35. I'm a slim AA woman and I get mistaken for mid to late 20s frequently

I am 45 and I look 45.

I've worked in a medical practice for 7 years. I've seen hundreds of charts. I have never once been surprised by the patient's age and how he or she looks. Sorry that this hurts people's feelings, but you look your age, if not older.

Anonymous wrote:48, and don't look a day over 47.

When I was a spring chicken of 45, a young woman (in her early 20's) who I had known for several months through an exercise class looked utterly shocked when I mentioned my 14 year old daughter. She said that I didn't look old enough to be the mother of a 14 year old.

I tell that story not because I look young, but because young people are super bad judges of age. So maybe she thought I was in my 30's (still a decade or more older than she was).

People in their early 20s are very unused to what will eventually become a normal state of adulthood, which is that you can be peers with people from a very broad age range. You can work in an office where there are people at your same level who are 5 years younger and as much as 20 years older. You can attend an exercise class with someone your mom's age. This is very foreign to a 22 year old who has spent their entire life being sorted into very narrow age categories, and not even considered equal with someone a few years younger (because of the very different rights and responsibilities of a 21 year old versus a 17 year old, or a 17 year old versus a 12 year old. It takes some getting used to.

48, and don't look a day over 47.

When I was a spring chicken of 45, a young woman (in her early 20's) who I had known for several months through an exercise class looked utterly shocked when I mentioned my 14 year old daughter. She said that I didn't look old enough to be the mother of a 14 year old.

I tell that story not because I look young, but because young people are super bad judges of age. So maybe she thought I was in my 30's (still a decade or more older than she was).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[…]
I don't know why everyone is so cynical about this. Yes, sometimes people will politely say someone looks younger than their age as a compliment. And sometimes people legitimately look younger than they are. I can think of a number of woman I've known over the years who I though "wow, she's 46? I'd never have guessed!" or something similar. And yes -- white women too. Some people just look younger, more vibrant, more attractive. That's life.

Because there just aren’t that many people who look that much younger than their age (just like there aren’t that many people who look that much older than their age, excepting drug abuse and chronic sickness, both of which can add decades). Like the woman who truly believes that her derm isn’t blowing flattering smoke so that she continues to see him. Come on.

I’m the PP who said I’m 41 and look 40. I am fat like another PP so I don’t have much in the way of wrinkles yet, and I could maybe pass for my late 30s (maaaayyyybe) but honestly who wants to look younger? There’s a certain naïveté of youth that you just can’t fake and once that’s gone, it’s gone. Certainly keep up with trends and whatever makes you feel good, but all the high waisted jeans and plastic surgery interventions in the world aren’t going to fool people that you’re ten years younger. It’s there, in the accumulated wisdom and life experience that shines out from your eyes. You can’t fake it.

Correct. Which is why a certain man will never hit on women who aren’t young. It isn’t that they aren’t attractive. Many of them are drop dead beautiful. It’s that he can tell by how she carries herself she isn’t going to be easy to manipulate like a 22 year old. That’s what attracts them. Not the youth itself but what they can get away with because of it.

+1 on the bottom bolded piece.

50. Thank God for melanin and facial fat. I’m told I look mid-30s most of the time. I consistently get double takes when I have to give my birth year. I haven’t been lucky with anything else so I’ll take the youthful genes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[…]
I don't know why everyone is so cynical about this. Yes, sometimes people will politely say someone looks younger than their age as a compliment. And sometimes people legitimately look younger than they are. I can think of a number of woman I've known over the years who I though "wow, she's 46? I'd never have guessed!" or something similar. And yes -- white women too. Some people just look younger, more vibrant, more attractive. That's life.

Because there just aren’t that many people who look that much younger than their age (just like there aren’t that many people who look that much older than their age, excepting drug abuse and chronic sickness, both of which can add decades). Like the woman who truly believes that her derm isn’t blowing flattering smoke so that she continues to see him. Come on.

I’m the PP who said I’m 41 and look 40. I am fat like another PP so I don’t have much in the way of wrinkles yet, and I could maybe pass for my late 30s (maaaayyyybe) but honestly who wants to look younger? There’s a certain naïveté of youth that you just can’t fake and once that’s gone, it’s gone. Certainly keep up with trends and whatever makes you feel good, but all the high waisted jeans and plastic surgery interventions in the world aren’t going to fool people that you’re ten years younger. It’s there, in the accumulated wisdom and life experience that shines out from your eyes. You can’t fake it.

It's like the posts on married sex, though. Those threads are always filled with people who are like "we're in our 60s and still have sex 3 days a week!" Even though statistically that is a total unicorn. People enjoy bragging about this stuff on an anonymous board because it's the kind of thing you aren't really supposed to say in polite society. A woman who crowed about looking 10 years younger all the time would be tiresome and vain. But if you really do look 5-10 years younger than you are, you feel like you one a little contest and you like a chance to brag to strangers on the internet. Some of the posters might be kidding themselves, but I'm betting many are not. This is just the only place they can comfortably show off a bit about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[…]
I don't know why everyone is so cynical about this. Yes, sometimes people will politely say someone looks younger than their age as a compliment. And sometimes people legitimately look younger than they are. I can think of a number of woman I've known over the years who I though "wow, she's 46? I'd never have guessed!" or something similar. And yes -- white women too. Some people just look younger, more vibrant, more attractive. That's life.

