Do you look younger or older than your age?

[Summer2018]

Younger. At 55, no gray yet, barely any wrinkles. My father didn't go gray until his 80's, so I must take after him in that way. I also act younger than my age, so people usually think I'm in my late 30's, early 40's. My DH has been all gray for 15 years. He looks like he is my father.

My 22 year-old DD looks like she is a teenager. She hates it, but she will appreciate it later on.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I've had mess up spectacularly both ways, so I'm convinced that the problem is not that I don't look my age, but that their radar systems are faulty.

 

[Feralpeg]

At 75 now, I do not get carded.

I'm with you there, Dan! At 67, I don't remember the last time I was carded. I don't know what people think about my age. I stopped worrying about how old I look a long time ago! DD is 31 and gets carded everywhere. I tell her to enjoy it while she can.

 

[Turksmom]

I am 47. People think I am about 25. My husband and I are the same age and people think he is my father. My daughter is 18 and people think she is my sister.

Same here (49). People ask my husband where his wife is, assuming I'm one of the kids.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Younger - quite a bit. I attribute it to remaining active in a Sunday Soccer league. Everyone who plays there looks younger than they really are - no coincidence. The only childhood friend I have who looked younger than me at my HS reunion was, and still is, a very active swimmer.

 

[Snowysmom]

Most people think I am a few years younger than I really am. I feel alot younger so I am happy with that.

 

[Sanchez]

After so many years on the DIs I have learned that some people are liars, some are delusional and some are both.

And what exactly is a 47 year old, for example, supposed to look like?

 

[Disneylover99]

I don’t ask ppl to guess my age. I wouldn’t expect other ppl do that either. I think it comes up in more natural conversations. For me it’s often related to having another child. Ppl ask me when will I have my next child (which is rude but happens a lot ). When I say we aren’t having another mostly b/c of my age, ppl ask & when I tell them they’re surprised & say they thought I was early 30s at the most. It’s happened quite a few times to me. Can’t speak for others, but for me, it’s not denial b/c I really don’t care.

But even in natural conversations, most people are not going to say, “Oh, I thought you were much older.” They may be asking you if you’re planning on having another baby because they’re just plain nosy. Of course they’re going to say they thought you were much younger when age comes up as the reason. It’s what people do. Or should do if they don’t want to insult others. Lol.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I don’t think I look younger, but ppl always think I’m early 30s & I’m 40. I think most ppl who are saying they look younger are basing it on someone else’s assessment for them.

I got carded in the casino on my 40th birthday because I looked so young. Now I get asked if I want the senior discount. But I always say, "yes I do!"

 

[LSUmiss]

But even in natural conversations, most people are not going to say, “Oh, I thought you were much older.” They may be asking you if you’re planning on having another baby because they’re just plain nosy. Of course they’re going to say they thought you were much younger when age comes up as the reason. It’s what people do. Or should do if they don’t want to insult others. Lol.

I disagree. I’m my experiences ppl seem and/or say they’re confused when I say we are not b/c of my age. When I was in my 30s ppl thought I was in my 20s so it’s not new.

 

[Disneylover99]

I disagree. I’m my experiences ppl seem and/or say they’re confused when I say we are not b/c of my age. When I was in my 30s ppl thought I was in my 20s so it’s not new.

Probably because you genuinely look younger. I’m just saying that generally, people aren’t going to admit that they thought someone was older when they find out someone’s age.

 

[Skywalker]

At lunch yesterday with friends, I was asked what I had done to look so much younger. I had just come back from a cruise where I kept getting told I looked 35, after telling people I had a 35 year old child. I'm in my sixties.
It's genes, nothing I have done!
About 10 years ago, one of my son's classmates, that I did not know, was trying to chat me up in a food court. Son came back to the table and said "Mom, I need more money". The kid looked surprised, asked my son if I was his mom, then politely excused himself. Lol. I never told my son what was happening, he would have been so embarrassed!

Can you post a photo? I would love to see someone in their sixties who looks 35.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Older. I've always looked older than my age, which was great when I was in my teens. Not so great at 38. I've always acted kind of like a grandma though, so the way I look at it is that now my body is growing into the role But I do envy people that look young.

Here is an embarrassing example of how I've always looked older--I was 21 years old and 7 1/2 months pregnant when my now ex-husband and I bought our house and the neighbors thought I was my ex-husband's MOTHER!!! He is 7 years older than me, by the way!

