being able to cure it or living longer but not forever...we always get halfway there but never completely.
nadiahoney 13 Oct 2012
Wow I know just what you mean, for I have done the same. Sometimes an actress will get all three -- botox fillers and lasers -- yet still appears maybe at best two or three years beneath her real age. So I wondered also what it was. I really don't think much of botox, although the fillers seem to help a bit more. I think it's possibly (1) that unmistakable glow of youth that is all over -- in the eyes, beneath the skin, etc. that no doctor can replace, (2) it's practically impossible to put filler in every single possible place in such a way as to make the face exactly as it was in the 20s -- it simply will never be as real-looking. I am not sure but since I have yet to see a forty year old who looks like a twenty year old up close, maybe it isn't possible yet? Ten years younger is an accomplishment, I guess. But then....what did Demi Moore do to look so much younger? Esp. since she's so bony yet her face looks far younger? What do docs on here think?

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