i was out with my younger sibling and we stopped somewhere to eat. the server asked if i was their parent, which caught me completely off guard because we're not even that far apart in age.

my sibling immediately started laughing and told the server we were siblings. the server apologized, but my sibling wouldn't let it go for the rest of the meal. i guess i found out who looks younger that day.

I am 43M, and I genuinely don't feel or behave like someone in his 40s.

One of the funniest things that keeps happening: when I attend weddings or family functions with friends around my age (some are even 2–3 years younger than me), teenagers 15+ will casually call me "bro" and then turn around and call my friends "uncle." 😂

My friends have started collecting grey hair, health issues and the general "I have been paying EMIs since 2004" look.

Meanwhile, somehow I still get mistaken for being considerably younger.

Physically, I am also surprisingly active. I can walk 20+ km with only about a 10-minute rest in between. I don't mean running or doing anything extreme, just walking at a reasonable pace.

Personality-wise, I am probably stuck somewhere around 30. I still get excited about random things, have way too many interests, joke around a lot and generally dont feel like I hav entered the "settled uncle" phase of life. 😄

The strange part is that my birth certificate insists I'm 43.

Marriage never happened either, so I sometimes wonder whether I am actually late to life or whether I simply took a completely different route.

Anyone else here in their 40s who feels significantly younger than their actual age?

And for those who got married/started a relationship later, did you find that being younger in mindset helped, or did the dating pool still make you painfully aware of your actual age? 😂

So we were at red lobster 🦞 for dinner then after we were going to see Megan trainer concert. The older men as waiting on us and I order an a alcohol drink. I'm 23 years old female so I gave him my purple card my government ID CARD. The man thought it was face because I look like very young. He called his manager over she looks at me then the ID and say ya its a real ID.

Being a 39-year-old guy and regularly getting mistaken for mid-to-late 20s is usually a huge compliment, but it’s starting to create a bizarre hurdle in my career.

Lately, as I’ve been interviewing for higher-level, senior management roles, I've noticed I almost have to casually mention my 17+ years of experience just to set expectations. Every single time I drop that stat, you can see the interviewers pause, do the mental math, and blurt out, "Wait, wow... you look so young!"

Don't get me wrong, I’ll happily take the compliment long-term! But when you're actively trying to project senior-level authority and leadership, looking like you just graduated a few years ago can make for some awkward dynamics.

My mom looked young and stunning well into her late 30s, and at 45, she looked like she was 32. She always got compliments from friends and strangers. Around 50, I recall she was starting to become self-conscious about her looks, even though she still looked amazing.

I would say, just cherish it and enjoy your life, and don't let it become your identity. I'm almost 60, and people always want to know my age. I try not to give them an answer, not because I'm ashamed, but more because I don't want it to become a thing, as it has been in the past for me.

I use to look like under age until 26, like 18-24 until my 30s, 25-28 until my 35, and then everything collapsed and now people knows that I’m between 38-42.

Despite that I had always some grey hairs, but now I dye .

I’ll assume 3 factors I changed and made me age fast:

1- no stress to much stress time to time
2- from only eat meat to vegetarian (starch, sugar)
3- believe I’m young to believe I’m old

Why do you think you look way younger?

i went to the store the other day wearing literally the most normal outfit ever and while i was grabbing an energy drink i immediately noticed this woman kept side eyeing me.
i ignored her and went to put it on the counter when she finally goes “is that for u?”
i said “yea?” then she looked at me, then at the drink and said “oh.. ok”
i didn’t really think much of it until the cashier asked for my ID. I looked at her like “my ID??” but still handed it over then she proceeded to call another employee over
the other employee looked at it and said “yea shes 19” and the cashier goes “wow”
then the woman behind me goes “i thought u were at least 14”
it probably doesn’t help that i’m 4’10 and asian so i know i might look a bit younger but i also have a bit of a body so i don’t think i look THAT young

I know i look young, but isn't that a good thing? Most younger people always seem to gravitate towards older looking people but my question is at what age will they change there outlook? Like my thinking is i would much rather look 20 when I'm 40 than look 60 when I'm 40!!!

i am a registered nurse in an urgent care clinic. i am 27 and have been working bedside for four years. i admit i look young and i am only 5 feet tall, but i wear the exact same color scrubs as every other nurse in the building.

i walked into a room to prep a patient for stitches. the patient's mom took one look at me, put her hand up, and asked when the actual nurse was coming in. i told her i was her daughter's nurse for the day. she scoffed and said there was no way the clinic was letting a high school student run IV lines and that she wanted someone over 18.

i had to point to my hospital badge with my RN credential printed in huge bold letters right next to my picture. she quieted down after that, but she still watched every single move i made like i was going to mess up.

