People saying you look young for your age

I have similar but just say thanks and joke that it was rubbish looking younger than my age in my teens

They definitely can be linked. hEDS specifically causes you to have soft velvety skin because of a lack of collagen, but it obviously isn’t as durable as normal skin so aging often happens all at once as you’ve described. I remember going on a work placement from my university when i returned to education as a mature student. I mentioned something about my daughter and a woman said ‘as do you have a toddler’ and i said no she’s 12 and she just stared at me and blurted ‘You must have had her at 9 years old??’ 😆😆😆 I said how old did you think i am? she replies about 20? I was 39 😆

Clearly, the only solution to this dreadful problem is to horribly disfigure yourself.

This made me chuckle, I always used to get told I look way younger than I am, around 10 years knocked off.... loved it 🤣 even after having children.
I hit 40 and I felt like I aged over night but then I somehow managed to attract my DP who is 10 years younger than me.....so that was an insane boost lol

I get it. When I was 35 people throught I was 25, and I had the same reactions from people as you. It's difficult to know how to react, and can feel uncomfortable. It may not last much longer though, I'm now 41 and had a difficult few years (close bereavement x2, caring for terminally ill Dad, and i got divorced) so I have definitely aged in the last few years. Nowadays no one is ever surprised by my age when they ask, and it does sting a bit considering I used to find it so uncomfortable by being told I looked so young. I now can't remember the last time I was told I looked young for my age, so do try to enjoy it whilst it lasts. I must be fickle because I miss it now 😂

I used to get this when I was in my 30s. Whilst it was flattering I found it frustrating in a work setting. Meeting with external people, particularly men, involved being patronised or ignored because I was assumed to be young and inexperienced. There was one occasion when a salesman literally laughed in my face when he found out I was the Head of Department!

It's a while since I've seen one of these really, really believable "I'm ## years old but people keep saying I look like a foetus and I HATE it!!" threads

Give it 10 years , enjoy it why you can !

I get this constantly and I bloody love it 😂

They're always enjoyable though! Someone inevitably jumps the shark.

I get that and I’m 45

Just say thankyou.. l get it a lot and im 67.. but l take after my Gran who always told me to drink loads of water and moisturise.. moisturise and moisturise.. which l have. I also cannot raise my eyebrows so no frown lines. I don't smoke or drink alcohol.. Last weekend l went to a Cure concert with my 21 year old Grandson.. three times it got mentioned that l was his Mum.

😆

To be fair, you could have been.

My nana used to say “I’m as old as my tongue and a little bit older than my teeth”. In her day (born around 1900s) it was rude to try and learn a lady’s age.

From mid 40s I have had a lot of “you don’t look your age”. I think it is just something polite to say. My 97 yr old mother says that people say it to her. I would have said ten years ago it was not true, but sadly she does look her age.

My default response is “thanks”. If pushed it would be “good genes I reckon”. It is a bit like when people ask how are you, they really don’t want to hear about your hernia surgery.

I am amazed that people are so utterly obsessed by their own looks. Imagine even starting this thread, Jesus fucking wept 😆 I just cannot fathom being this completely and utterly self obsessed, I can't imagine the thought processes of anyone so deeply self involved they even thought about writing this down - and then actually did it! I thought this was sort of conceited behaviour was confined to the utter narcissists who grace our presence through Hollywood and the likes of the Kardashians. Turns out they walk among us 😅

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.

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 😂

You definitely look your age….

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

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.

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

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!!

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!”

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.

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