Whats your secret if you regularly get told you look younger than your age

[AnandaKonda]

I think it is largely genetics .. do things like sun screen, water, diet, yoga etc really help?

Hair

Just staring at my 62 year old face in the mirror (yes even at 4.30am ), I cannot see any wrinkles. NOT saying I am beautiful or anything like that but because I am overweight I think that helps prevent wrinkles.

My friend the same age, we met at nursery school, is very fit, cycles everywhere, vegetarian diet, never drinks, never smoked, not an ounce of fat on her - her face is extremely wrinkled .... surely it’s just luck of genetics?

@Ragworth

I am the same I am 60 and I have been told I look about 45. I have round face big eyes and good figure. I am not too slim and wear either a size 10 or 12 because I have biggish boobs size 36 DD.

I actually feel more confidence now than when I was 20 which is strange because I was quite attractive then.

Good genetice, thank you Nana.

I was ID'd buying alcohol a week before I was 40.

I don't wear make up and I don't go out in the sun. I have had quite a stressful life but the genetics has certainly helped.

I've been very lucky with my hair, I have quite a lot of grey but it looks more like highlights so I've gone from mousy to looking blonde.

I have noticed that about six months after retiring my teacher friends look between five and ten years younger. On a recent reunion of mostly retired teachers I noticed that they all looked good but the ones who watched their weight looked better overall than the ones who didn’t, even though the latter had smoother faces.

I am quite small and skinny but the lack of weight has told in my face which is going a bit jowly with nothing to plump it out. When I was very ill recently and lost eight pounds in four days my face was haggard and wrinkly. Getting back to normal has mostly sorted this out. However, clothes look OK on me.

A French actress once said that after a certain age a woman had to choose between her face and her *rse.

Genes DM is 70 plus but looks 60 if that.
Natural hair no greys, which i put down to my 'don't give a fuck' attitude to life's stresses.
Lots of laughter.
A rigorous approach to skincare and commitment ti spf50+
I find dog walks-outdoor excersise twice daily and drinking plenty of water helps, as does always having been 'cute' looking, never pretty or beautiful

I get told I look much younger, which is annoying at the moment because at 29 I need to look my age and not be dismissed for being a young kid or at best an intern at work. I guess it's mainly genetics , (I have an inconsistent skincare regime), I drink a lot of water it is my drink of choice at restaurants, parties anywhere, I eat clean most of the time but love all the "bad" food so I tend to cook everything from scratch if I'm craving pizza, burgers etc., I also avoid the sun like the plague and sunscreen is my friend. DH is mid forties is mistaken for early thirties, late twenties- he has an extensive skin care regime (glycolic peels monthly, sunscreen, expensive face creams), he jogs every night and is very strict with his diet, only drinks water, tbh he has great genes and is obsessive with his appearance so it pays off doubly. I'm more laid back and just dont want to be confused for a child.

Genetics. Not giving a shit about excessive personal grooming.
Genetics , really. My Mum was gorgeous. I take after my Dad physically, (sadly) but I must have enough of her genes where it "matters".

My mum is mid-50s and looks early 40s. My Grandma's were/are both mid-70s and looked so good for their age, especially the one who lives abroad. My Dad is often mistaken for being younger than he is by the carers who visit him. I'm just going to say for us, its genetics and some good old melanin especially helped when you've been moisturising since birth and have had a healthy diet most of your life. I have no wrinkles, not one grey hair, face is still plump no lines on my forehead etc and btw I do smoke and have the occasional drink

It's like a switch for me, I was not not able to by alcohol without ID before 40 now I am lucky on those days when I actually look like my age (45)! I think stress has caused me to age

Some people genuinely can look a lot more than 5 years younger than they are. I work in a healthcare setting so I know how old the patients are. Lots of people do. It look their age (older or younger!)
I think the secret is genetics, not drinking much, not smoking, and factor 50 SPF every single day.

Genetics for sure! All the women in my family look much younger than they are... we all look exceeding similar as well which leads to much confusion at large gatherings.

I do however notice that fine lines start to appear when I lose weight which is disconcerting but alas we can’t have everything in life.

I’ve always used good quality skincare products, but don’t go overboard on too many steps or harsh chemicals as it does my skin no good. I wear very little make up day to day as I find that seems to age me to a certain extent compared to being fresh faced.

