Sudden onset of skin wrinkling and sagging in arms

[jnine1964]

Hi all. New to this. I am a 44 year old woman who is physically fit (gym 5 days a week) and eats pretty well.

Approx 5 weeks ago I developed veins showing on both hands. They have not gone away and infact they are bulging most times, and I can "feel them". They have increased and I can see some starting to climb up my forearm now. Before this, my veins barely ever showed.

Approx 2 weeks ago, I developed wrinkling (crepe paper look) on my forearms (near connection of elbow) and on my upper arms. My arms have gone from 44 years old to looking like those of a 60 year old woman.

Approx 5 days ago my skin started sagging and I have now developed that "flap" by my triceps. My arms have always been my pride and joy..I work so hard at them, and they have been so tone,..now they look flabby and sagging with wrinkles.
I am in a panic. Have a doctors appointment for Friday.

Yes, I am fair, Yes, I have been sunburnt many times over the years. My mother had wrinkles also, but to have this come on so very sudden, I don't know what to think.

As far as periomenopause, it sounds like this shouldn't happen so suddenly and usually the elasticity is after menopause. I don't have any symptoms yet, except for my period being early once in a while.

I am 44 years old, and have gone, in 2 weeks, from having 44 year old skin to skin of a 60 year old. Could someone please help? I'm very distressed.

[wydlynn]

Wouldn't it be great if someone invented heat-shrink for the skin? All loose skin could be shrunk to fit around the muscle just like the plastic film on windows...the inventor would be a billionaire overnight...

[mkh9]

wydlynn, They do have some type of stockings that look shiny and make a 80 year olds legs look tight and young. I don't know what they are but they are see through and almost look natural if they weren't a bit shiny.
mkh9

[Freddywhite]

I wount be able to say anything about your skin but about the bulging veins I think it resulted from carrying objects that are too heavy or doing activities that are too strenuous. For corrections do mild exercises only.

[mkh9]

Well, I am a weight lifter (lift about 75 lbs (dead lift) and overhead press about 30 so far and farmers carry about two 22.5 lb weights. I can squat with about 70 lbs too with a bar on my back. I have had any problems with bulging veins. I weight about 125 lbs. I think it is a fallacy that lifting too much weight will cause vein problems especially if you train for it. I am 54. My husband and I got some loose skin right after we lost 20 lbs each over 6 months. We changed to a low fat vegan diet and since we are  not young our skin doesn't spring back  like it did when we were young. Others taht we talked to on the same diet had the same issues but they lost a lot more weight. So that is our story.
mkh9

[Altamisal]

Dr. Eric Berg says a low fat diet is pro-aging, we need saturated fats.
I don't skimp on the butter, myself.  Look pretty young for my age and I am older than most here.
But there are many pieces of the anti-aging puzzle!

[AM1962]

Has anyone has tried derma roller? Any success? If so how often to use?

[radicaldaisy]

ALSO...

My hormone levels are all totally normal - not even close to menopause levels.

[radicaldaisy]

I should have said how much I weigh.  I was 138 and 5'7" before all the stress began, about 10 pounds over my usual weight.  I lost the first 10 using a fitness app to count calories and noticed nothing. I lost the next 10 due to stress and maybe 5 months after that loss started to notice the veins and the crepeiness. It did not happen right away.  I am now about 118.

[mkh9]

Sounds like a lot of us had a lot of weight loss when this happened. So that may be the cause of some of our weight loss. I know that is the cause of the saggy skin or chicken skin that some people on our diet plan have too that lost 20 lbs or more. Since my husband has it too it isn't just menopause in all cases. So I'm pretty sure that is the case in all of us that lost weight. I think that the skin takes time to bounce back but it can. I am actually trying to gain a few pounds back (not too many but few) just to see if it helps.
mkh9

[mkh9]

Also, for those of you that might want to lift weights. I am trying to "bulk " out on my legs and see if that will help. LOL I would rather be muscular than have saggy skin.
mkh9

[radicaldaisy]

Hi people. Add me to bandwagon. I am 48 and very fit.  I had some VERY stressful life events last fall, lost 20 pounds.  I still have period. Blond, thin, have sunned in youth. My arms and hands got crepey suddenly over a few months time. And veiny.  I get that my low body fat might cause veiny but why so sudden.

I am trying gelatin and dry brushing. It's really freaking me out.

[Kendrabauser]

The common denominator is stress and hormones out of wack. count  me in too, Im 46 and noticed over the summer that my hands went from being pretty  to veiny and total loss of volume. That and meds seem to take thier toll. I was hopeing for a cure too but it *****, I just hope I can hold on to what I havefor a bit! My hormones are out of wack due to stress and I dont have a thyroid

[dvdm08]

I also have this problem only I am 40 now and have a premature menopause. Could hormones do this to your body. My hands have become wrinkly and all the volume is gone??? I cannot balance my hormones and dr. have no idea. I have hrt patches but it doesn't do a thing for my skin and most of my symptoms.

[old_before_my_time]

dvdm08 - Yes, loss of hormones can cause skin aging as well as aging of all tissues and organs. My female organs were needlessly removed at age 49 and I aged 10-15 years in just 4 months! And that's just the tip of the iceberg on the nightmare it's been.

Hormones have not improved the skin aging but they have helped most of my other symptoms. And they may be keeping the skin aging from worsening IDK. I only take estrogen.

I did not do well on the patch even at the highest dose. My symptoms were still horrendous despite what my doctor called a "therapeutic" blood level of estradiol. I think it was dropping too much when I was due to change it. Maybe a different delivery route would work better for you. Of course, if you have your uterus, you'll need to take a progestogen.