Charlotte Gainsbourg is considering quitting acting because she is finding it difficult ageing on screen.

The 42-year-old singer-and-actress - who has three children with partner Yvan Attal - finds it ''distressing'' to see how her looks have changed and knows she needs to ''make peace'' with the changes if she doesn't want to give up her career.

She told Marie Claire magazine: ''I don't like ageing and I can see it happening. I find it very distressing.

''Movies are getting hard for me. I don't want to be embarrassed by my appearance when I see myself on film. So I don't have a choice really, either I make peace with the fact that I'm ageing and that my face is getting harsher, or I don't and I quit acting.''

The 'Nymphomaniac' star always thought the anxiety she experienced turning 40 would have abated by now.

She added: ''I find it truly horrible, this between two ages thing - neither too old but no longer young either. I thought turning 40 was the peak, the epitome of horror, but it doesn't get better. The decline doesn't stop.

''I used to think only attractive people suffered from this, but I can assure you plain women like me - although I don't think I'm ugly - suffer quite hard.''

Although she hates getting older, Charlotte is still undecided whether to alter her appearance with cosmetic surgery in a bid to look younger.

She explained: ''I'm not sure I would feel completely comfortable with it, but I'm not promising I won't. For the longest time I was one of those people who thought it was important to 'stay natural' but now I'm faced with the reality of it, I'm changing my mind a bit.

''This help ... I've heard it has to be minimal, so that nobody notices, and you have to do it early on. So I don't know when, but maybe some time soon.''