I’m very fair skinned so wear SPF on my face year round and usually wear a wide brimmed hat the closer we get to the equator whilst abroad.

I drink very little alcohol now, and haven’t smoked for the last 7 years but I doubt that has much impact as those variables are distributed through the family and don’t seem to make a difference.

I'm absolutely loving your replies! Gosh, definitely food for thought!

Lampan you are so right, my DM is regularly asked to repeat her DOB when she gives it In health care settings, she was born in 1935 and looks (& acts) so much younger than her late 80s.

On the rare occasion I have accompanied her to a medical appointment she really stands out in the waiting room as she does look young ( rare because she is fiercely independent and prefers to go to appointments on her own without me or my father dragging along ).

Her positive approach to life really helps as well, she does a voluntary role and is often commenting on the ‘youngsters’ who step down from the role in their late 60s!

It's not your lucks, it's your personality and energy and this is whether you are thin or fat or inbetween.

The saddest thing I recently saw when going to a middlish class bistro at lunchtime was loads of women, tweeked plucked and manicured into an inch of their lives, dressed perfectly for the occasion ... it was like something from Roald Dahl's The Witches.

Good genes
Always kept my face out of the sun
Drink lots of water
Have my hair professionally cut and coloured every 5-6 weeks

I think it might be to do with state of mind too.

If you keep your finger on the pulse to a certain extent, people assume you’re younger.

Also, don’t get fat, don’t wear your hair too ‘done’ and tidy, and try to dress in a way that’s fairly current, rather than slavishly following fashion. Watch your makeup as well - I’m finding I’m having to adapt a bit as my skin ages to avoid the ’Shirl from Eastenders’ look.

Those are my personal rules, anyway.

@ILikeyourhairyhands its scientifically proven that smoking damages the skin - but I understand that its just one factor. Your photos are lovely.

I get told all the time I look very young for my age, and I’m 36. However, I don’t like the narrative, that to be younger is to be more beautiful. Where appropriate, I reply to compliments saying I love being my age and I guess what they are telling me is that Iook ‘healthy’ which I am equally grateful for. I am short (big factor) and mixed race (biologically melanin protects against sun damage).

Genes I guess. But also my figure as I am a 45 year old with a body of a teenager. Basically I never changed since I was 12! I am petite, wear xs in size and I have a small face.
I have been incredibly annoyed by it until few years ago as it was difficult to gain trust and respect in my profession looking so young.
However, as I recently had a baby I started to see the benefits of it as I don't really look like an older mother.
Other elements might be I don't drink or smoke and I exercise regularly. Done that all my life.
Something playing against aging well is that I used to sunbath A LOT in my twenties. Like really a lot and really bad. I am from a southern european country, where getting a tan from April to October was the norm. That involved sunbathing at lunch time every day, not applying suncream to get darker, regularly using tanning booths in winter.... I am regretting it so so much, I don't even know what I was thinking.... I guess I can blame lack of correct information and that it was the 'norm' back then and there...still.... As a result I have the hands of an old lady, with sun spots (that funnily enough came out after living in the UK for 15+ years, limited exposure to the sun and now that I apply suncream EVERY DAY), very creased skin and looking awful in general.
I wonder why the rest of the body/face is unaffected by it. But I don't complain!

user1471523870 you are so right about the hands! Old lady sun spotted wrinkly hands do age you. Good that you wear suncream now. Its not just that the hands look old, it's that you are so prone to skin cancer from over exposure.

Definitely genetics, I'm constantly IDed at 40 and everyone assumes I'm younger than I am (don't really see it myself) but it's nothing I've done.
I'm really lax at skincare, don't have the greatest diet or drink enough water and I've definitely had more than my fair share of trauma and stress.

I did recently find a grey pube though..

Yes God forbid one might look like an "older mother"
Yanno if there was less ageism, towards women especially, it just wouldn't matter to look your age. I'm sure I look mine. That's actually fine with me-I have earned my stripes-but the way you get treated changes dramatically when you look over 40, and I resent that massively.

There's a barely disguised contempt at over 40 women "trying too hard". Maybe the done-up women in the bistro just feel good getting dolled up. Maybe they don't care if you think they look like "witches"...

Genetics here. All of my family look young for their age. I’m 31 & people assume I’m mid 20s