Views Today : 124
Views Last 30 days : 3771As much as I love being in my 30s, I won’t lie—aging still terrifies me. It’s like, one minute, I’m carefree in my 20s, snapping selfies without a second thought. The next? I’m analyzing my face in the mirror, wondering if my jawline is getting suspiciously square. 😩
Recently, I had this conversation with a friend who’s also in her 30s (she’s a year younger). She went through a divorce in her mid-20s and has been single ever since. I’ve never been married, but our past relationships left us with eerily similar experiences, which is probably why we clicked so well. But instead of dwelling on love and heartbreak, we spent the day dissecting something far more pressing—how our faces have changed over the years.
“I feel like my face is becoming square.”
She sighed, staring into the mirror.
“No, it’s not! But you know what? I feel the same way about mine,”
I replied, tilting my head and comparing our reflections.
Now, trust me—she’s one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met, but here we are….both in our 30s, suddenly feeling so self-conscious that we barely want to take photos anymore. And honestly? Same.
In my 20s, I was practically a selfie queen. Smiling at the camera? Easy. Posting unfiltered photos? No problem. Now? If I’m looking directly at the camera in a picture, just know it took at least a thousand shots and a whole lot of convincing. I’ve somehow convinced myself I’m not photogenic anymore. 😭
My mom even called me out on it once. She saw a group photo where I wasn’t looking at the camera and said,
“Why are you hiding your face? Stop doing that!”
“I just don’t like having my photo taken anymore,” I shrugged.
She didn’t buy it.
“No, it’s because you think you’re not pretty anymore. I’m your mother—I know you very well.”
Oof. That hit deep. So, to prove my point, I sent her a selfie with a sad emoji and said:
“Look at my face. It looks square now.”
Her response? A picture of John Cena, and said,
“John Cena has a square face. He’s handsome.” 🤣🤣🤣
At that moment, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Thanks, Mom.
The Truth About Our Faces Changing
During a facial treatment, I brought this “square face” issue up to my aesthetic doctor.
“Why does it feel like my face is becoming square as I get older?” I asked.
She studied my face, gently massaging my cheeks and forehead before saying:
“It looks round to me, not square.”
But then, she explained something I didn’t know:
“As we age, we lose collagen and elasticity, which changes our face shape over time.”
I immediately cut in:
“Oh, so it’s because I gained weight?”
She smiled and shook her head.
“No. People think weight gain makes their faces look bigger, but that’s not really the case. You’re thin, so it’s not about weight. What happens is the fat from your forehead gradually moves down to your cheeks. This can make your face look rounder than before.”
Great. So now I have migrating forehead fat. Love that for me. 😂
She then reassured me that if it really bothered me, I could try a HIFU facial treatment or even injections (hard pass—I hate needles). But in her opinion? My face looked perfectly fine. In fact, when I told her my age, she looked surprised.
“You look younger than your age! I would’ve guessed 26 or 27. Good job!”
That? That put a smile on my (apparently round, but not square) face. 😌
Learning to Accept Change (Even When It’s Hard)
Here’s the thing—accepting change has never been easy for me. Even when it comes to my weight. I finally have a curvier body, which everyone tells me looks so much better than when I was super skinny. However, do I secretly miss my old body? Yes. Do I stress about not fitting into certain outfits anymore? Also yes.
The truth is, I’ve been used to seeing myself a certain way for most of my life. So now? Even minor changes feel huge. But I’m learning to remind myself: I’m not fat—I’m just not used to this version of me yet.
I’ve always been someone who prioritizes appearance. I like feeling attractive, sexy, and put-together. I take care of myself, not just for vanity but because it makes me feel good. And while I know the most important thing is loving and accepting myself as I am, I won’t pretend it’s always easy.
Thankfully, I have amazing friends and family who balance out my negative self-talk with uplifting compliments. And honestly? That helps more than they know.
So, if you’re in your 30s and feeling some type of way about aging—just know you’re not alone. It’s a weird, funny, sometimes emotional journey. But one thing’s for sure:
We’re still beautiful. We’re still thriving. And, according to my mom, even John Cena has a square face. 🤣
Until then…
X, Hani. ❤
