Are women 25+ "past their prime"?

Question

I hear this going around a bit, that women 25+ are less desirable and have much fewer options than below 25. Even in certain cultures, if a woman isn't married by that age she's likely to become an embarrasment to her family.

I just got out of a long relationship and don't plan to get back into one anytime soon. I'd like to spend this time focusing on myself and my personal development. I do believe that if it's meant to be, I'll find my person (even if and when I'm 60).

However, there's still that voice in the back of my head telling me that my good years are behind me.

So I want to know what you think. What would make someone to be considered "past their prime"?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I don't think so at all. Actually, there are a lot of people who reach their primes later in life, like 30-40. My family is full of late bloomers like that and it looks like I'm going to follow suit (I'm 24).

I am also focusing on my personal development and am currently on a hiatus from dating. If you feel that is what is right for you, do it and ignore what others say! The way I view it is if I meet the right person and decide I'd like to try dating them, I always can, but I'm not actively looking to date at the moment and am focusing on other things until then.

I also know of plenty of people who didn't meet their current spouses until 40+ or even 50+. There's still plenty of time to find a spouse. Even if you want kids, you still can typically have them well into your 30's.

To me, 25 is still very young and an age where you still have a lot of good years left. Many people don't start aging or going downhill until many years after that. I think more like 30 is the average person's prime, though some are even later than that. But, some people also peak at 18. It's all dependent on the individual person.

As far as what is considered past your prime, that's probably dependent on the person as well. An older person who doesn't look as young as they once did but still takes great care of themselves and looks good may not be in their prime for beauty, having children, etc., but they're certainly not "past their prime" in the sense of being able to attract a partner.

I've seen comments on here where guys have said that girls past 18 or 21 are past their prime, look old, not hot anymore, etc., and I honestly don't know where they get that, because most people still have a lot of childlike features leftover at below those ages and are well before their primes, and most girls past those ages are not looking old or declining at all. It depends on genetics, how well you take care of yourself, etc. I don't see where people think past 25 is past your prime, either.

KTsnugglez · Accepted Answer

No ones worth is measured by how many years they've been alive. Its an arbitrary number. Anyone who thinks otherwise is shallow and deluded.

Maraneva · Accepted Answer

The cultural stuff of women being left out and labelled as embarrassments are just the ignorance arising out of the birdbrains of the so-called 'Elite' people of the early times.
Quite honestly any woman in her twenties and thirties would be such a treasure cause she'd mostly be more mature than late teens.
When I was just turning 20, I fell in love with a 27 year old woman. She never seemed to be 'past her prime' Although it sucks that she had to leave the world soon, man I loved her.
As for the pity looks, don't worry even I get them despite barely being 23. Gossip will always be floating around. Just don't give heed to it🤗

MrMickeyD · Accepted Answer

each to their own but I believe the only embarrassment to be had is not to be true to yourself and marry into something you are not happy with regardless of families wants or beliefs.
I believe women have more to offer above 25 ..
They generally have worked out more about themselves and what floats their boat and what they want in a guy and in life..
so less headaches..
Besides women don't sexually peak until their late twenties early thirties.
Pretty damn desirable to me.

Pinay_ako · Answer

Honey, if you're past your prime, I am wayyyy past that. Embrace yourself no matter what age you are. You can still make your years the best years of your life. Life is what you make it :)

centerline · Answer

absolutely NOT!
women (and men) under about 30 have a lot of learning and growing up to do... people under 30ish are still struggling to make something of themselves, and most are sensitve to the gossip that travels around about them...
once a woman gets older (and men), she has a better sense of what is valuable in life, and what she wants from her life...

almost all men want a young thing as a playtoy, but as a partner in life we want someone who is experienced and knows a good man when she sees one and his value in her life...

for the most part, the under 25 crowd seems to think they are invincible and will stay young forever, and they act like the world belongs to them and think anyone older than 30 is "over the hill". and not relevant anymore... but they haven't lived long enough to know how life really works...

you have lots of time to do as you please, so keep living, learning and take care of yourself properly and you will never have a problem attracting a decent man no matter how old you are...

