I look much younger than my age.

[LockdownLoser]

I actually don't! I look my age or there abouts which is fine, its how old I am. But I always get the faux shock, no really? When people ask my age and then tell me I look much younger. I laugh it off and act flattered which seems the apporiate response.

I see it on here a lot where people have been convinced they genuinely look 10 years younger than their age because they get told so all the time. Some do look younger of course but a lot of the time they look round about their age. The picture threads dont help either because everyone is scared to cause offense and guesses 5 years below what they think, or they are spiteful and guess 10 years older than they think.

Are you one of these people who tell everyone how young they look? Why do people do that, are they giving out a compliment, being polite, or just laughing at how the other person laps it up and believes it? Its bizarre, what is wrong with looking your age, and if everyone looks much younger then surley the younger look becomes what that age looks like so again they actually look their age.

Gah, I do this even though I'm staunchly of the opinion that there's nothing wrong with looking your age, and I don't do anything to try and look younger. But I feel like it's socially expected - in fact some people seem to leave a yawning conversational chasm little pause after revealing their age, into which I then feel obliged to throw "Oh gosh, really? Wow, you look great! What's your secret?" Yada yada. It's a bit like if someone says they've gained weight - unless you haven't seen them in years and they've gained 4 stone you're supposed to say "Well I don't know where you're hiding it; it doesn't show!"

Some people do look notable younger than their age, usually they are petite and their skin very "fresh" etc.

I easily got away with knowing decade off until recently!

I automatically got charged as an u15 on a bus in the middle of the school day at 21, hadn't even asked!

I was IDed at 37 and didn't have my driving licence so must have looked a good 12 years younger for challenge 25.

I am regularly IDed, and the date on my driving licence does tend to cause much looking up and down and frowning.

Even 24 hours after being transferred from HDU to maternity ward, the MWs were confused and double checking my DoB as they thought it must have been wrong. I still look young when yellow and bloated up with a spare stone of fluid and ina godawful Mothercare nightie.

At 29, I thought the single bus fare to town sounded cheap and realised it was a child's ticket once I sat down. My company expects teenagers to provide proof for u16 fares. At least my bump wasn't showing under that t-shirt.

I rarely wear make up. I have clear skin and a small build. Many of my relatives look young for their age, often by a decade or so.

People used to think I was 14/15 when I was 28!

I've always looked at least my age - it doesn't bother me.

I'm useless at judging people's ages, so I wouldn't compliment someone on looking young - I'd be more specific and say they had lovely hair, beautiful skin or whatever it was that looked nice.

For me it’s usually when they find out how old my dc are and assume that I had them very young. I feel it’s fake surprise because I know that I look my age.

I look my age and am not bothered by this, age is a privilege, but it does appear to bother a lot of people when they look their age. On fertility threads every other post is about how fit and energetic the couple are despite being 45 and failing to acknowledge that no matter what, a woman's eggs are as old as she is.

Many people believe they look younger than their age but in many cases they are the only ones thinking this. Looking your age is good - why try and be something you’re not.

It's just a polite response isn't it?

No one's going to say 34? Blimey you must have had a hard life, I had you down as late forties. Have you smoked all your life? I'm so sorry you look haggard.

I never ask adults how old they are in conversation. I really couldn't care less and if you do, there are all the tedious social niceties expected after.

Ha, I've been id' within the last couple of years, I'm over 50 and definitely look my age. Some shops here ask their employees to Id everybody.

I sort of get that some feel pressured into the 'oh I never thought that ' when people reveal their age. What is beyond me is that people believe that they look young after forcing the comment.

Most of us look our age +/-10.

Wish I had firm skin again, though.

I don't think everyone is flattering when they say that.

I've felt quite insulted by the implication I had dd very young as it's said 'oooh you must have started young...' in a snide way. I'm fairly sure they are having a go.

In fact I was 26 which is hardly shocking. I don't correct them with my real age if I don't know them as it's frankly none of their business if I was a teen mum.

I’m still getting asked for id at 43. Downside is people now think dh is my dad “did your daughter give you a lift here?”.

He’s sensitive about getting older as he works with a lot of people under 25 & it is not helping him at all.

