People saying you look young for your age

I think people automatically compare you to the oldest looking person they know who is the same age. I’m 59 and get it all of the time. I think I look 59, but I look after myself and I’m not weathered at all, loads of my friends look the same as me, I don’t think I’m some sort of genetic marvel lol. But there’s also a lot of people my age who look wrinklier and dress in clothes I wouldn’t wear as I’d associate them more with my 82 year old mother, and those are the people I’m being compared to.

Interesting. I had the DC quite late, in my mid/late 30s and DD is 28. I think having children who are young relative to me had helped and working of course, with younger people and staying tethered to "life". And doing an intellectually tough job that keeps the brain cells churning.

Not sporty but active and always doing something.

Then, of course, the genes. My mother is nearly 90 and still looks fab despite some serious conditions. Her DH is 8 years younger and she's always said "you're as old as the man you feel".

I supppse it's a combination of things but largely it's about outlook and thinking yiung helps.

Same but early 60’s. I fucking love it! People are always shocked that I have a daughter in her 40’s!!

Although I think it’s for a variety of reasons. I work with young people in their 30’s, dress like them and do a very adventurous stuff in my spare time.

i don’t think I actually look that young but they (being so young) don’t think that someone double their age can be fit and still play a team sport.

But hey I don’t care, I love it anyway.

I’ve always looked young for my age. Even now, in my 50s. I laugh it off and just say “I’ve got good genes”.

@Percypiggz sometimes people just say it to be polite and fill conversation.

I’m 40s and get mistaken for 30 most of the time. In general I enjoy looking young (knowing one day it will catch up with me), but I don’t enjoy it at work as I feel people don’t take me seriously. My DH also looks very young for his age and feels the same about work.

Exactly that. I don’t go about my life thinking about how old or young i look, it’s just a fact of my life that people have brought it up lots of times. It’s a objective fact that I have very few lines and wrinkles for my age because of my connective tissue disorder, it’s one of the diagnostic criteria. I dye my hair ludicrous colours because it brings me joy and it’s definitely the case that people have assumed i’m younger because typically that’s a thing younger people do. It’s not a boast in my case, looking young doesn’t equal looking better to me.

A bit of an aside to all this, but my family genuinely all look incredibly young and are hyper mobile... Until this thread I had no idea there was a connection!!!

Rapid ageing yikes! Yeah I can see how that might happen! I think for me it’s also partly because of my mannerisms and I have a round-ish face and I’m short-ish.

That’s so funny. Some people probably thought your kid was your little sister when you were younger! 😆

I dont have kids but my mate was a 7th grade teacher in the US. I went to visit her class when I was staying with her and they all started expressing their excitement that a new student was joining. To be clear “the new student” was me and I was 25!

And btw for the people who keep saying we are stealth boasting (or lying) we’re really not. Or I’m not anyway.
Just because no one has thought you were considerably younger it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

As I said before, plenty of my friends who are considered to look older look better than me. Looking young does not equal looking good.
I remember an absolute beautiful slim well groomed girl of age 21 said she wants to look like me when she was my age.

I am 💯certain she did not actually want to look like me, but just wanted to look as young as me!

People really have no clue how other adults look. I've been told I don't look 40+ as have my peers of the same age. Generally those over 60 or under 30 are surprised that we are old enough to have teens or young adult dc.

That is just how (female,) adults look now .It is rare to meet someone a similar age who looks 'old' .

I agree that very elderly people look very elderly, although some are less weathered than others . It is how they carry themselves and act that makes them appear more youthful.

Saying someone looks 'good ' for their age is compliment, saying they look young is an observation. There are many unattractive young people.

😂♥️

@AmethystDeceiver ,yes I agree to some extent, but I look at a lot of old old people move, and they just existing,

Well yes kinda... My dad and granddad both died young so I try and view getting old as a gift that not everyone is given, and so fuck the wrinkles and gray hair, it beats the alternative!!

@AmethystDeceiver I was exactly the same , had both my children before my mid twenties, in my 30s in my 40s when they used to introduce me to their friends especially female friends I used to be able to see their brains working to see how old I was my boys always used to come back and say to me I was asked twice today how old you were. .. Getting old is shit

23 is oddly specific.

People do it to me. I’m 4’8” with a baby face. I’m 30 and I think I look 30. My friends don’t look like they’re in their 30s either to be honest and when I give my ID in, people apologise and say “oh wow you look 23!!” Yeah I know, I’ve not grown since I was 11. 🤣

Bloody hell lighten up, they are simply saying you have nice skin, look healthy and fresh.

Yup! My (asd, lovely) 23 year old son recently said to me "your friends must be happy you're finally starting to look your own age" after admiring my Cruella DeVille silver streak 😁 thanks son!

Until recently I've always looked young and I had my first when I was 22 but looked about 17, so it's always been a thing. Most people don't mean to offend and it really doesn't last.

Ahhh, I miss that.

Until I was 44 ish I always got it. I did always look really young for my age.

I’m 47 now and I’ve had an absolutely shit few years and every bit of stress, worry and depression is now etched on my face. I look so different, I hardly recognise myself and my family comment on it. I’m like the painting in Dorian Grays attic.

I now say my age and people nod rather than looking shocked and going, “Oh, no way!”

Same here with the EDS & hypermobility. I'm now 48, nearly 49. It got incredibly grating whilst in my 30s and I ended up taking drastic action by allowing my hair to grow out into the natural 100% grey it is now- that stopped the comments mostly 😄
There are many reasons why someone may look young but I absolutely understand why it grates on you, although I'm kind of loving the fact that I've got practically no wrinkles at all, just a couple of lines across my forehead- I'll look great at 80!!

People say it to me a lot
Im 47 and I don’t look any younger tbh. People also feign shock with I say my kids are adults.
Tbh people say it because it’s meant to be nice or a compliment- most don’t genuinely think you’re 10 years younger

I've was told I look good for my age on my birthday this year by work colleagues. I have no idea if they were just being polite or not. Probably they were. I had completely forgotten those comments until now.

I find it all a bit grotesque, this level of self obsession. Not a natter for me, just a head shaker.

You definitely look your age….

I am joking, but come on it’s just a bit of natter

I’m late 30’s and sometimes still get id’d. People seem genuinely surprised at my age. Sometimes with new people I’ll be talking about house stuff or DD and I’ll see them frown and ask how old I am. It’s like they can’t believe I’d have a kid or a mortgage or a long career, surely?

I’m sort of ok with it now though. I hated, hated, hated it when I was younger. Especially because my younger sister used to get confused for the older one (and when you’re a teenager that’s devastating haha!). The other day I got id’d when I was with my boyfriend who is in his 40’s, he quite honestly looked disgusted that someone would think he was dating someone too young to buy alcohol 😂

My mum always found it uncomfortable when people said she looked young as it meant they assumed she’d had my older brother in her teens!

Personally I like it, I’m in my 50s and have been told I look 30s by many people. It’s probably because I’m a bit chubby so my face is filled out - when I lose weight I look a lot older! But I’ll take it. Someone mistook me for being pregnant not that long ago, and while it’s insulting that they think my stomach is that big, I’m also weirdly flattered that I don’t look old enough to be menopausal!

No awkwardness needed, just say ah thanks and move on.