Anyone find looking young a curse?

[Kim Mild]

Does anyone here get told they look younger than their age? I'm in my late 30s now and people often thing I'm early/mid 20s. ( Occasionally younger , I got I.ded for the lottery at 36).
It bothers me so much that people always comment when they find out how old I am because they've judged me based on how they think I look. It's becoming quite a problem now I have a teenager and apparently don't look old enough. I find it a rude thing to say.
I'd love for everyone to share their experiences.

 

[LaurieLaurie]

I’m 30 and I constantly have alcohol snatched off me in the supermarket and held to ransom until I show them my ID. I’ve had 18 rated games taken off me and even a pair of scissors. Ridiculous.

 

[Kim Mild]

I’m 30 and I constantly have alcohol snatched off me in the supermarket and held to ransom until I show them my ID. I’ve had 18 rated games taken off me and even a pair of scissors. Ridiculous.

I find it's the older staff who ask for I.d ,I always try to buy alcohol from younger staff, I find them a better judge of age.

 

[no-no]

Not a curse, but definitely awkward. People think I’m a teenager or early twenties. When I started my job the youngsters thought I was the same age as them then when they found out I’m in my thirties (not a secret) it was a bit awkward. I don’t try and dress young or anything - Is that why it bothers you? It makes me para that I act immature or something, but I think must just have a baby face because ID-ing happens more with no make-up.

I went through a stage of having no ID due to my passport expiring and me cutting up my drivers license as I hated the pic so Think 25 was a pain. Even when I go shopping now with my bf and I don’t have my purse I have to walk off and let him buy the booze. Caused mayhem in home and bargains once trying to buy it with my mum, the women behind us in the queue tried to buy it for me Having worked in retail I was fine with it but they were having none of it.

I would rather look younger than older and will probably be miffed when I no longer get ID’d.

 

[Platypusfattypus]

I get told I look younger then I am. But I'm in my early 40s so it's nice to be told I look like. I'm early 30s

 

[Anasnake]

I’m mid 40s now but had a baby face for years. It’s worth it now !!

 

[Kim Mild]

I think I just dress normally although I am conscious of being dressed like a kid or being frumpy. I think I hate it more so since I have a high schooler, I feel like people think I mustve been an underage mum ( not that I find anything wrong with that but I was 22).
The main problem is that people treat me differently when they find out my age . Should people in their 20s be treated differently to people in their 30s? It's a type of discrimination. I also feel people generalize that I won't have been through certain experiences because they think I'm younger (eg bereavement, marriage, kids etc).
I am and have always been such an old soul ,so I feel like about a million years old lol.

 

[hnoz]

I honestly just don't care, sometimes people in work think i'm there on work experience but I don't think it is rude to think someone looks younger.
In my case i've a roundish young looking face, plus i'm really petite so would fit kids clothes etc so I do look young, it is what it is.

 

[Kim Mild]

I honestly just don't care, sometimes people in work think i'm there on work experience but I don't think it is rude to think someone looks younger.
In my case i've a roundish young looking face, plus i'm really petite so would fit kids clothes etc so I do look young, it is what it is.

I don't find it rude to think that, but I do find it rude to make comments .

I don't know what they it is cos I'm average height and I don't think I have a baby face

 

[Lilooooo]

I’m 26 and last year I had braces (6 month smiles), I got ID’d for a scratch card

 

[SkinnyTurkeyDinosaur]

Me! I don't wear make up ever (because I'm useless at it) so that doesn't help but it can be annoying sometimes but oh well nothing can do

 

[265]

I had to carry my drivers licence just to get in to a pub till my mid 20's.

 

[Comfortablyconfused]

I wasn’t allowed to buy a knife set when I was 27 because I didn’t have my driving license. I was ID’d for a bottle of rum last Christmas too, and I’m in my thirties. I found it funny though, some people are just not very good at guessing ages I think?