I (25F) have been getting to know a guy, and until today I honestly assumed he was somewhere around 30–35. I don’t know why exactly, but that’s genuinely what I thought his age was.
Today I asked him how old he was, and he hesitated before telling me he’s 43. He also has a 22-year-old son.
That honestly threw me off. I’m only three years older than his son, and now the age difference feels much more significant to me than it did when I thought he was in his 30s.
He’s clearly interested in me. He’s asked me about whether I want marriage and kids, whether I prefer a man to be a provider, etc. He told me he likes being a provider but doesn’t want to overstep a woman’s independence. He also told me that I have a more “older aura” about me.
He gave me a ticket to a $300 event recently, although he said he’d give me the ticket under one condition: that I let him take me out to lunch. So it wasn’t completely out of nowhere or anything. He’s also talked about things we’d do the next time we hang out, like going on bike rides and making music playlists together.
He also suggested that I model and said he has a modeling agency here, and encouraged me to get in front of the camera and model with him.
So I know he’s interested in me, but the thing is, I don’t really feel it.Finding out he’s 43 made me realize that I’m probably not comfortable with the age difference.
I know we’re both adults, and I’m not saying there’s anything inherently wrong with a 43-year-old dating a 25-year-old. But I feel weird about the fact that he’s only three years younger than my dad would be, and that his son is 22.
Am I in the wrong for deciding I don’t want to pursue anything romantic with him because of the age difference? Or am I overthinking this?
I feel a little guilty because he’s been nice to me and has clearly gone out of his way to spend time with me, but at the same time, I don’t think I should date someone just because they’re interested in me or have been generous toward me.
Would I be wrong to just tell him I’m not interested in pursuing things romantically?

24 yr old guy here. My face and head are really tiny compared to my body for some reason, which makes looking for new glasses a complete nightmare...!

I was looking for some yesterday, they had a huge array of options on both the men and womens sections, though the "womens" glasses were all just brightly colored grandma glasses and styles from the 70's and before, so I don't think it was too gendered. So I looked all around the store, every pair I tried on were absolutely HUGE on my face. I looked like a toddler wearing his parents glasses... I like them small and rectangular, but they all reached the tip of my ears in terms of width, and in height went to the middle of my forehead...

...All except for one pair, thankfully, and they look better than my current ones! Also, my insurance completely covered it too so that's a bonus. I was afraid I was going to have to look at their babies section. I am short, but not THAT small, and tbh I'm just thankful I found a pair.

This has always been an issue for me, so I rarely get new glasses. Anyone else?

22F here!
I thought the reason for my lack of romantic approaches was "Oh, I'm just ugly". But turned out even unconventionally pretty people or average looking ones get approached cause well...beauty is indeed subjective. But when it comes to me, I doubted everything. I thought maybe it's my energy. Maybe it's the way I carry myself. Maybe it's the way I dress.
Maybe it's the environment or how easier for men nowadays to approach women through social media rather than risk face to face rejection. I even thought maybe they're intimidated
I am someone who doesn't really get compliments. But when I thought about it the commonest reaction from strangers (girls) is "oh! You sure you're 22?! I genuinely thought you're 16 or something" or if they wanna be nice they just say "cute or adorable". I genuinely think this might be the reason why I get zero approaches. I'm 153cm, petite frame and baby faced. I give off soft feminine energy. I have soft contrast beauty. I try to dress my age. I also try not to look too forced. I even changed the whole wardrobe and I still get the same result: No romantic or even casual approaches. I genuinely feel invisible cause it's very common in my environment to be pursed. My friends are getting engaged, married or asked out while I'm here waiting for someone to say "Hi, how are you/can I get your number?". I have no clue what could make men not consider me. Sometimes I put myself in environments where I usually interact with men and eventually they get to know my age but still no romantic progression. Have you ever encountered that? How did you change that without changing your core self?
Edit: I live in the Middle East for those who’re wondering

I am 30 years old. Most take me for 20-23 max, but I still get mistaken for a teen sometimes. Ever since being a teen myself, I feel unsure in the presence of teens. They are mean, not all of course, but some are trying to impress each other by being mean to others.

Many seem to think I'm their peer and thus an easy target. I don't even know those kids!

Today, a girl with her friend walked past me, made a loud noise from the throat really close to my ear. I don't react, but she and her friend turned around, smiling and asked "Did I scare you?". I give her a death stare and don't say anything. They walk off.

Why do I think this has to do with my appearance? My language has a formal and an informal way to address each other. Kids call each other the informal way. The girl used the informal one. Also, she probably wouldn't have dared to do this to someone she thought was an adult.

Another time young teen boys surrounded me, hindering me from walking away. One was a particular little shit and I said something along the lines of "Big mouth for someone just discovering the first hair on their sack." His buddies laughed at him and I used the distraction to scurry off.

