47 replies to this topic

[Qowpel]

So, to begin.

 I am approaching 23 years of age in just 4 months now, so currently I am 22..........

 

I have what I believe to be nasolabial folds that, to me, are quite bad especially for someone at my age.

 

Things about me (have been using sunscreen for a year and a half now daily, 22.5% ZnO)....... Have gotten sunburned especially bad under my eyes before but other than that nothing.........

 

For eight months now have been using Retin A and eating a clean diet and taking AGE inhibitors and drinking white tea to supress elastase..............

 

Also, My testosterone readings have been in the 350 range for a few years now which is VERY low for my age, thus making me believe that Maybe that has had a heavy impact on my body, including my skin of course.... Anyway, I believe at certain angles, these folds make me look 5 years or more older than I truly am. Can you guys confirm if these are true folds, or, if just even younger people in their teens can also create this illusion of having imperfect skin (even thought they pretty much have perfect skin)..  I already posted similar things on Realself, but doctors never respond to me............

 

So there are photoes of me in a flattering light (bathroom) to give a rough estimate of what I look like. But then I took many photos where light was coming in from the side to reveal (what I believe to be) nasolabial folds.......and bad ones at that for my age)

 

 

http://s1013.photobu.../?sort=3&page=1

 

 

 

that is the link to where I have a bunch of those photos uploaded. What do you guys think? I believe I look like I am much older than I am when light hits me from the side. maybe it IS time for fillers because this is destroying my esteem. What do you all think?......maybe it is because of the chronically low testosterone (since I was 17 years old)

 

[Clacksberg]

Is that you (fb)? they're non existant. Nasolabial folds can be genetic, they dont always look bad to me.

Depends on the person. Even as a kid, i had real naso folds, much more pronounced than that.

[Qowpel]

Is that you (fb)? they're non existant. Nasolabial folds can be genetic, they dont always look bad to me.

Depends on the person. Even as a kid, i had real naso folds, much more pronounced than that.

 

I am surprised. And you said is that you fb? What do you mean? Secondly I mean some of those photos to me show some fairly prominent folds in my personal opinion. Look forward to hearing from you. 

 

Anyone else think so?

[Clacksberg]

Sorry, meant to say photobucket not facebook - (fb). Was half asleep -)

 

That link you pasted goes to Robert Newton's photobucket:

That guy if thats you as barely any noticable naso..folds, what's going on?

[JohnD60]

Your n/l folds are very small, they are not aging you. If any one thing is aging you it is your very short hair combined with moderate hairloss in the temples.

[niner]

I agree, the nl folds are almost nonexistent. Funny you should mention hairloss, as one of the first things I thought of was just the opposite, that he had a lot of hair. Wearing it longer might make him look younger- it's a thing that could be easily tried. No need for fillers here.

[Qowpel]

I agree, the nl folds are almost nonexistent. Funny you should mention hairloss, as one of the first things I thought of was just the opposite, that he had a lot of hair. Wearing it longer might make him look younger- it's a thing that could be easily tried. No need for fillers here.

 

Well. I see what all of you are talking about. I agree I do not think the folds make me look over 30. And I am not trying to compare their severity to that of a 40 or 45 year old. I am talking basically in regard to others around my age (21-24)  AT least in the two photos in which my bathroom door is right behind me... I mean there, in those, they seem pretty deep but maybe I am wrong... What I am saying is in respect to people around that age, I feel I look more like a 27 or 28 year old. People used to say two years ago that I looked 18. But now I feel I look older than that. Anyone else

[Heyman]

The structure of your face itself and the short hair gives you a mature look. Don't worry about it. Almost everyone has nasolabial folds, even when they are 12 years old. They all look like that when light comes from the side. Stop freaking out, they are perfectly normal and you likely had them since you were a kid or teenager. What AGE inhibitor do you take?

[Brett Black]

To me you could pass for 18 or so; if anything I think you look on the young side for your age. I think it can be hard to judge aspects of your own appearance objectively, such as apparent age. You have minimal nasolabial folds, and in any case, basing age assessment solely on nasolabial lines is problematic(from my own observations.) Facial structures of individuals, even of the same apparent age, can vary a lot, and thus attempting to define universal absolute facial structural markers of an aged appearance can be difficult. If you pay attention you will see that some obviously very young-looking people actually have substantial nasolabial lines.

Edited by Brett Black, 29 July 2014 - 09:42 AM.