 

[Kim Mild]

I’m 26 and last year I had braces (6 month smiles), I got ID’d for a scratch card

Oh no, I was thinking about getting braces.

 

[Bitofthebubbly]

I find it awkward at times and like another poster said I feel a bit paranoid about the way I act sometimes in case I come across as immature, like I feel people already make a judgement on me and I need to ‘prove’ to them that I’m not some kid or something idk it’s weird.

I have no problem handing over my id when asked, I’ve worked in retail it’s just part of the job and sometimes as a worker you genuinely aren’t sure and it’s a risk not to ask. I usually always have my id but if I forget I’m more annoyed at myself for forgetting than the person asking to see it. It’s more in social situations I’ve found sometimes people have been rude to me. Thinking someone looks young isn’t rude in itself but sometimes the way people deliver this opinion can feel a little demeaning. Saying “you look really young for your age” is fine but something like “how can you be X age you look about 12/like a child!” would feel belittling to me. However more often than not people mean it as a compliment, I must say it’s often men who are weird/rude to me rather than women. Dunno why.

I think I’d rather look younger than older. Hopefully when I’m 60 I’ll be thankful for my youthful looking face

 

[Pixipoppy]

It has its pros and cons. I used to hate it when I was younger because I honestly looked about 14 when I was 21. Im 31 now and still get ID pretty much every time I go out and most times if buying alcohol. Even with friends that are 4-5 years younger than me, it’ll be me who gets ID’d... I don’t actually think I look young anymore, I look haggard most of the time! People always seem shocked at my age. Then again I act pretty young, go out clubbing a lot, wear “young” clothes and am quite slim so maybe that’s why... if you look at my face you see the wrinkles . It’s not great for my job though, getting asked by clients “You look like you’ve just left school, are you qualified for this job?” or the old classic “you must be a student then?”.Lots of colleagues that don’t know me well assume I’m fresh out of uni.. about 23/24, don’t really take me seriously. Sometimes I can tell they’re a bit embarrassed when they find out how old I am.

 

[chocolate choux]

I get it a lot, it used to bother me massively as I felt self conscious but I’m starting to appreciate it now I’m 26. I have a baby face, am short and slim (age 12-13 clothes ), don’t wear make up and my acne is only just beginning to improve - so I understand why people would assume I’m younger

I used to work in retail and it was hammered into me that you should ask for ID unless you’re absolutely certain, because you as an individual would be charged and fined, not the company. So I understand why cashiers are eager to ID. I remember a ridiculous situation in an airport alcohol shop a couple of years ago, though. I picked up a bottle of rum which the cashier took off me, accusing me of being underage. I was in a bloody airport, of course I had ID, and I wouldn’t get very far if I tried to run off with it, would I?! This was in departures. She was shocked that I was in my mid-twenties and couldn’t stop remarking on it until I left

 

[KawaiiSloth]

I am in my early twenties and most people mistake me for a secondary school student! They ask me what GCSEs I'm doing, or what I want to study at college and I think "b****, I did all that 6 years ago" .
Apparently when I wear makeup, I look even younger. It is so embarassing.

A customer at work said to me a few months ago "Thank you for being such a helpful young lady. Oh actually you're still a girl aren't you? Helpful young girl". Yikes. Can I please age soon?

 

[Bluerabbit123]

It has its pros and cons.. I work in the nhs and a patient said to me the other day I look like I should be in school, I'm 26 in 2 weeks! I find patients definitely dont take me seriously and it's frustrating. Apparently I act older than i am and I'm not sure if that's a sub conscious thing because of how i look or if i would have done that anyway. I'm sure I'll be happy about it when I'm 40

 

[LittleMy]

The only time looking young bothered me was when I’d given birth. I was 26 at the time and the midwives treated me like a stupid little girl because I looked like a teenager. I found them very patronising. Otherwise, I couldn’t give a tit tbh. Happy to look young.

Oh, and I got ID’d for hairspray once when I was about 27/28. I burst out laughing at that.