Did I Age Overnight? Whose Face Is This?

I looked in the mirror this morning, and what did I see? Not wrinkles (heaven forbid) so much as a noticeable change in skin texture and quality. I swear my skin was dewy and glowing just yesterday, but today it's droopier and crepey and dry. Perhaps it's due to the fact that I'm finally losing my "baby weight" and my face hasn't yet adjusted to the loss of volume. Or perhaps my 38 (almost 39) years are just finally catching up to me.

I know I'm not the only one. I hear all the time from other people (mostly women) that their fine lines and sagging snuck up on them -- young and beautiful one day, tired and haggard-looking the next. Even those among us with the tiniest amount of vanity are not immune to the nagging feelings of lost youth.

All of this has really got me thinking. At my age (and with my budget), I don't think I'm ready for plastic surgery just yet. I've already done the chemical peel thing, and laser resurfacing (one of the reasons my skin was dewy and glowing until yesterday, I'm sure). I think I need something else this time.

I am tempted by the idea of the liquid face lift, but dermal fillers have a major drawback for me---the need for maintenance. I have neither the time nor the funds to return again and again for a fill-up. I know there are longer-lasting options available, but there are recent reports that indicate higher complication rates with permanent fillers. As I've mentioned in past blogs, I am basically immune to Botox (which is frustrating because those lines between my brows are the bane of my existence).

So what to do to combat these early signs of aging? Although I advocate self-acceptance, the truth is that we all want to look great. We all want to look youthful. I am no exception. And so I look in the mirror, pulling my skin tight with my fingers, and sigh. I find myself desperately wanting to try one of the non-invasive skin-tightening procedures like Titan, Thermage, or Laser Genesis.

What about you? Did you wake up this morning with somebody else's face? What are you going to do about it? Should we be allowing ourselves to "age gracefully" (whatever that means)? Or should we do whatever we can to preserve the appearance of youth? Are non-surgical cosmetic procedures now perceived as routine maintenance in our appearance-conscious society?

Now don't even get me started on what I'm going to do with the extra skin on my tummy now that it's getting back to its pre-baby flatness.

See plastic surgery before and after photos.