I'm the same. My entire life i've looked at least 5 years older, too. I'm 19 and most people think i'm 22-25. It could be a mixture of things.. with me, i've just always spoken very well and clear and have a strong aura.. *shrugs* I never get carded unless it's a bar carding everyone outside. Though it helps that i'm never with anyone my age, too. I've always dated way older.. Also, my mom looks really young and awesome for her age too so i'm hoping that i'll be the same, too! :)

OP, I wish I were in your shoes. Several years ago, I was flying home from college and happened to sit in the emergency exit row. A flight attendant came over to me and asked me how old I was. Turns out, she was going to ask me to move b/c she thought I wasn't even 15 yet, the minimum age required to sit in that row.

I guess the old adage is true...the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Do you get enough sleep? That has always been the number one greatest factor for me. And by enough, I mean 8-9 hours a night.

I understand that that is not a realistic possibility for most people living in the US today, but if you are fortunate enough to have that option, it might just be the thing that makes all the difference in how old you look.

I guess I am lucky because I am 36 and people think I'm around 25-28. I did have a friend who I went to high school with that was constantly mistaken for being much older. When we were 16 we had dinner at Chili's and she asked for a strawberry daquiri. We assumed that the waitress knew that we were just kids and would bring a virgin one. Well she started to drink it and said that it tasted "funny". We passed it around the table and drank most of it before we realized that it was alcoholic. When we asked the waitress she looked at us funny and asked me "Doesn't your mom drink alcohol?". Holy smokes! Ultimately it is her god-given features that made her look older-she had very droopy asian eyes that looked tired and wore her hair in a very plain bob with straight bangs.
I was going to add with the weight issue that sometimes being underweight can make your face look drawn and older.

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she had very droopy asian eyes

I think you've hit the nail on the head, with me anyways... yes I'm a bit overweight and when I smile, it's not very flattering because all you see are ginormous cheeks, so I don't go out of my way to smile at everything.

Even with that, the thing that bothers me more than being overweight is my sad droopy eyes. They really look like I've been crying for years. The outer corners are really turned downwards. It takes some effort with the liner to put that "V" in the corner to lift them up. argh. Tired eyes.

Originally Posted by TresChic35

My hair is just naturally black. I don't always wear dark colors...I mix and match my clothes. And yes, I'm very tall! But girls at the age of 21 y/o are usually finished growing (height-wise), so I'm not sure height would be a factor. I guess high-cheek bones are to blame? I've had them ever since I was a child. I've always wanted those pinchable cheeks...not fair!

I wish I had high cheek bones! LOL I think the quote "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" applies to this situation.

Just don't stress about it! Stress can make a person look older.

Aw, why does that make you feel sad? There are benefits and disadvantages to both, so I don't think one is necessarily better than the other. Looking older for your age doesn't necessarily mean aging rapidly, which I think might be why you feel bad. Sounds like you've got high, chiseled cheekbones, sharp features, or an angular face -- which are ideal features, in my opinion, so I think you're a lucky girl. I've got pinch-worthy chipmunk cheeks and I hate them.

Short of rearranging your bone structure, I think to make the most of your appearance you probably want to capture looking bright and youthful (as opposed to just plain young). You should probably use the eye-brightening trick and wear minimal make-up, stay hydrated and moisturize well so your skin looks dewy and not lackluster, take care of your skin (even tone, good texture, etc.), wear only lip gloss/balm and not lipstick, and get plenty of sleep. Like someone else mentioned, avoid stark contrasts, drab hues, and colors that will make you look sallow. Keep up the good work with the SPF and water intake, too!

I know it sucks now, but don´t worry your good lifestyle will pay off 1 day, as it did for my friend who almost looks younger at 31 than she did at 20 !! While she "froze" in time, everyone else started to develop serious aging signs !!

I am 22 going to turn 23 in october and a lot of people still think I am in high school! One day I was at the grocery store waiting in line to get lunch meat and this girl kept staring at me and then she came over and she was like where do you go to schoool? Do you go to such and such middle school and I was like no I go to college i'm 22!! LOL she's like oh I thought I saw you at school.

Another time I was at the same grocery store buying some fireworks and the guy carded me for fireworks!!! LOL isn't the age to buy fireworks 16? ha ha ha! I was like WTF are you serious I was like i'm 22 do I seriously not look old enough to buy fireworks... come on now what am I gonna do light some sparklers and run away (the big nice fireworks are illegal in PA)

i have been like this most of my life but i know it's because of my height. i have been 5'10 since i was about 12 and i have always looked older. actually correction men always thought i was older much older. i would always get approached by men in their late twenties when i was 14. it's disgusting when i think about it because when i would tell them i was 14 they sounded shocked but still wanted to date me. women on the other hand knew i was a child as soon as they laid eyes on me because they recognized that i had the face of a child despite my body. height has alot to do with it but weight also plays a huge factor, i was tall and shapely very early and men look at your body as oppossed to your face. don't worry it will balance out, now that i'm 22 i look about the same as i did when i was a teen

these things have a way of balancing themselves out. no worries love :) just smile and be happy

I was always happy that people thought I looked older when I was a teenager... now that I'm nearly 25, it's irritating as hell that people think I look younger! If I was you, I would be happy. Imo, people take you more seriously.

It may be more about your persona and the vibes you give off vs looks. I know people have always thought I was older than what I am even when I was a teen, and it has nothing to do with my looks.

I have to agree that looking older or younger than your age doesn't guarantee aging well or poorly. In other words, the person who could pass for 30 at 22 will not necessarily look 40 when they are 32. Indeed, they may stay looking in their 30's well into their 40's and 50's.

People who are very "cute" on the other hand, do not necessarily age well. When the inevitable signs of aging start to appear on what was a very youthful, cute face they may be more easily apparent than the same signs would be on a classically pretty face that looked older when they were young.

So don't despair! It is also true that when people are dressed professionally and carry themselves confidently they often get mistaken for older. In that case, it might be a good thing that you are mistaken for older!

I get the opposite!

I look younger than my age and its gets a little annoying too! I go buy a lottery ticket and they want to see my ID. It's even worse when I wear sweats and a sweater, I constantly get mistaken for being in high school.