In my early-to-mid twenties I turned a lot of heads, had clear skin, sharp facial features, pronounced cheekbones, nice head of hair with an amazing barber, got my fair share of compliments, etc. You catch people staring at you and you get appreciative smiles from random women. It was a short-lived period (~3 years) where I transitioned to wearing contacts, dressed well, worked out to get lithe and lean, and found a hairstyle that suited me.

I was vain, stared at myself in the mirror often, and took it for granted figuring I’d age like wine as a karmic reward for growing up the ugly duckling. In the past few months, my skin became a minefield, my hairline receded noticeably, and I started developing noticeable nasolabial folds. The decline came swiftly and thunderously, and I’m in the process of making peace with it. Sometimes I’d pathetically scroll through old photos of myself, but I cut that shit out.

Guys who looked great young and lost it all seemingly overnight, how did you cope?