Everyone knows that when you get older your body changes, but less known facts are the small but significant changes a woman in her 20s and 30s deals with. Recently, a Reddit user asked women, What has changed for you that you wish you could have told your younger self? Dozens of women weighed in with their thoughts. Here are fourteen of the best:
1. Zits arent just for teenagers
I thought that when you reached your 20s, your skin cleared up and acne became a thing of the past. That didn't happen. It just changed locations. It went from being a problem on my forehead to being a problem on my cheeks. I finally gave up and went to see a dermatologist who told me that the shift down is very common due to the hormonal changes your body goes through from teens to 20s. Eai36
2. Your body gets curvier
People always mention that your metabolism slows down, but fail to mention that your appetite won't slow at the same rate. That led to some poor choices in my early 20s. It would have been easier to keep the weight off then, than it is to lose the weight now. Little Lion
I went up a cup size a year from 19-22ish. My chest went from nonexistent to "WHY WON'T BUTTON DOWN SHIRTS FIT?!" Spirality5
3. Your hair texture can change
My hair COMPLETELY changed. It used to be stick-straight and silky when I was a kid and it is now somewhat coarse and wavy. Apparently, this tends to happen due to hormonal changes in the body. I Figuratively Cant
4. Love your body the way it is
Back in my twenties, I thought I needed to improve. I look at pictures now (30) and wish I looked like that. When I'm 40 I'll probably feel the same way about my current body. And on and on. Just live in the moment and be thankful for what you've got. Hi Hello Neighbor Oonie
5. Body hair might start surprising you
I recently developed a cluster of black chin hairs After the chin hairs showed up I freaked out and brought it up with my (Ob)Gyn, and she basically laughed and said it's totally normal for some women to be harrier than others and that it doesn't necessarily indicate some kind of hormonal issue. Tomorrow is Tomato
6. Youll learn to better love your body
I'm gonna go a different way and say how much better, sexier, richer, brighter, smarter, more attractive and more accomplished I feel, and how that translates into my body's affect.
My body is a bit different in the way that it looks- my hips are wider, I'm starting to show signs of aging on my face, and other 'negative' signs of getting older, but I feel better and more attractive than I ever did in my 20's. - Abqkat
7. Healthy living has to become a lifestyle
You have to make health and fitness your lifestyle if you want to become and stay fit. Any goal like losing 15 pounds, lifting a certain amount, etc. should be part of a long-term, sustained goal of being healthy and active If you want to lose weight and keep it off, it has to be through lifestyle changes Small, sustainable changes that you can stick with and integrate into your life. Innocence My Brother
8. Your mother was right about tanning beds (SO many people said this one)
Never do tanning beds. All my girlfriends in high school were all about them. I'd say half of them now have the skin consistency of burnt toast. Be pale and proud. Also, spray tans. Not Taylor Swift
9. Your period might go crazy
A few friends and I had our periods go haywire right around 25/26 years old. I went from easy periods every other month to heavy, painful periods that sometimes came more than once a month. I thought something was horribly wrong, but apparently it's pretty common to just have a major hormonal shift around then. - Clabberton
10. You realize your true power
I wish I'd known when I was young that I did have control over my body, what I could eat, if and how I could exercise, what kind of products to use, how I could wear my hair, what kind of clothes and makeup I could wear, etc. ... I'm 37 and I look and feel far better today than I did as a teenager. Urban Cowgirl
11. Possibly the most helpful advice of all: expect constant change
I'm in my 40s, and I'll just say: everything keeps changing. Thought you had a handle on your skin and how to prevent acne? CHANGED! Understood your period and your PMS-symptoms? CHANGED! Got a lock on what exercise and eating works for you? CHANGED! It's frustrating, but it's definitely what I would have told my younger self: don't be so surprised/confused when this happens, just take it in stride and try different approaches. - Octoberness
12. Taking time to recover now becomes a necessity
Injuries are more likely to be moderate to serious with rehab time instead of rest it off over the weekend On top of that, just mild aches and pains seem to pop up far more often in my 30s than they did in my teens or 20s. - Upastars
13. And this horrifying thought
Dear younger self,
When you sneeze, you will probably pull a muscle in your back. It will be painful. Be mindful of that. - Samanthais
14. Youre going to adore yourself
I would love to tell my younger self just how strong and powerful you can become if you just hold out a few years. Don't give in to negative thoughts that your brain stirs up.