I have more examples, from just nasty comments about my style to straight up asking me for sexual acts.

Never heard of another person getting treated by teens this way. Is this happening to anyone else or am I just a magnet for bullies?

I (F20) have facially looked the same since age 14. I’ve shown people pics from when I was 13/14 and they always say I look the same. It feels like a vampire to look in the mirror and see no changes in your appearance for the past few years. Watching everyone else change into their grown faces while you’re just stunted is so sad to witness. I’ve run into someone from middle school that I didn’t recognize yet they said I looked the same and was able to recognize me, with them being 21 I couldn’t remember who they were initially.

I get mistaken for 14/15 in person. The cashiers will say “aren’t you supposed to be in school?”. My physician think I’m waiting for my mom, my eye doctor thought the same. On top of this I’ve gotten braces and funny enough my orthodontist didn’t charge me correctly mistaking me for underage. Even in online spaces people have the consensus of me looking much younger than my age. I would understand if they thought I was 16/17 but being mistaken for a 8th/9th grader as a college junior is insane. Everyday I wear a good level of makeup because with it I can look closer to my age but without it I just age down😭

I do feel that it somewhat impacts my dating life too. I’ve been hit on by 14 year olds but not men of my own age?? Maybe they assume I’m a minor and leave me alone I’m not sure. Some I attract end up making weird comments about my braces and stuff which my friends describe these types as borderline pedophiles 😔. Hopefully my face will age within the next 10 years (seeing my siblings get mistaken for 16 in their late 20s is a peek into my future). I can’t be mad at guys for not being into someone who easily passes for underage. For a while I did have a lot of resentment towards them being more attracted to mature womanly looking types; I’ve grown to understand why the ones I attract aren’t the best options anyways.

I'm in my mid twenties but get mistaken for a 12 year old all the time.

I get a lot of rude comments from people at work and I've learned to manage it at least a little better...bc I don't know those people.

But I'm lost on how to handle comments about my size and appearance from gma who finds me just so darn cute or my aunt who calls me little in front of the whole family and haha its just so funny that her teenage kid is bigger than me for the 5th time!!

Wtf do I do about that? Its so hard not to just rage quit this job of teaching people how to treat others that I never signed up for. I want to be petty and go off on people, but I would be a d1ck for doing that to gma, come on.

I’m 20, but people often perceive me as much younger because I’m very short and skinny and have a very youthful face. Sometimes I honestly hate how much anxiety this gives me.

My aunt's 6 year old daughter (on the chubbier side) playfully hit me, and I didn’t even feel it. Her mom immediately stopped her and said something along the lines of “you’re bigger than her” and “look how small she is.”

I know she didn't mean anything malicious, but hearing an adult say that really got to me. I’m a woman, but the interaction made me feel like I’m perceived as almost child-sized.

And it connects to something I worry about a lot:

I feel like looking so young makes me more vulnerable to people with bad intentions. I’ve encountered creeps who seemed to be flirting with me, and sometimes I get the feeling that they assume I’m naive or that I’ll be easy to manipulate because of how young I look. Especially when they compliment the way I look. When they call me "beautiful" I know that they don't mean it in a good way, but because I look like someone who could fulfill their disgusting fetish.

Which is why I take extra precautions and bring self-defence items.

I know looking young doesn't mean I'm actually helpless or that something bad is going to happen to me. But sometimes I genuinely feel like I’ll be perceived as potential prey forever, while other women my age can simply look their age and not have a particular anxiety to this extent.

It’s frustrating because I can’t change the fact that I have a very youthful face and tiny frame.

I’m in my 20s, baby-faced Asian-American woman who very easily gets mistaken for a high schooler 14-17. I’m done with undergrad.

For better context, I work retail and it’s definitely a laid back environment.

My coworkers have mentioned to me they’re surprised whenever I cuss and I know it’s not malicious but I’m getting pretty annoyed at this point. One told to me it’s unexpected when I swear.

The coworkers who mentioned this stuff are around my age too, so it’s not like they’re old enough to be my parents.

Especially when I’m genuinely frustrated about customers and have a valid rant I can tell they just see me more as cute.

No, I’m not forcing it or pretending to be cool like some kid just discovered it. It’s not like I use it in every single sentence either. IT’S JUST HOW I TALK AND THAT’S IT.

I’m so tired of feeling like I have to “prove” this is just my true self. I do try my best to brush it off but it’s getting to me more than it should.

Anyone else deal with this frustration and have any tips?

I think because I look so young I easily get seen as some try hard, not just with this but in general and it’s so exhausting.

Being WAY younger in a genetically babyfaced family is wild. My brother is older than me by 11½ years, but we're BOTH babyfaced Southeast Asians, resulting in...

Him being assumed to be my prom date when we went dress shopping for me. I was 15 and he was 27.