Because there just aren’t that many people who look that much younger than their age (just like there aren’t that many people who look that much older than their age, excepting drug abuse and chronic sickness, both of which can add decades). Like the woman who truly believes that her derm isn’t blowing flattering smoke so that she continues to see him. Come on.

I’m the PP who said I’m 41 and look 40. I am fat like another PP so I don’t have much in the way of wrinkles yet, and I could maybe pass for my late 30s (maaaayyyybe) but honestly who wants to look younger? There’s a certain naïveté of youth that you just can’t fake and once that’s gone, it’s gone. Certainly keep up with trends and whatever makes you feel good, but all the high waisted jeans and plastic surgery interventions in the world aren’t going to fool people that you’re ten years younger. It’s there, in the accumulated wisdom and life experience that shines out from your eyes. You can’t fake it.

Correct. Which is why a certain man will never hit on women who aren’t young. It isn’t that they aren’t attractive. Many of them are drop dead beautiful. It’s that he can tell by how she carries herself she isn’t going to be easy to manipulate like a 22 year old. That’s what attracts them. Not the youth itself but what they can get away with because of it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[…]
I don't know why everyone is so cynical about this. Yes, sometimes people will politely say someone looks younger than their age as a compliment. And sometimes people legitimately look younger than they are. I can think of a number of woman I've known over the years who I though "wow, she's 46? I'd never have guessed!" or something similar. And yes -- white women too. Some people just look younger, more vibrant, more attractive. That's life.

Because there just aren’t that many people who look that much younger than their age (just like there aren’t that many people who look that much older than their age, excepting drug abuse and chronic sickness, both of which can add decades). Like the woman who truly believes that her derm isn’t blowing flattering smoke so that she continues to see him. Come on.

I’m the PP who said I’m 41 and look 40. I am fat like another PP so I don’t have much in the way of wrinkles yet, and I could maybe pass for my late 30s (maaaayyyybe) but honestly who wants to look younger? There’s a certain naïveté of youth that you just can’t fake and once that’s gone, it’s gone. Certainly keep up with trends and whatever makes you feel good, but all the high waisted jeans and plastic surgery interventions in the world aren’t going to fool people that you’re ten years younger. It’s there, in the accumulated wisdom and life experience that shines out from your eyes. You can’t fake it.

I'm going to be honest with you: middle age weight gain is a dead give away of age and if you don't gain the weight, it's much easier to pass as younger. You can talk about "wisdom in the eyes" all you want but most people are not that deep. People regularly assume I'm younger than I am because I'm thin. Middle aged people gain weight in a very specific way, that is different than the way younger people carry weight. This is especially true for women who have had kids.

So actually, yes, it's possible for many people to look at least several years younger than their actual age. And one way to do so is stay thin. I know people will say that being too skinny makes you look older but that generally doesn't apply until you are post-menopausal. I really do get mistaken for younger than I am, sometimes considerably so, (and not by my dermatologist or someone with a vested interest in flattering me but by strangers who are honestly just confused) with some frequency. I know people on here will say I'm deluding myself but I know I'm not. Some people are just youthful looking.

Anonymous wrote:Eh. I'm 56. I have great genetics, am fit, and take care of myself (no fillers or botox). That said I'm not kidding myself walking around thinking I look 46, although people are often surprised when I divulge my age. I think I look early 50's.

I’m sure you look great and age appropriate. It’s just that society has this bizarre idea that women immediately look elderly and haggard at 30+. So they’re always like “wow but you’re pretty!!” Yeah. Cause 56 isn’t really old, nor is 45 or 40 or 35…

43. Look 33. I have lots of crows feet at my eyes but that’s the only telltale sign of aging. Coworkers seem surprised by my age even tho I have two elem aged kids. When I was in my 30s, I looke early twenties. And in my twenties… forget it, barely out of junior high looking. I attribute it to my petite frame and narrow/petite facial features. I have pretty good posture now after years of yoga but in my twenties and early thirties bad posture may have been part of the problem.

Anonymous wrote:90. I look 18 though

At last! Honesty

Anonymous wrote:[…]
I don't know why everyone is so cynical about this. Yes, sometimes people will politely say someone looks younger than their age as a compliment. And sometimes people legitimately look younger than they are. I can think of a number of woman I've known over the years who I though "wow, she's 46? I'd never have guessed!" or something similar. And yes -- white women too. Some people just look younger, more vibrant, more attractive. That's life.

Because there just aren’t that many people who look that much younger than their age (just like there aren’t that many people who look that much older than their age, excepting drug abuse and chronic sickness, both of which can add decades). Like the woman who truly believes that her derm isn’t blowing flattering smoke so that she continues to see him. Come on.

I’m the PP who said I’m 41 and look 40. I am fat like another PP so I don’t have much in the way of wrinkles yet, and I could maybe pass for my late 30s (maaaayyyybe) but honestly who wants to look younger? There’s a certain naïveté of youth that you just can’t fake and once that’s gone, it’s gone. Certainly keep up with trends and whatever makes you feel good, but all the high waisted jeans and plastic surgery interventions in the world aren’t going to fool people that you’re ten years younger. It’s there, in the accumulated wisdom and life experience that shines out from your eyes. You can’t fake it.

51. Some days 40, some 52. On a really hot night, I’ve been mistaken for late 30s.

Lighting makes a big difference too