When you eat right in a few years and finally start to love yourself you will be utterly surprised just how strong your hips can be when you increase your walking each day. You'll be in awe of your legs when you start getting out and climbing that hill every day and you'll love your belly when you cut out that extra chocolate bar for lunch each day... It won't take much but you will eventually be happy in your own skin. I'd love to tell my younger self Just you wait, you're going to adore yourself soon. Wassupbrah66
1. Zits arent just for teenagers
I thought that when you reached your 20s, your skin cleared up and acne became a thing of the past. That didn't happen. It just changed locations. It went from being a problem on my forehead to being a problem on my cheeks. I finally gave up and went to see a dermatologist who told me that the shift down is very common due to the hormonal changes your body goes through from teens to 20s. Eai36
2. Your body gets curvier
People always mention that your metabolism slows down, but fail to mention that your appetite won't slow at the same rate. That led to some poor choices in my early 20s. It would have been easier to keep the weight off then, than it is to lose the weight now. Little Lion
I went up a cup size a year from 19-22ish. My chest went from nonexistent to "WHY WON'T BUTTON DOWN SHIRTS FIT?!" Spirality5
3. Your hair texture can change
My hair COMPLETELY changed. It used to be stick-straight and silky when I was a kid and it is now somewhat coarse and wavy. Apparently, this tends to happen due to hormonal changes in the body. I Figuratively Cant
4. Love your body the way it is
Back in my twenties, I thought I needed to improve. I look at pictures now (30) and wish I looked like that. When I'm 40 I'll probably feel the same way about my current body. And on and on. Just live in the moment and be thankful for what you've got. Hi Hello Neighbor Oonie
5. Body hair might start surprising you
I recently developed a cluster of black chin hairs After the chin hairs showed up I freaked out and brought it up with my (Ob)Gyn, and she basically laughed and said it's totally normal for some women to be harrier than others and that it doesn't necessarily indicate some kind of hormonal issue. Tomorrow is Tomato
6. Youll learn to better love your body
I'm gonna go a different way and say how much better, sexier, richer, brighter, smarter, more attractive and more accomplished I feel, and how that translates into my body's affect.
My body is a bit different in the way that it looks- my hips are wider, I'm starting to show signs of aging on my face, and other 'negative' signs of getting older, but I feel better and more attractive than I ever did in my 20's. - Abqkat
7. Healthy living has to become a lifestyle
You have to make health and fitness your lifestyle if you want to become and stay fit. Any goal like losing 15 pounds, lifting a certain amount, etc. should be part of a long-term, sustained goal of being healthy and active If you want to lose weight and keep it off, it has to be through lifestyle changes Small, sustainable changes that you can stick with and integrate into your life. Innocence My Brother
8. Your mother was right about tanning beds (SO many people said this one)
Never do tanning beds. All my girlfriends in high school were all about them. I'd say half of them now have the skin consistency of burnt toast. Be pale and proud. Also, spray tans. Not Taylor Swift
9. Your period might go crazy
A few friends and I had our periods go haywire right around 25/26 years old. I went from easy periods every other month to heavy, painful periods that sometimes came more than once a month. I thought something was horribly wrong, but apparently it's pretty common to just have a major hormonal shift around then. - Clabberton
10. You realize your true power
I wish I'd known when I was young that I did have control over my body, what I could eat, if and how I could exercise, what kind of products to use, how I could wear my hair, what kind of clothes and makeup I could wear, etc. ... I'm 37 and I look and feel far better today than I did as a teenager. Urban Cowgirl
11. Possibly the most helpful advice of all: expect constant change
I'm in my 40s, and I'll just say: everything keeps changing. Thought you had a handle on your skin and how to prevent acne? CHANGED! Understood your period and your PMS-symptoms? CHANGED! Got a lock on what exercise and eating works for you? CHANGED! It's frustrating, but it's definitely what I would have told my younger self: don't be so surprised/confused when this happens, just take it in stride and try different approaches. - Octoberness
12. Taking time to recover now becomes a necessity
Injuries are more likely to be moderate to serious with rehab time instead of rest it off over the weekend On top of that, just mild aches and pains seem to pop up far more often in my 30s than they did in my teens or 20s. - Upastars
13. And this horrifying thought
Dear younger self,
When you sneeze, you will probably pull a muscle in your back. It will be painful. Be mindful of that. - Samanthais
14. Youre going to adore yourself
I would love to tell my younger self just how strong and powerful you can become if you just hold out a few years. Don't give in to negative thoughts that your brain stirs up.
When you eat right in a few years and finally start to love yourself you will be utterly surprised just how strong your hips can be when you increase your walking each day. You'll be in awe of your legs when you start getting out and climbing that hill every day and you'll love your belly when you cut out that extra chocolate bar for lunch each day... It won't take much but you will eventually be happy in your own skin. I'd love to tell my younger self Just you wait, you're going to adore yourself soon. Wassupbrah66
