Looking older or younger than your actual age

[SunandMoon]

I'm 24 but I've always been routinely mistaken for much older. Like 35 or so. About a year ago someone asked me if my brother and sister were my children.

 

I'm not alone. ;_; lol

[snug.bunny]

Oh so great, now not only am I old, but somehow magically grew a vagina! *Sigh*

 

But thanks for the articles! Hmm, interesting....

 

 

My bad.

[Taramere]

Sorry to go with the flow, but I also tend to be told I look several years younger than I am. On the other hand, it's the easiest way to give somebody a compliment. Also the people who mistake me for being younger are usually in their teens or twenties, and tend to have this image of anybody in their forties being a portly old matron. If you don't fit that stereotype then you'll be taken for younger....but I've certainly no shortage of laughter lines which should give the truth away.

[iris219]

The politically correct thing to do is always tell a person they look younger. What does a certain age look like, really?

 

Is anyone here good at guessing ages? Personally, I'm terrible at guessing ages. I can't tell if someone is 25 or 35, which does make it hard when trying to scope out men.

 

I typically refuse to play the "guess my age" game because I'm always wrong; usually I guess too high (which offends people); occasionally I'll go too low. When I do play the "guess my age" game (it's always a guy who thinks it will be fun to do this), I come up with how old I think they really are, then subtract 5.

 

I recently offended a man this way. I thought he looked 42, so I guessed 37. He was 31. :laugh:

[Taramere]

I typically refuse to play the "guess my age" game because I'm always wrong; usually I guess too high (which offends people); occasionally I'll go too low. When I do play the "guess my age" game (it's always a guy who thinks it will be fun to do this), I come up with how old I think they really are, then subtract 5.

 

I recently offended a man this way. I thought he looked 42, so I guessed 37. He was 31. :laugh:

 

Haha. I tend to do the same thing. Between leaving school and going to uni I worked in an accountancy firm. One of the women in the tax consultancy dept asked me to guess her age. I thought she looked in her early 40s, so I guessed 38. She looked horribly offended. I asked how old she was. "38, but most people think I look in my late twenties."

 

I resolved there and then to never be that woman.

[iris219]

Haha. I tend to do the same thing. Between leaving school and going to uni I worked in an accountancy firm. One of the women in the tax consultancy dept asked me to guess her age. I thought she looked in her early 40s, so I guessed 38. She looked horribly offended. I asked how old she was. "38, but most people think I look in my late twenties."

 

I resolved there and then to never be that woman.

 

That's so funny she was offended that you guessed her age correctly.

 

Actually, I'd probably be a little upset too. How dare you think I look my age!

[Taramere]

That's so funny she was offended that you guessed her age correctly.

 

Actually, I'd probably be a little upset too. How dare you think I look my age!

 

I secretly get offended when people guess my age right, but

 

a) I tell myself that I'm not offended and

b) I tell myself that they're just trying to bring me down and say "you must be about 45" because they actually think I'm 18.

[The Tallest One]

I'll be 43 next month but most people think I'm about five or six years younger. Doesn't bother me one way or another!

[pink_sugar]

I just turned 23 and I could pass for a high schooler.

[josie54]

I'm told I look younger--late 20s, early 30s. When I first started seeing my dermatologist (at 38) she was shocked when she looked at my chart and saw my age--said I looked mid-20s, so I guess that's a good sign. I've recently gone back to her, and somehow we were talking children, and she asked if I planned to have any, and I said, "Um, I'm 42, so probably not." And she kind of laughed, and said, "I always forget how old you are!"

 

So, yes, that's a bit of an ego boost!

 

But there's also a downside--I'm always wondering how long this can last? At some point, I expect it's all going to go downhill fast, and then I'm going to be REALLY depressed. Plus there's always a bit of a shift once people do find out how old you are--people talk to you one way when they think you have it all in front of you, and they talk to you slightly differently when they find out you're actually middle aged! So that's a bit of a downer as well.

[MuscleCarFan]

I'm 28 but I look younger than that and sometimes get carded which surprises me, lol.