[goodman]

tthe glasses make u look older imho

[Qowpel]

tthe glasses make u look older imho

 

and that fines of course. To the man above, sure maybe my development of Nasolabial folds over time can't fool you into thinking I am older than I am due to other important characteristics of younger skin that I probably have present. But with the current degree of subcutaneous fat loss, do you think that fillers are a harmful option, that they can improve it? Or should I not even touch them for at least a few more years

[nowayout]

I agree they're nonexistent. 

[Heyman]

 

tthe glasses make u look older imho

 

and that fines of course. To the man above, sure maybe my development of Nasolabial folds over time can't fool you into thinking I am older than I am due to other important characteristics of younger skin that I probably have present. But with the current degree of subcutaneous fat loss, do you think that fillers are a harmful option, that they can improve it? Or should I not even touch them for at least a few more years

 

 

I'm being totally serious now, you might have more psychological than physical issues. You seem to be obsessed by an issue that is not an issue at all. Even children have nasolabial folds. Just because you were never aware of them while still younger does not mean they were not there. You see? http://img.webmd.com...ng_sandwich.jpg or http://www.thelibert...mages-51101.jpg every human being has this even as a child when the light hits the face sideways.

 

Now stop worrying, your folds are just the way your genetics are. They likely won't start becoming worse and showing signs of aging until you're 35.

Edited by Heyman, 29 July 2014 - 01:40 PM.

[mustardseed41]

Yep you have what I call facial paranoia.

You are seeing things that are not there. You are still young. Barely out of diapers.

Edited by mustardseed41, 29 July 2014 - 03:42 PM.

[blood]

But with the current degree of subcutaneous fat loss, do you think that fillers are a harmful option, that they can improve it? Or should I not even touch them for at least a few more years

 
 
You look your age - maybe even younger than your age.

You have some great facial assets. You have an attractive face, flawless skin & of course youth is on your side.

No ethical plastic surgeon would offer you facial fillers because there is no problem with your n/l folds.

It's possible that you are in fact experiencing, suffering from a mild case of body dysmorphia because you are excessively preoccupied with a defect in your appearance which only you can perceive.

Edited by blood, 30 July 2014 - 07:15 AM.

[Boopy!]

Seriously,   you sound ridiculous worrying about those (I say this as someone who HAS suffered from body dysmorphia so please don't be offended as I mean it with all love.)   You do NOT have an issue with folds at all and the people who say children have them are correct.  I can say this because I HAVE asked for fillers from a hot surgeon I know and he said I was being silly and that there was nothing to fill,   that everyone even kids have them  (I ended up making him do my upper lips anyway...haha.)    He had no reason to lie as he could only have made money off of me.  You are focusing too much on something like this for some reason.   You don't look too happy in those pics,   but that's because you were concentrating to get the folds shown or something.   The lack of joy if anything detracts from your natural symmetrical attractiveness,  which is just fine and dandy although I concur you could benefit from letting your hair grow a bit and be shaped well to show off your face.

 

  I have noticed that people are getting freaked out about aging at younger and younger ages --  this sucks!   I partied like a rock star (I worked in a field that demanded this to a certain extent)   and never ever looked haggard from staying up all night and treating my body like shit up until my mid thirties -- I am serious about this,  and yes partially it was genetic luck of the draw and healthy lifestyle interspersed with the partying,   but I never ever even got a mere wrinkle around the eyes until I think like 33 and ALSO never worried about it until 30 and even then not that much.  And I'm a woman who worked in a VERY  looks-oriented field.    I find it sad that someone at 23 years of age is actually obsessed with something like nasolabial folds --  what is going on with the world?   I didn't even take my first drink until 22 so maybe I am just a late bloomer  (okay I am,   true)   but you are wasting valuable years of happiness being so worried about something that honestly is not something to worry about.   You will regret it when you are older as surely as I regret being too thin just to fit into size 1 clothes for an a-hole modelling industry.  You look very fit,  not pudgy and pasty like so many kids I see today (I blame it on tv and computers --   I grew up with neither) --  and I also blame tv and computers for inundating people your age and younger with overly obsessed celebs getting disgusting amounts of surgery.  Please believe me --   you should be jumping for joy to be young and good- looking,   and enjoy your youth.   You can obsess over yucky wrinkles plenty when you get old and haggard from this evil world.   Listen to your elders we know best;)

[Qowpel]

            I really dont think I can even continue believing that I do not have moderate signs of aging. You guys keep saying I must have a psychological problem at least to a moderate degree. In order to truly show you I have uploaded a video of myself in which it is unlikely that none of you can notice I have three problems here. Malar festoons (which are the most aging), under eye hollows, and clearly nasolabial folds........ The indoor lighting from the photobucket account I have in the first post is truly deceiving........... I am getting angry at this because yesterday someone mistook ( a peer, meaning a girl from my class) my age for 29...........wtf............ I am barely 23.... My point is that I am not looking for people to tell me I am young due to the "baby-like" structures I have in my face............... I somehow have, like I said, these gross folds, under eye hollows and malar festoons and you can see at several points in the video I look WAYY older than 23 and if you don't agree I don't know where your logic is coming from................. I mean this is killing my confidence and certain lighting fools me into thinking I look my age which just isn't the case...........

