Anyone with Face blindness? Looking for tips

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I've always had face blindness and it's always caused problems socially with people thinking I'm rude. But I swear it's getting worse with age. I saw someone who I've seen weekly for 12 weeks outside of their usual setting this week and didn't recognise them at all until I twigged her accent. It's causing problems in work when I can spend all evening with them at a networking event then not recognise them again.

Other than making physical notes on someone's appearance- which in itself I can see getting me into trouble- any help or suggestions? Thanks 😊

I remember/identify people by one specific feature, eg tattoo, scar, eye colour discrepancy, wonky tooth etc etc rather than trying to recognise them as a whole, if that makes sense. Of course, my technique fails miserably when there’s nothing remarkable about them and they’re just non-descript! Also caused some bemusement to a colleague when he asked me “which one is Mary again?” and I replied with “she has a scar on her right eyebrow from a piercing” 😂

I try that, but I'm worried one day it'll get me in trouble I.e. Bob with the big nose I get mixed up with Dave who looks nothing like him but also has a big nose!!!

I'm very faceblind (like can't recognise my family if I'm not expecting to see them), especially with men, and like you it seems to be getting worse with age. Firstly, tell people you're faceblind... It sometimes helps them understand when you 'blank' them in other situations.

During events, I try to look at what people are wearing. In general, I can most often recognise people by mannerisms.

Honestly, my main coping mechanism is profuse apologies!

I'm faceblind and recognise people when they speak. My neighbour walked towards me on a path a few weeks ago and I had no idea where I knew him from until he spoke. I think people think I'm rude. I don't have any tips but I'm interested to hear suggestions

Agree with Mona - be honest. People don't mind half as much when they know it's not something you can help.

I do similar to pps. I sometimes try to think of a reason why the person looks like their name. Like: 'He looks like a David because he's tall and bald like David in accounts". Or I make up a rhyme "that's Gill over there, thin with red hair". Mixed success, though,

I'm a little bit faceblind. I'm Ok with people I've known for years.

I try and concentrate on remembering at least 2 features, as I know 'brown hair' won't get me very far, but a combo of things might. If it is just for one event, I take note of something distinctive they are wearing.

It was the bane of my life when I worked for big corporates. I work for a tiny company now where I have everyone well memorised so I think I'd even recognise them out of context.

I only recently found out this is a thing. I am fine with people I know well but acquaintances are very difficult to recognise if not in the usual setting or unexpected meeting.
I have been very embarrassed several times. I try and have an excuse ready like I haven’t got my contact lenses in. I hate to lie but don’t want to hurt people’s feelings. I also try to remember to not use somebody’s name in case it is the wrong one and to just let them lead the conversation in the hope that this will give me a clue who they are.

I tell people I’m faceblind and that if I see them out of context and appear to blank them, just to speak to me and I’ll recognise their voice.

My Dad still got really offended when I didn’t recognise him when meeting in London last year. That was almost worse because I was expecting to see him at that time and in that place.

I’ve given up being embarrassed about it because I genuinely can’t help it.

Yes! I have definitely upset people by failing to recognise them because they are out of context and I don’t have my usual strategies to help. It does make me anxious, I now go the other way and end up grinning at random strangers, being effusively friendly etc because I think I might know them, which is also not ideal! I try to mention it to people now, I’m just really up front - when I get to know people or work with new people, I explain that if I don’t appear to recognise them, please don’t think I’m rude, this is why, and it really helps if you can say hi Babyshambles, it’s Dave from the IT team at work, or something like that. People are generally really kind and supportive after that. I also find it helps to explain it’s a recognition thing, not a memory thing - once I’ve recognised them everything is there, I’m going to remember our last conversation, etc, because people seem to assume that it’s like amnesia. I have really tried to work on techniques to “fix” people better but for me it just doesn’t work, too many things can change!!

Keep phone with you at all times.
take pic of each new person you meet as soon as you meet them and record name.
Every time someone you don’t recognise says hi, pull out phone, say “ wait a minute“ and scroll through rogues gallery until you find a match.
You’ll look like a loon but it will solve your problem!
You’re welcome.

This is the bane of my life. I’ve not recognised my own Daughter twice when seen out of context!
Now menopause has kicked in I can’t even recall memorable features snd mannerisms half the time.
Hoping someone has some tips

I’ve not recognised my own kids on occasion too.

Another one with this relatively mildly. Okay with people I see regularly. I naturally remember hairstyles which is less than useful. Definitely better with how people move and voices.

I do tell everyone I am bad at recognising people to hopefully avoid upsetting them when I have to ask how I know them.

Yes, I can relate to that! I think people think I just haven't been paying attention, whereas I can recall the whole conversation about your nans knee op as soon as I've worked out who you are!!

I’m faceblind. No tips other than using other cues to identify people. The only time I’ve got seriously confused is when i couldn’t distinguish two colleagues in a meeting because they were both petite with blonde hair!

I have failed to recognise my own family.

I'm faceblind. It can be so embarrassing. I have to check people's hairstyle, hair colour, size of nose but if someone changes their hairstyle or dyes their hair, I'm stumped.

yup, another one who has a degree of face blindness here. Im not so bad with family I see all the time but Im terrible with friends and colleagues.
What makes it worse is that I work in a very multicultural environment and often Im the only white person out of 6 or 8 people....all in identical uniforms!
Everytime I confuse someone Im convinced they think Im something Im not!!😆

Me too. It’s really awkward. Especially when you think you’re talking to one person and then they turn up in the room as well…

I just tell people now that I can’t recognise people I’ve just met, and that once I’ve learned their characteristics I’m lost again if they change something.

Also, anyone else have problems following plots on TV when they have characters with the similar features?

What a fascinating thread.
My DH has Aspergers and face -blindness (prosopagnosia), he often doesn't recognise his own sister or his dad for example. He can't follow films at all. We don't bother watching films together.
Do many of you also have ASD?

One thing I find extremely difficult is dealing with this with people of different races. I am so scared of coming across as racist when I fail to recognise people of other ethnicities.

I also can recognise people when they're in the context of where they're meant to be but outside of that I struggle.

I never really came up with a good solution. Now I'm older and need glasses (but rarely wear them out and about) I blame that. Oh so sorry I don't have my glasses on!

The one side advantage I found was getting over break ups relatively easily! If you can't remember someone's face I think you miss them less.

I also struggle with some TV shows and getting characters mixed up. If a new season of something I follow is coming on, I always have to watch the last episode of the previous season as otherwise I'll forget who everyone is.

I have this. As a school librarian it was an absolute nightmare. Some kids would come to the library three or four times a day. And I just wouldn't be able to recognise them. They would say Miss I've been here three times today how can you not remember me? I was mortified. Fortunately my colleague was excellent at greeting them by name because she knew I was struggling. I did eventually have a poster over my desk explaining my condition. Made the kids laugh. Me, not so much.

Oh gosh I really feel for you. I'm face blind until I've met someone at least 3 times. I've been so embarrassed at times. I was introduced to a manager of a section on another floor once then I was asked to drop by and see him. I couldn't remember what he looked like at all.
I never recognise acquaintances and neighbours in a different location until they speak.
I often try to remember by hairstyles and hair colour but I'm lost if someone decides to have a change.
I've just practiced the "oh I'm so sorry! I'm in a world of my own" line to save me from embarrassment many a time.
Usually because I remember people from their voice, I am get away with it.

Not everybody has a distinctive tattoo or a scar, unfortunately! It's really frustrating.