I’ve put a lot of effort in over the last 21 years and I’d be pissed if it hadn’t worked.

I think,.once you get past about 45, how you move has much more bearing in how old people tink you are, than how you look.

If you manage to get to 50 and stay slim and active , rather than groaning when you get out of the chair, people will assume you're younger than you are.

No one will believe you fluffycloudland77

You can't be thought more than ten years younger than your age on Mumsnet

Sorry but when you do look much younger than your age it is shit.

You get asked for ID for everything, all the time. All I ever wanted was to be able to feel confident going out or buying alcohol but because I knew I would get asked for ID every time I felt anxious and on edge and like I was guilty of something.

This made me realise, I never comment on people's general look.
I may say "oh, I love your new haircut" or "where did you buy that designer face mask?" (= easily changeable stuff that people do by choice). But I never comment on their fundamental appearance, like weight or age, it just seems rude!

Also I don't tend to ask people their age? (there's much more interesting questions, really).
And if they'd tell me, I'd be more likely to say "oh, just like me! So, which side were you: Blur or Oasis?" or "oh, same as my brother/sister/mum/nephew", or "are you planning anything nice for you upcoming 40th birthday", etc.

I looked pretty young til I had my kids and aged two decades in one.

I genuinely do look much younger than my age (42) but I’m not especially pretty or interesting-looking so it’s not like I’m socially benefiting from it. In fact I feel like it’s a bit of disappointment when people find out my age at work. To be early 30s in my position would be quite an accomplishment while to be in my position at my age is just a normal albeit successful career progression. So people who might have been a bit impressed with me suddenly aren’t when they find out my age. I have gone freelance now and I’m glad that birthday cards from the team won’t be a thing anymore 😂

I used to look a lot younger than I was. People used to ask if I’d had oldest DC as a teen mum (was 25) as they didn’t think I looked old enough to have a teen or adult child. My chubby face and the genes from my mother helped.

Now I’ve lost a lot of weight I think I look 10 years older than I am. Wrinkly skin everywhere! Nobody’s been impolite enough to comment on that, only the weight loss so far. I feel great until I look in the mirror . Still trying to decide if it’s better to be fat and knackered but young looking, or slim and fit but looking like a prune .

I’m crap at gauging the age of anyone over about 25 myself so I don’t. I’m quite often shocked that men are a similar age to my DH as he looks about 10-15 years younger than them, to me, but he’s got olive skin and has kept himself very fit.

It’s just polite to tell someone they look younger/good for their age. If it makes them feel good, what’s the harm. I’m happy to pay a compliment like that. I don’t think of it as a lie. If I said “that weight around your hips makes you look so much older!” it would be so horrid all round.

Yes I’m definitely guilty of faux shock at someone’s age. It’s an attempt to be kind / polite I guess. I do it most I think to middle age ladies who maybe are commenting on how I should enjoy my children while they’re young then tell me they have teens/grown children and I usually do a sort of standard ‘no way, you don’t look old enough’ response as I just kind of feel like it’s the right thing to say..? My mum has often complained about the middle age invisibility so maybe I feel it’s important to compliment women of a certain age when given the opportunity..? Not sure.
I myself was often told I looked younger than I was in my 20s / got ID’d etc and although no one has said anything like that to me in forever (maybe having children has aged me) I think it sort of sticks with you as I often think of myself as looking younger than I am when I really doubt I do any more.

Who are these people who are always asking about or telling people their age. I thought that stopped at 6 3/4 and didn't start again until "I'm 87 you know dear".

I go out of my way to compliment people, I think its nice and if I genuinely like a strangers dress or hair or whatever I will say so, but I only give honest comments.

If someone tells me their age and they expect a comment back or leave a pause I would comment on something like the PP, something along the lines of, oh my brother is the same age or whatever.

@Alloverthegrapevine exactly, l never do. Surely it’s something the young and the old do?

OP - I completely agree! 100%.

All these people who post saying ‘Guess my age?!’. With a photo.

I never reply post because clearly they look the 47 - 53 yo that they actually are.

People tell me I look so much younger all the time. I used to believe it and it might have been true. But now I think nah, I look exactly the age I am - and that’s fine.