How to look older?

**glassless_mind** · 02-06-2011 08:37 PM

I'm 22, and people think I look 14/15. It's very annoying when I'm nearly a qualified veterinarian and yet can't get people to take me seriously. I get people asking me what year I'm in in high school, and when my 18th is, when I finished school five years ago.

I've been trying very hard to steer away from wearing jeans and boots all the time, as is my basic dress, because they work well for the things I need to do. Work also means I can never have nice nails, if they get any longer than the ends of my fingers, then they get in the way.

I've just got my hair cut shorter and styled by a hairdresser friend of mine, so hopefully that will help.

I really don't know what else I can do. How can I wear my makeup to make myself look older? Any hair or clothing tips as well? My hair is now about shoulder length now, and has a bit more shape around my face.

I know I'll appreciate looking young when I'm older, but at the moment it's making working in a medical environment very difficult.

**Agony_Aunt** · 02-06-2011 10:35 PM

Apart from actually looking older, another thing people can read in to that will make them realise you are older than you look is:

Body Language, your posture, having good conversational skills, acting your age will help, being mature will also imitate you age.

These will in fact help people realise your older without you actually looking older.

**fiestypunkgirl** · 02-06-2011 10:46 PM

I know EXACTLY what you mean! But unfortunately, I really dont have any advice. Just be mature and tactful with your response when poeple ask you those insulting questions. Or ignore them alltogether. Thats true, if you present yourself as a mature adult, it does help for sure.

I have heard shorter hair helps. But frankly, if its in your genes theres really not much you can do. I tried it all too; I tried piling on makeup, dressing in "mature" clothes, cutting my hair, putting it up, etc nothing worked. I took up smoking to see if it would age me. seriously! Thats how sick of it I got. I was SOOO tired of being judged!

I'm 30 now, ppl guess me 22 ALL the time. It really starts to grate on your nerves. Some people think its a compliment to say such things, but I wonder how they'd feel if they were constantly asked when they will graduate highshcool! its insulting!! (I do still get that sometimes).

Further, I have 2 kids, 7 & 4 and I'm single. So many people (mostly other parents) judge me as "that girl" who got illigitimetly knocked up at 15. Not true!

oh look...guess I'm chatty this evening, I digress, sorry.
Anyway I hope someone else can help. But either way, I'm right there with you, sister!

ps - I take it as a good excuse to not ACT my age, either

**WildChild** · 02-06-2011 10:48 PM

I dealt with this at your age. I got picked up by a truant officer once, a couple years after I had graduated. I got carded well into my 30s (that was before they started carding pretty much everyone). It's not so much that you look like a kid, just that you don't look "mature". Aunt is right, how you carry yourself can make a difference.

You might try a good make up person for some ideas.

**glassless_mind** · 02-07-2011 03:30 AM

Thanks, I'll try to be more aware of the way I carry myself. My hair is shorter now, about shoulder length, it was down to my waist before, it grows amazingly fast, but hopefully it will help.

What do I say to people who are rude about the way I look? I never know what the right thing to say would be. People comment on how young I look, then, when I tell them my age, they'll start talking about how I look like a teenager, how small they think my boobs are (I'm a D, what more do they want???), how un-developed they think I look, etc. It doesn't help that my younger sister has huge boobs, wears lots of makeup all the time. If we're together, people will regularly comment on how much older than me she looks. I just don't know what to say to those people. I've tried laughing it off (this seems to encourage them), and one woman who told me I look 14 while I was at work, I tried to politely explain my age to, seemed very offended herself, and didn't speak to me after that. I find these people very rude, but haven't yet found an effective way to deal with them, how have other people deal with people judging them like this?

In some ways I'm glad I'm not the only one this happens to, although it wouldn't be fun for anyone. I know it'll be great when I'm old, but I wish people would take me serioulsy now!

On the upside... you're probably right feistypunkgirl, it could be an excuse not to act my age...

**WildChild** · 02-07-2011 10:01 AM

Look them right in the eye, say, "I'm blessed with good youthful genes" and then get down to business.

If they think a D cup is small and that bigger boobs denote maturity I guess we've found the fountain of youth and as an A I'll be forever young! (I'm over 50)

**glassless_mind** · 02-07-2011 02:25 PM

haha wildchild, I like the way you think, thanks

**Martha80** · 02-20-2011 03:26 PM

I'm about your age, and I have the same problem. Well...not a problem anymore, because I just stop to worry about it

Of course, it is annoying, when people still asking for my ID, or not belive that I'm 21, but... that is not so important.
After I cut my hair, few people already told me, that I'm looking older.
:>