My kids must have got some sort of accelerated growth gene from me because they struggle with the same thing. I fully believe that my 16 year old son could walk up to a bar and not get carded. He started puberty pretty early and now he is 6'2" with a full beard. He was 15 years old on our last Disney trip and no one believed he was a minor. In fact, when we got to the boarding area at the airport, Southwest thought he was his sister's FATHER (she was 7) and waved him through for family boarding (when my daughter and I started to board with family boarding, while my son hung back with his grandma, the gate agent said, "Dad can go too"). We checked in at the resort and they thought he was an adult, an adult man in line for Space Mountain tried to start a fight with him (that was scary!), when we were leaving and we dropped our luggage off at the window on our last day, the cast member questioned him about his age, then looked at me and reminded me that anyone over 18 had to show ID.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I'm 45. I do not have any wrinkles - inherited from my grandmother, who also did not have any wrinkles when she passed just before her 80th birthday - and very little grey/white hair (which I still color anyway). I do have some age- and weight-loss-related jowls and extra skin under my chin. I also have tired eyes and some puffiness due to sleep deprivation, as I have a 4-year-old.

All that said, I do think I look pretty darn good for my age. I could probably get away with claiming 38-ish to 40 on a good day. I am definitely the oldest mother among the kids in my son's preschool - most of them are average 10 years younger. In talking to the other moms and grandmothers at drop-off/pick-up, many of them give me a look of surprise when I mention my age and say things along the lines of "Wow, you don't look it," "I thought you were a lot younger," and one grandmother did a double-take and say, "Really? I'm 55...you're closer to my age than my daughter's." My 37-year-old doctor told me she would think I'm in my late 20s/early 30s, but I personally think that was a stretch. Maybe people do think I'm younger because of having such a young child (but I really can't imagine that I look younger than 37/38 at most)?

And as an aside...I thought my son's teacher was my age. I found out last night that she is 52. That surprised me. She does have half-grey hair, but also no wrinkles. Totally looks younger, I think!

 

[Disneylover99]

Older. I've always looked older than my age, which was great when I was in my teens. Not so great at 38. I've always acted kind of like a grandma though, so the way I look at it is that now my body is growing into the role But I do envy people that look young.

Here is an embarrassing example of how I've always looked older--I was 21 years old and 7 1/2 months pregnant when my now ex-husband and I bought our house and the neighbors thought I was my ex-husband's MOTHER!!! He is 7 years older than me, by the way!

My kids must have got some sort of accelerated growth gene from me because they struggle with the same thing. I fully believe that my 16 year old son could walk up to a bar and not get carded. He started puberty pretty early and now he is 6'2" with a full beard. He was 15 years old on our last Disney trip and no one believed he was a minor. In fact, when we got to the boarding area at the airport, Southwest thought he was his sister's FATHER (she was 7) and waved him through for family boarding (when my daughter and I started to board with family boarding, while my son hung back with his grandma, the gate agent said, "Dad can go too"). We checked in at the resort and they thought he was an adult, an adult man in line for Space Mountain tried to start a fight with him (that was scary!), when we were leaving and we dropped our luggage off at the window on our last day, the cast member questioned him about his age, then looked at me and reminded me that anyone over 18 had to show ID.

Dang! That’s harsh!

Going forward, just tell everyone you’re 70, so that people can tell you how great you look for your age.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I used to look younger way up until I was in my forties, then suddenly I turned fifty and *POOF!* There I was, middle aged and looking it. Inside I still feel like a teenager, and sometimes I look in a mirror (especially in the morning) and wonder where that old broad came from.

YES!!
you must be my twinnie

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Well, about 8 years ago when I was 52 the teenage cashier at a supermarket proudly announced that she gave me the age 60+ Tuesday discount of 5%. Then I realized she must have gotten a good look at 50 year old DW.


Then about a year later DW and I ate at a Sweet Tomatoes, a salad bar restaurant chain in Orlando where you pay in advance. After sitting down I looked at the receipt and noticed we were charged the senior price. We didn't ask for it. I was so insulted I ALMOST went back to the cashier to insist on paying full price.

 

[Tallis]

I used to look WAY younger than my age, like 20 years younger. Then I lost a bunch of weight and now look every day of my age. Stay fat, people, stay fat. LOL

 

[nene0182]

I would say about my age or a few years younger but I don’t really think about it and it doesn’t come up in conversation. I do know that I look quite a bit younger than my husband who is 7 years older than me.

 

[Dan Murphy]

DD is 31 and gets carded everywhere. I tell her to enjoy it while she can.