Passinggas · Answer

"good years are behind me" this is always true as a perception. If you are currently not happy with your present, the past is the good times. Here this sucks to think about it: "Although men have more muscle mass than women, both sexes reach their physical peak as young adults or anywhere from their late 20's to early 30's, according to “Human Development: A Life-Span View” by Robert Kail and John Cavanaugh. After this point, your physical strength will decline slowly throughout the remaining years of your life. Sensory abilities peak in your early 20's. Depending on the individual, vision typically begins to deteriorate in middle age. However, hearing starts to decline in your late 20's. The ability to taste, smell, balance and feel pain or changes in temperature, remains the same until your later years."

GraveDoll · Answer

Who put this much thought into this.

Anyone can be out of prime if you not doing anything productive in your life.

At 25 I finally actually feel like I have a bit more control over my life.

And guess what my dating card is never empty. So not sure where you live but no I think it how you view life and yourself.

I do not fear to get older and in my family, the women get prettier the older they get and a strong sense of self.

which will take you further than your age. Considering all of us are getting old every day.

Browneye57 · Answer

Uh, no, actually right in the middle of their prime.
Peak SMV for the ladies is 23-25. The problem with passing 30 isn't so much your value as much as that you now have to compete with much younger women in the dating pool. Now 40 and your chances of landing a quality mate diminish to the miniscule. All the good guys are snapped up and married by then, you got the leftovers, the nerds, rejects, and divorcees with kids in tow.
I advise young women to no squander their youth and beauty, for it is their greatest asset. And don't ride the cock-carousel for a decade and THEN decide you should snag a good one - you'll become a reject after rejecting all those great prospects hoping one of those fuk-boyz will commit. Ain't never happening. And you're not the better for dropping-trou for them in an effort to gain commitment.

Poppykate · Answer

I am really disliking our current culture. It’s sooo obsessed with youth. Ask your grandma/grandfather if they think that 25 is pass your prime! They will laugh at you! As long as you are living and breathing, and making a positive contribution to the world around you- you are in your prime!

Anonymous · Answer

No spider lady if you look after yourself like my wife your best years is still in front of you. Don't go looking for a man, you will find the right man. My age on this profile wrong, I am in fact 66, and my second wife 62, We met 24 years ago, and have now been married for more than 20 years. Our eyes met and the rest is history, people have commented to us are you still on honeymoon, we say we think so. It is hard work maintaining a good marriage. Hold back with the kids, they are just a hell of a lot of work and does not allow your relationship to grow. For the people, please make peace with your wife before going to bed, tell her you are sorry all the time, it's your fault, the fights will decrease to almost zero. THERE ARE A FEW VERY GOOD MEN OUT THERE. I wish you all the best, life is short so enjoy your life put on some makeup and start to go out with your nice female friends. DO NOT BECOME A PUMP AND DUMP WOMEN

6lacier · Answer

Although in some ways, women are hottest just around the time they reach adulthood, that does not mean other women aren't hot. Also, very young women can be flaky, immature, and just not all that interesting.

When guys say women are past their prime at 25+, those are probably sexually frustrated and bitter guys trying to feel better about themselves by putting down women. Their logic is that "No one wants me, but at least women don't age well, so soon the tables will be turned." Honestly, that does not match reality in my experience. Middle-aged women seem to have no problem whatsoever attracting attractive men.

Anonymous · Answer

Just eat well, don't drink or drink only a little bit, no smoking, exercise, and try to live a peaceful life I look younger than my age and on and off younger men show interest in passing because they don't know how old I am. I dress modestly. Very little make up or no makeup. I'm 58.

You will be fine. You haven't even hit your prime yet so life will be good.

OfDeath · Answer

Yes. And so are men. This is human biology. Are physical prime is actually just as we reach adulthood and the next few years after that. Then the number of cells we lose outnumbers the ones we can renew.
Even mentally it is pretty much like this. They say if a physicist never comes up with a phenomenal breakthrough of a theory by the time they reach 30, they never will.

Even when it comes to tennis players. They say if a player doesn't win a grand slam by age 25 the chances of them ever doing it drop off a cliff.

someguy81 · Answer

I think people traditionally think people should be married and have kids at a certain point in their life, preferably earlier in their lives like their mid to late 20s. I think it's just because that's the "norm", or at least, on average, that's when most people seem to do it. You just have to realize that you are in charge of your own happiness and shouldn't do what others expect. Starting a family is an important decision that changes your life literally, you should be in charge of that decision.