 

Everytime I see myself in a supermarket (in a mirror or reflection) or see my reflection in the window of a store never ONCE have I thought I look my age and I am not obsessing I do not think, because I can CLEARLY see the signs of aging..............

 

I don't see how no one here could recommend fillers. This is destroying my confidence 

 

 

[Brett Black]

Hi Qowpel. I watched your video closely from start to end. Once again, I think you look like you're in the 18-22 age range. Perception of age based on aesthetic appearance is subjective, and so all I can offer is my subjective perception of your age, and I see you as being just at the beginning of adulthood. I'm not trying to boost your confidence or compliment you etc, I'm just giving you my flat-out most honest opinion. If your concern centers around appearing young to others, then my personal opinion should matter.

Based on what I've seen in this forum thread, the majority of people here agree with me that you look young, and not older than your chronological age. Apparently you disagree with,or at least have doubts about, this majority view. So now, amongst other things, you have to decide if your personal opinion, which seems to diverge from the majority, is more or less important/valid.

If you are more concerned about how others perceive your age, then I would suggest that majority opinion on the forum should be accepted. If you think your own opinion of your aesthetic age is more important then perhaps you should look into attempting to change your appearance.

Complicating all this, of course, is the fact that it can be difficult for you to get a good "fresh" impression of your own looks. You've looked at yourself in the mirror, in photos and on videos so many times in your life, for years, that it becomes maybe impossible to view yourself as others do on first impression. I personally think that this is where the disparity between your view of yourself, and the majority consensus on this forum, comes from. I think that you, like probably most people, have lost the ability to make accurate assessments of your own general appearance.

I'd predict that most if not all medical professionals would agree with the majority view expressed on the forum - you do not look old for your age at all. So there's a high chance that most would thus refuse to provide any treatments for you if you sought them.

As far as I see it, since you currently look like you are in the earliest stages of adulthood, the only place you could go from your current state, theoretically and aesthetically speaking, is into a teenage or childhood look. I can't see how you could look any substantially younger and still retain the appearance of being an adult.

[Brett Black]

Another important thing to consider. Since your personal perceptions of your appearance are already substantially at odds with the majority perception, if you did have cosmetic procedures to alter your appearance to suit your own personal perceptions, the majority of people may then also perceive the cosmetic changes differently to how you do too. Thus, I think you might be at increased risk of changing your appearance to something that whilst it may suit your own personal perceptions, the majority would view as odd or "freakish."

Edited by Brett Black, 07 August 2014 - 03:32 AM.

[gt35r]

What AGE inhibitors are you taking?

 

You do not ned fillers. You hardly have any NL folds. I am 25 and even at 22 my I had more NL fold than you do.

 

"I don't see how no one here could recommend fillers. This is destroying my confidence"

 

I don't know what to tell you. We are telling you that you face looks good and we don't believe it requires any correction but that somehow erodes your confidence? If I lie and tell you that you need filler will that make you feel better? 

 

[Heyman]

Please go to a good psychologist, one that uses cognitive behaviora therapy and maybe even has treated body dismorphia several times. People who have body dismoprhia disorder don't know they have it, its simply their perception of themselves differs a lot from that of others. It seems clear to me that you have these kinds of issues. Please, please, go to a good therapist at least a few times. Theres nothing wrong with it.

[gt35r]

http://my.clevelandc...c-disorder.aspx

 

What are the symptoms of BDD?
People with BDD have distorted views of themselves, which can lead to harmful or socially avoidant behaviors or repeated attempts to correct perceived problems through surgery. Some of the warning signs that a person may have BDD include the following:

Engaging in repetitive and time-consuming behaviors, such as looking in a mirror, picking at the skin, and trying to hide or cover up the defect
Constantly asking for reassurance that the defect is not visible or too obvious
Repeatedly measuring or touching the defect
Experiencing problems at work or school, or in relationships due to the inability to stop focusing about the defect
Feeling self-conscious and not wanting to go out in public, or feeling anxious when around other people
Repeatedly consulting with medical specialists, such as plastic surgeons or dermatologists, to find ways to improve his or her appearance

 

 

-Here is the thing, I have the exact same issue. Ever since I lost weight (last 1.5 years I went from 215 to 160 lbs) I have been looking for any little thing to complain about. If its not NL folds its that I have excess wrinkling between the brows and I have been looking to getting BOTOX. It took me a little while to realize how stupid my thinking pattern as been. 