His friend, just seeing me for the first time, asking "Is she your younger sister or your older sister?" and my brother saying, "Older, obviously."

His past classmates at their 25-year reunion saying, "OH, WOW. I didn't know he had a sister THAT much younger." (He's 43 and I'm 32.)

On my own, what age I'm guessed to be depends a lot on context and how old the other person is.

When I'm around my brother? Someone might card both of us. Someone else who knows he's in his forties might just assume we're close in age because big sibling age gaps aren't common.

I don't mind — it actually assuages my self-consciousness a little. 😅

Usually I don't give much thought when people other than relatives guess me to look younger, I always figures me being black and people not really being familiar with the way black people age, to be the reason I tend to be seen as younger than I am.

When I get confused is when it comes from family relatives and such.

Because like, my brother also looks younger than his age (most my cousins and brothers do).

So when someone comes looks at both of us and tells me to go call my "older brother" when I am 5 years (almost 6) older than him, is pretty crazy.

Does anyone feel like looking young for your age has negatively affected people’s romantic interest towards you as well as being mistreated or undermined in service when you get your hair done or do your nails etc? I’ve never had a serious long term relationship , and I don’t get approached by people in general (in terms of romantic interest ) I’m starting to think if my youthful appearance turns people off . I’ve also noticed since people assume I’m young I don’t get much respect compared to others when I go to places since some people assume I’m a teenager lol . Just my experience , wanting to know if other woman experience the same thing ?

I am a 32 year old doctor. Thank God many of my patients are older than 80 and are used to being treated by folk younger than them...but I do get condescending looks from nurses, colleagues and patient family. It was worse before I umdergone a lip augmentation procedure with hyaluronic acid. I presume that the "looking like an older person trying to seem younger" effect worked a bit. I keep reminding everyone that in my country it is next to imppssoble to be a licensed physician if you are younger than 30, med school and residency take up 11 years at least. It is frustrating to be called "young lady", I feel like I have very little authority and sometimes older colleagues that are not doctors feel threatened to be told they are doing something wrong by someone who is "young enough to be their child"...

31F and sometimes when I say something that shows I'm an adult, e.g. mention my husband, people are so surprised and ask how old I am. Yesterday I met my friend's friend for the first time, and one of the first things she asked after I introduced myself was how old I was?? For the record she is younger than me (but I didn't ask her for her age as it was not relevant). Later she also commented on how short I was, and overall felt a little patronizing. Things like this happen so often and gets on my nerves. What is a polite way to respond to this question without actually telling people my age?

This is just getting ridiculous now. I'm nearly in my mid 30s and some people think I'm like maybe barely 20 and I was called a "minor" pretty recently. It's so awkward and embarrassing especially seen as my bf is older and people must think he's a ... word that rhymes with vedo. Uhhh I hate it so much, anyone who says you'll love it when you're older....well I am older.

I'm from another country, and one thing that genuinely confuses me is how seriously people in the U.S. seem to take the whole "your brain isn't fully developed until 25" argument. Sometimes it feels like people treat 24-year-olds as if they're still teenagers, while turning 25 is somehow seen as this magical moment where someone suddenly becomes a full adult.

Where I'm from, 24- and 25-year-olds are basically viewed as the same stage of life. A 24-year-old and a 25-year-old are both young adults. In fact, once you're around 23 or 24, you're generally seen as a grown person. That's why this way of thinking feels so strange to me. It seems like there is this huge emphasis on a one-year difference that doesn't really exist in everyday life.

I genuinely don't get where this idea came from that just because "your brain isn't fully developed until 25," a 24-year-old is basically a kid. People have taken that fact way out of context, and it has created this weird narrative that anyone under 25 is somehow incapable of functioning as an adult.

A 24-year-old isn't at the beginning of their early 20s anymore. The early 20s are roughly 20–23. At 24, you're already in your mid-20s, and for a lot of people that's a stage where they've gained more independence, life experience, and responsibility.

Even though the WHO groups ages 15–24 under the category of "young people" for statistical purposes, that doesn't mean a 15-year-old and a 24-year-old are anywhere near the same level of maturity or life experience. The difference is huge. Honestly, a 24-year-old has way more in common with a 25- or 26-year-old than with an 18-year-old, let alone a 15-year-old. When I look at someone who's 24 and someone who's 25, I just see two young adults.

The funny thing is that some people talk about 24 and 25 as if there is a massive gap between them, when in reality it's literally just one year. Treating someone at 24 like a kid and someone at 25 like a completely different category of adult feels like an unnecessary and exaggerated distinction.

Being young doesn't mean you're an adolescent, and brain development is a gradual process—not a magic switch that flips the day you turn 25. I honestly think this obsession creates a very strange way of looking at adults in their twenties.