ThatDude29 · Answer

Your comments sound perfect to me. I would feel horrible to judge a girl simply because she is over 25. I've dated a girl much older than me once (me 27, she was 33). Women are still human. I agree with you. People tell me as a guy to get married wherever i go... so i guess it happens. I just don't let it get to me.

0112358 · Answer

They are in a very literal sense “past their peak” in that women from about 21-25 are at the highest demand and higher than any age group of men. Does prime mean peak? Well that’s vague.

There’s no magic cliff. Past age 25 for women and about age 30 for men there’s a slow constant decline on average. Women’s peak is indeed earlier then men’s, jumps slightly higher than men ever hit and then are a little bit below the later peaking men from 28 onward.

But that mild difference is small. What’s really more the case is that early 20s women have a huge advantage relative to similarly aged men. And that doesn’t last.

MercuryG · Answer

25 is when your brain stops growing and hormones start to calm down. Honestly I'd say 25 is the START to the window of being in your prime. You start to actually be able to really make an impact in a career, build meaningful stuff and true long term relationships, really start to understand the stuff you explore. It's the age where you really have to start figuring out adulthood.

Yeah... Welcome to being an actual adult. Strap on because your priorities and perspective are about to shift.

Bandit74 · Answer

Well probably, but that doesn't mean that nobody wants them anymore. They just aren't quite as in demand as they were when they were in their early 20s. Guys lose desirbility as they age too especially with receding hairlines, it just isn't as big of a change for us because most guys are never sexualized as much as the average 20 year old woman is. So basically we fall from grace too but its not as big of a fall because we were never put on as high of a pedestal. Also even in your 30s I still think the average women has a lot more options and can find a partner easier than the average guy can.

I think the people that say women lose all their desirability after 25 are generally guys who desperately want to believe that the tables eventually turn and guys finally get the upper hand.

oddwaffle · Answer

25? No
30? No
35+? Maybe

More like breeding season. Pass 35, your fertility rate sort of fall. Not like a cliff but like a slope downward.

Your eggs have been in preserved for like what? 17 years? Yeah, they are getting a bit stale and some of them hit their expiry date.

Consider most food products would go bad after 10 years or so in storage, it's not that bad.

DanishSaint · Answer

Not at all! Quite the contrary I would say actually...

A woman is more attractive when she gets to a point in life where she has gained a certain knowledge of life, a certainty in herself and feels confident enough to be and act herself, without being afraid of how people might think about her. Getting to that point, however, takes some time and is rarely achieved until late 20s early 30s :)

shimmeryns · Answer

If its just dating, falling in love and being in a relationship -- no. You can find your soulmate at any age.

But if you're thinking to have children, then its best to have one as early as possible. Maternal age is a risk factor for down syndrome, at 49 you have 1 in 10 chance of having a baby with down syndrome.

grantlee123 · Answer

There is no hard age for when someone is past their prime it depends on heaps of different factors such as how well they take care of themselves (do they smoke and binge drink or do they follow good nutrition and workout) and genetics etc.

A women who doesn't smoke, doesn't binge drink all the time, eats a healthy well balanced diet, works out lifting weights and doing cardio could essentially be in their prime or close to it up into their forties.

A women who smokes a lot, does drugs, binge drinks a lot, follows a bad diet and never works out could be well past their prime at 20.

DWornock · Answer

Well it depends. I watch a lot of Korean dramas and some Korean girl group song videos. Most of Korean drama stars are over 25 and they are beautiful. Google the girl group "APink" all six girls are about age 25 and they are gorgeous.

It appears that Asians age less rapidly than Caucasian women. Certainly, there are beautiful 25 year old Caucasian American girls. However, that is pushing it. If our very recent (last 100 years) modern society didn’t dictate otherwise, girls peak at age 16 and it’s downhill from there.

In our current society where being attracted to teenage girls is a “No no” and strongly censored, girls desirability for marriage peaks at age 21 and goes downhill from there. There may not be a big drop from 21 to 25, but definitely women age 27 and above cannot compete with their 18 to 21 year old counterparts.

Are women 25+ "past their prime"?

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