[Ben]

Your NLF are extremely mild compared to what I've seen on 23 year olds.

 

Have you tried the following:

 

- Weight loss.

- Examing sleep pattern (lack of sleep makes my NLF look worse)

- Taking a diuretic (may be water build up in face.)

 

 

Edit: Unsolicited advice: Are you gay? If yes, focus on this minor facial defect is almost reasonable. If not gay, could be seen as a facial advantage.

Edited by Ben, 08 August 2014 - 04:22 AM.

[Qowpel]

Your NLF are extremely mild compared to what I've seen on 23 year olds.

 

Have you tried the following:

 

- Weight loss.

- Examing sleep pattern (lack of sleep makes my NLF look worse)

- Taking a diuretic (may be water build up in face.)

 

 

Edit: Unsolicited advice: Are you gay? If yes, focus on this minor facial defect is almost reasonable. If not gay, could be seen as a facial advantage.

 

I am straight but do not see how that makes it either better or worse

[Razor444]

i think he's alluding to the idea that woman aren't as interested in what a man looks like, vs. other factors.

 

 

 

[Boopy!]

that second girl looks like me when I was in the midst of my eating disorder -- actually she looks worse but we know why someone like that would want a father figure type!  (kind of bloated face,  lack of muscle tissue on the girl in the purple bikini is what clues me in.)   

 

I know what you mean when you asked that question though about gay men because it's true,  no woman I have ever met would go for a guy worried about this!   Hell we have enough probs worrying about our own looks,  bombarded as we are by society to always look a certain way.  I understand how he feels though.  As for the N-L folds,  I used to be like that and kept getting stuff done and trust me,  one day you look at your old self and you look in the mirror and you realize how dumb you've been.  If you don't want to listen to someone who has been there,  done that,  I get it since I used to be convinced I was right.  One day I looked at myself in a different place and realized what I had ruined with fake fillers and I am still pissed off at myself for ruining a pretty face.    You might want to try uploading your face with NO questions or age indicated to a decent plastic surgeon.  There are some ethical ones out there (still.)  I really did look with as critical an eye as possible at your pics and your video.   I looked and thought to myself (as someone who has done this for years)  if anything,  anything at all could be done to improve.   Fillers would push areas out TEMPORARILY mind you but then,  you have no areas I would personally want pushed out.   If anything you would want to get more chiseled in the face?   Plus then things get worse since you are then stuck having to constantly get sides to match,  other areas to go out more....you have no idea my friend what a world of insanity you would be in for.  If anything,  just for your psychological satisfaction with your looks,  try facial exercises for a natural blood flow and filler look as imo this works best especially in young people.  If you have any questions about certain fillers I can fill you in  (pun intended)  but I will tell you now simply what a DECENT plastic surgeon told me when I kept telling him I needed filler in various areas:  "You are missing the forest for the individual trees,"   You are looking at one part and not seeing how the overall face appears;  you are not seeing it from a normal distance.  The best surgeries are the ones that are INVISIBLE and look utterly natural,  and I don't see that you would benefit.  But don't listen to me,  trust a GOOD surgeon that has a long list of satisfied clients.  I can give you names and many of them will give free advice. 

[Ben]

i think he's alluding to the idea that woman aren't as interested in what a man looks like, vs. other factors.

 

 

Excellent. Thank you. Though, it goes beyond what women like. A man's looks, in general, should be a lower priority, though, the advice did not assume a particular prioritisation and was just a general assertion.

[blood]

I really dont think I can even continue believing that I do not have moderate signs of aging. You guys keep saying I must have a psychological problem at least to a moderate degree. In order to truly show you I have uploaded a video of myself in which it is unlikely that none of you can notice I have three problems here...

 
Saw this in my local paper - new research on body dysmorhpic disorder :
 

Brain scans show for some, ugliness is all in the mind
 
A significant number of people seeking cosmetic surgery for a lumpy nose or misshapen mouth actually suffer from complex brain abnormalities.
 
They are perfectly fine on the outside, but their brains are telling them they're ugly - and, in many cases, making them feel bad about it. The abnormalities are present in 1 to 2 per cent of the population.
 
These are the findings of new research from Swinburne University of Technology into the underlying causes of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a mental health condition characterised by an individual’s fixation with a misperceived flaw in appearance.
 
