Looking a lot younger?

[Fluttershy]

I just continue to learn more and more new things from this forum. I'm 22 but I've been told I don't look old enough to drive. Of course, I went to do one of those "Guess my Age" contests at an amusement park, totally sure I would win, and they must have figured I was older than I looked and guessed close enough >.<

 

[garnetflower13]

When I was in my thirties, I was at a resort with my teenaged daughter. Some guy who worked on the grounds came over to me and stared scolding me about sitting on a planter thingy near the door. I was flabbergasted that he was talking to me that way, but later realized that I must have looked a lot younger than my age! People used to confuse me for my daughter's older sister.:giggle:

 

[Hazelle]

I'm in my 30s but people usually think I'm in my 20s and doubt me when I tell them my age. I used to think it's just good genes (mom looks young too) and nightly face lotion. And ok... I still shop in the juniors dept.

 

[King_Oni]

Last weekend at a club I was having a chat with a random guy and he asked me about my age so I told him to make a guess.

He thought I was somewhere around 25, maybe 26. He was shocked when I told him I was over 30.

I really hope no one finds that painting of me

 

[Flinty]

At age 12, I looked 15. Since then, my aging has gone incredibly slowly.

I suspect it's my minimal exposure to the worst of the sun. (There are other reasons that I shan't go into because they are debatable.)

 

[Ste11aeres]

When I was in my thirties, I was at a resort with my teenaged daughter. Some guy who worked on the grounds came over to me and stared scolding me about sitting on a planter thingy near the door. I was flabbergasted that he was talking to me that way, but later realized that I must have looked a lot younger than my age! People used to confuse me for my daughter's older sister.:giggle:

It's a pity, though, that people who would never talk like that to someone older, are willing to talk that way to children and young people.

 

[Ruby]

I don't really know how old I look, but I'm 16 and I think I look about right for my age. I asked my friends and they think I look 17-18 years old. I've pretty much always looked older probably because a was a tall kid and and an early bloomer. I've barely changed in 2-3 years but I still don't really look young for my age. Out of curiosity, how old do I look? This photo was taken today by the way.

 

[Warwick C]

For me I would not know as I can not judge age, Combined with the fact I am not worried by some ones age.

 

[Loomis]

Young looking aspies

There are a huge number of posts on this and other aspie forums with aspies reporting looking younger than their chronological age. I experience this myself as people usually think I am ten years younger than I am. This is a definite plus for those of us lucky enough to have acquired this positive aspect of autism.

This week a Harvard lab published an article that they had discovered a biochemical methodology to reverse aging in mice using a "NAD increasing substance:" Cell - Declining NAD+ Induces a Pseudohypoxic State Disrupting Nuclear-Mitochondrial Communication during Aging

NAD Definition:
NAD or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is a purine molecule related to energy production. "Purines are key components of cellular energy systems (eg, ATP, NAD) and cell energy signaling molecules (eg, GTP, cAMP, cGMP)." (https://chumy.wordpress.com/purine-a...ism-disorders/)

The Harvard article article is behind a paywall so I could not read it. Although it does not address autism, my curiosity is aroused because one of the biochemical proceses that is different for many of us on the spectrum is the purine synthesis pathway. For example Page and Coleman, 2000 found "purine overproduction occurs in approximately 20% of patients with autism" A connection between high NAD production and young looking aspies is mere speculation on my part but perhaps the unusual "antiaging" of aspies arises out of our unique differences in purine biochemical synthesis. Maybe we young looking aspies naturally overproduce NAD? The accumulated autism research remains inscrutable so it likely will be a long while before these dots can be connected. There are no generally accepted unifying narratives to pull together all the autism research into any kind of cohesive whole; it remains a very large puzzle.

 

[Hazelle]

Ruby--I think you look like a teenager, tho I'm not good at placing exact ages on people! Something that's interesting though is that I never thought I looked young for my age (or was told this) until shortly after high school. I'm not sure if that's common!

 

[grapesicles]

Nothing to complain about for sure! It was quite interesting to learn this, I always thought it was just because I don't drink or smoke and I look after my skin.

I'm only 22 at the moment, but already get mistaken for someone in school who's around 17-18 all the time. I do dress younger and don't always look 'grown-up', but I am incredibly tall. I was hanging out with my 13 and 15-year-old cousins - their friend's mum asked how old I was and her jaw dropped because she didn't believe me! Then she apologised and offered me a glass of wine haha!

 

[Ruire]

I am 27 and still get carded to buy lotto tickets. =[ no one believes my age. and one time i was 19 and posted a pic of me on a forums and they edited pedobear into the pic cuz they thought i was really young, like 12-14.

here ill show you:



and here is a recent pic of me =3

... dressing young might have something to do with it.

I also don't smoke or drink. =3

 

[DebzD21]

I sometimes tend to get asked ID off 15 year old game :/
Not sure if I look under 16 but I get away with child tickets still

 

[tridianprime]

I am 27 and still get carded to buy lotto tickets. =[ no one believes my age. and one time i was 19 and posted a pic of me on a forums and they edited pedobear into the pic cuz they thought i was really young, like 12-14.

here ill show you:



and here is a recent pic of me =3

... dressing young might have something to do with it.

I also don't smoke or drink. =3

Your first and second photo look extremely different to me, although i am bad with faces. I too don't drink. Unless i can afford dry martinis shaken not stirred i will stay that way.

 

[tryingtoregister]

I always looked kind of older, probably because i started smoking weed when I was young and now have a little premature balding going on :I and a beard

 

[Ste11aeres]

I am 27 and still get carded to buy lotto tickets. =[ no one believes my age. and one time i was 19 and posted a pic of me on a forums and they edited pedobear into the pic cuz they thought i was really young, like 12-14.

here ill show you:



and here is a recent pic of me =3

... dressing young might have something to do with it.

I also don't smoke or drink. =3

I like the Rainbow Dash t-shirt.

 

[nowwhat]

I am 48 years old and I still hear that I must be in my thirties

There, you said it for me, age and all.

 

[Peter]

I'm 38 and often get mistaken for younger, usually in my twenties, I even get asked for ID occasionally to buy alcohol or tobacco. I've no idea why either because I haven't exactly looked after my health in many ways, over the years. I actually quite like it now though I didn't when I was younger. When I get asked for ID, I just smile and thank them for making my day! When I produce my ID, it's the person who has asked for it who usually gets embarrassed when they see how old I am.

 

[grapesicles]

I'm 38 and often get mistaken for younger, usually in my twenties, I even get asked for ID occasionally to buy alcohol or tobacco. I've no idea why either because I haven't exactly looked after my health in many ways, over the years. I actually quite like it now though I didn't when I was younger. When I get asked for ID, I just smile and thank them for making my day! When I produce my ID, it's the person who has asked for it who usually gets embarrassed when they see how old I am.

Haha that must be a good feeling! I have a friend in his early 40s who looks 20 years younger. When ID'd he takes great delight in unfolding his old-fashioned paper driving licence for them to see!

 

[nosouvenirs]

I am a "not sure" on the Aspie front, but I have ALWAYS looked young for my age. At 18 I looked about 12/13. Now, at 27, I get people guessing me at 19 or 20 all the time.