[FitChick]

I think certain features look younger, i.e. big eyes, button nose, full lips and full cheeks compared to beady or deep set eyes, long, thin nose, gaunt cheeks and thin lips. The former are associated with children and the latter with the elderly.

[fucpcg]

Nobody ever guesses past young 30's, if that, when you have ab's I've learned. Not even if you've crossed your 40's, which I have.

[Forever Silent]

Im 22 but people think I am older. Usually 24 or 26. I think it is my maturity that makes me seem older.

[Eternal Sunshine]

I think it's also to do with genetics and lifestyle. My mum has really good skin and she had no wrinkles until she turned 40. I don't smoke, drink much, I get regular exercise and eat well.

[USMCHokie]

Nobody ever guesses past young 30's, if that, when you have ab's I've learned. Not even if you've crossed your 40's, which I have.

 

I plan on looking like I'm 22 well into my 80's...

[fucpcg]

I plan on looking like I'm 22 well into my 80's...

 

You'll need a good coach and trainer

[ascendotum]

I plan on looking like I'm 22 well into my 80's...

 

Apart from good coach you will need those mystical herbal elixirs the emperors used to take. You don't consider loss of semen to be depletion of your lifeforce do you, because you would have to cut back

 

Seems like most people on here look a fair bit younger than their age. I'm the same, though spending time outdoors fishing/sailing/golf & late nights have reduced the gap. Is there some sort of correlation here with looking younger and trouble with love life.

Edited July 24, 2012 by ascendotum

[EasyHeart]

You have to be careful with the compliments, though.

 

I recently took out one of my female friends for her 40th birthday. She is very attractive and definitely does not look her age. When the waiter came to the table, I mentioned that we were celebrating her birthday, and he said, "Well, thank you for spending your 25th birthday with us!"

 

When he left the table, my friend turned to me and she was FURIOUS! She said, "He knows damn well I'm not 25. If he had said 35 or even 30, it would have been flattering, but saying "25" just means he thinks I look old!"

 

You can't please everyone. . . .

[Forever Silent]

I plan on looking like I'm 22 well into my 80's...

 

Yo, if that happens let me know what you did. I think the only way to do that is cryostasis and I don't know if that even exists for human beings.

[bentnotbroken]

I was blessed with great genes. My mother is still a hottie at 65:love: I love to go to the country fairs where they guess your age(sure teddy bear for me) because they are always wrong. I am fairly short and wear my hair in a ponytail most of the time so that adds to the off guesses. God willing I am still running downhill to 50 .

[USMCHokie]

Yo, if that happens let me know what you did. I think the only way to do that is cryostasis and I don't know if that even exists for human beings.

 

Bicep curls...

[lino]

I get varied guesses for my age. I'm 30 and I consider myself to look 30.

 

 

Just as with a woman's weight, a man should never ask the age of a woman he doesn't know well.

 

When guessing a girl's age, same as weight again, guys will usually guess lower on purpose to avoid offending her and to give a friendly & indirect compliment.

 

You can see this clearly as I think every single woman to reply here has said they always get mistaken to be younger than they really are.

[Airborne]

I think certain features look younger, i.e. big eyes, button nose, full lips and full cheeks compared to beady or deep set eyes, long, thin nose, gaunt cheeks and thin lips. The former are associated with children and the latter with the elderly.

I always pictured you as a younger looking version of Lindsay Lohan. Younger than this that is.

 

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1120858.1343148090!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/lohan25f-1-web.jpg

Edited July 25, 2012 by Airborne

[Eclypse]

I'm 21 and I've always been mistaken for older. I never had trouble buying alcohol when I was 16-17. It was cool back then, but I've been legally able to buy alcohol for more than 3 years now and I still only get asked very rarely! It's not so much a compliment now

 

Recently some guy I don't know asked me if I was 34. I got a bit taken aback. Surely my face doesn't look that ravaged. I told my boss the story and she told me she hopes she looks as young as me. She also made quite a point of telling me that 34 was by no means old (she is 34).

 

I think it's because I have dark hair and olive sort of skin. Personally I think I look my age. I see other guys my age and I don't think they look any younger or older than I do.