Lead researcher, Professor Susan Rossell - deputy director of Swinburne's Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre - says the abnormalities are primarily found in the occipital cortex, where the brain does most of its visual processing. But in some people, they are also found in the frontal cortex which processes emotions.
 
When the abnormalities are confined to the visual cortex, says Professor Rossell, "people will have the difficulty in accurately visualising their own face and body when they look at themselves. They won't feel that a part of their body looks nice ... but they won't necessarily have the emotional problems that go with that.''
 
However, in cases where the frontal cortex is also affected, people become profoundly unhappy and fixated on the belief that they are deformed. The frontal cortex is where we work through our negative feelings, including those about ourselves.
 
Professor Rossell compared the abnormalities in BDD sufferers - particular structures that are smaller and differently shaped to those in healthy people - to those found in people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, illnesses that feature distressing difficulties in perceiving the world.
 
"The reduction in size of the structures are similar to those found in other mental illnesses,'' she says, "but in body dysmorphic disorder, they're not as a widespread. In schizophrenia, the abnormalities are found throughout the whole brain, where in BDD they are more localised.''
 
Professor says there is an overlap in the medications that are used to treat BDD, schizophrenia and bipolar, such as antipsychotics and mood stabilisers.
 
Professor Rossell, a cognitive neuropsychologist, conducted her research in partnership with Professor David Castle, a psychiatrist, from St Vincent’s Hospital Body Image clinic, which has the largest cohort of BDD patients in Australia.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain structures from 20 BDD patients were compared to those of 20 healthy controls, aged between 19 and 64 years.
 
"What we found when we looked at regional brain volumes of BDD participants was that the frontal regions of their brain were substantially smaller than healthy participants," said Professor Rossell. "The most pronounced differences were in the right orbitofrontal cortex (critical for adaptive learning) and left anterior cingulate cortex (involved in decision-making and emotions).''
 
The research results were published last month in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. These latest findings build on work published a year ago, by one of Professor Rossell's PhD candidates, Dr Ben Buchanan, who found weak links in the wiring of the brain of BDD patients. Dr Buchanan told The Sunday Age at the time that cosmetic surgeons should start screening for BDD to avoid performing surgery that would fail to help patients feel better about themselves. 
 
Says Professor Rossell: "There are numerous studies that have shown the success rate of plastic surgeons with BDD patients is very small, because the clients never see any change."
 
Professor Rossell and Professor Castle are developing a visual training package, incorporating the use of eye tracking information.
 
"We want to teach people with BDD that there is nothing wrong with them,'' said Professor Rossell.

For the relevant abstract, see here.

Edited by blood, 17 August 2014 - 09:32 AM.

[blood]

This book looks like it could be a useful tool for BDD sufferers:
 

The BDD Workbook: Overcome Body Dysmorphic Disorder and End Body Image Obsessions

Do you struggle with constant feelings that your body is not good enough? Do you imagine that, if you could just change you appearance, you would be happier and more fulfilled? If you do, you might be dealing with the effects of a problem called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

Individuals who suffer from BDD are excessively preoccupied with the shape or size of their body-obsessed with a facial blemish, a minor bodily defect, or some specific aspect of their appearance. They spend hours each day thinking about their perceived deformity, checking and rechecking their appearance in the mirror, camouflaging themselves with makeup or clothing. Men affected by a form of BDD known as muscle dysmorphia are obsessively concerned about their muscular development, no matter how large and pumped up they are. In extreme cases BDD leads to unnecessary plastic surgery, serious eating disorders, steroid abuse, and even suicide.

The good news is that BDD is highly treatable with cognitive-behavioral techniques provided in The BDD Workbook in a step-by-step, easy-to-follow format. OCD experts Claiborn and Pedrick guide you through a proven intervention plan that helps you recognize your distorted self-perception and come to terms with how it leads you to self-inflicted emotional and physical pain. Exercises, charts, and worksheets help you to develop a healthier response to your body and a more balanced self-image. The book provides information about BDD-related eating disorders and the special problems of children with self-image issues. It also offers suggestions to help you gain support from family members, medical professionals, and support groups.

This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit — an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

Edited by blood, 17 August 2014 - 09:44 AM.

[Boopy!]

Good suggestions re the workbook and it reminded me there is some book I heard about more than once,  with the word "mirror"  in it -- it's supposed to be very helpful for BDD sufferers.   Not sure of the name?   I will try to find out.   BDD is notoriously difficult to treat but it can be managed is another thing I've heard.  There are people who have killed themselves and suffered greatly from this,  it's no joking matter.