# How do you look older? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494 "2015-11-13T20:02:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/1 "2015-11-13T20:02:38Z")
This is a real issue for me, often mistaken for half my chronological age. In business requiring face to face interaction the bias of being a “teenager” is almost impossible to overcome. I look younger than my old passport photo from more than a decade previous, so yea not sure what is going on. Once when doing IT work a guys desktop pic was porno, he said oh uh heh don’t tell your parents you saw that. I asked him his age, then told him mine and he was six years younger than me and he was shocked.😛 Started not shaving for weeks cuz the grizzly faced look seems to help a little. Smattering of grey helps too but they are going back normal and only work close up. Dressing more professionally just makes me look like a teen wearing expensive clothes. Its my face basically. I’m open to anything except scarring. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/2 "2015-11-13T20:05:12Z")
Don’t worry it will come. Get married then live through a divorce. Maybe a war or two. It will catch up to you. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/3 "2015-11-13T20:07:51Z")
How about a pic? ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/4 "2015-11-13T20:09:58Z")
When I was 40 everyone thought I was 30. Now I am 69 and everyone thinks I am 69. Apparently time is the cure. Not hard living, a divorce or war; I have had none of those in the last 29 years. Just: 29 years have passed. Also: wrinkles. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/5 "2015-11-13T20:32:53Z")
Regular drinking and outdoor work in the sun worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/6 "2015-11-13T20:36:11Z")
Join Fight Club. Plus **Colibri** ’s suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/7 "2015-11-13T20:54:06Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Regular drinking and outdoor work in the sun worked for me. You can replace the outdoor work with cigarettes. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/8 "2015-11-13T20:59:44Z")
When I was 13 evrybody thought I was 25. When I was 35, everybody thought I was 25. Now I’m over 45, and pretty much look over 45. For me it’s because I am losing weight. Gaining a pound or two per year kept my skin tight and fresh-looking for quite some time, but it’s a self-limiting strategy. Eventually either you start losing the weight and live to a ripe old age looking your ripe old age, or you really do die young. As for looking older, short hair usually helps with guys. Also darker clothing, navy blue and black especially. A pic would really help, but if you can grow a full beard, that makes most men look older as well. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/9 "2015-11-13T21:05:29Z")
I stood around for 58 years or so, and voila! I look older. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/10 "2015-11-13T21:14:19Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Not hard living, a divorce or war; I have had none of those in the last 29 years. Just: 29 years have passed. Also: wrinkles. I didn’t say it was required, it’s just one method. As an adult I looked young for my age for a while. Not card me at 35 young but no one would guess my correct age. Stress, time and putting on some weight cured that. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/11 "2015-11-14T02:39:53Z")
Yeah, growing a bears should help, at least somewhat. Dye your hair gray. (Beard included.) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/12 "2015-11-14T02:50:38Z")
Cut back on the sleep. An hour or two less than you require for a decade or so should do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/13 "2015-11-14T02:55:15Z")
Constantly make extremely exaggerated facial expressions so you develop fine lines. People often think I’m younger than I really am too. I have a baby face but I also keep a pretty neutral facial expression most of the time when it comes to my forehead so I don’t have those lines some people have, I’ve seen people a lot younger than me that already have those forehead wrinkles. You’ll notice most actors seem to have them pretty bad because they emote so much on camera as part of their job, at least it seems that way to me. ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/14 "2015-11-14T03:12:37Z")
When I was in college I looked 12. And I’m short too which didn’t help. I’m in my 40s now but still look young. My organs think I’m 60 though. Suggestion, mature looking tasteful jewelry. Like a gold watch, a school ring of some sort. No kid is going to be sporting gold and diamonds. Also, good shoes. Get your shirts professionally pressed. Ask your barber for a more mature haircut. Expand your vocabulary. Don’t slouch. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/15 "2015-11-14T21:11:34Z")
Dressing older and styling your hair older is probably the most realistic option. There is almost certainly a difference in how older people and younger people dress in your region. So dress older. Maybe even go older than your age by a generation, to offset your younger face. It works really well in pictures, where every photo of people in the 60s or earlier tends to make them look older than they are. Dying your hair would work if you can make it look real. But don’t do the whole thing. And, yes, if you can grow facial hair, that can help, too. But most people with your problem also seem to have trouble with growing facial hair–if it grows poorly, you’ll look like a teenager trying to look older. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/16 "2015-11-14T21:51:48Z")
Show a picture? I’ve got a co-worker like that. He started wearing more professional clothes, and kept a mostly formal attitude. He still looks to young for the job, but like he’s going to do it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/17 "2015-11-14T23:06:05Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Yeah, growing a bears should help, at least somewhat. > > Dye your hair gray. (Beard included.) That should certainly make you look a bit grizzly. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/18 "2015-11-15T00:57:57Z")
Nice humble brag, op! or click bait for new product? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/19 "2015-11-15T01:30:24Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Started not shaving for weeks cuz the grizzly faced look seems to help a little. Personally I’d give this another try, I think it’s your best bet. Assuming of course that you are one of those women who looks good with a beard. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494/20 "2015-11-15T01:38:19Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Regular drinking and outdoor work in the sun worked for me. Smoking helps as well; triple maduro cigars if at all possible and be sure to inhale. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-look-older/737494.md?page=2)