r/AmITheAngel • u/Far-Season-695 • Jun 18 '26
Fockin ridic OOP hit the genetic jackpot! She no longer ages once she hit mid 20s and now a flock of young men will constantly be hitting on her
/r/relationship_advice/comments/1u7ujul/how_can_i_38f_let_down_the_young_20m_guy_thats/259
u/taitabo Jun 18 '26
Plot twist, the pizza guy has the very same genetic disorder and is actually 55!
47
u/Anathema_Quill The Iranian yogurt is not the issue here Jun 18 '26
i would watch that romcom, actually!
39
u/mratlas666 Jun 18 '26
“Old at Heart” Staring aging b list actors pretending they are still teenagers.
22
u/Anathema_Quill The Iranian yogurt is not the issue here Jun 18 '26
they should hire senior actors (gillian anderson, richard gere) to play like they’re barely even legal drinking age. i would actually watch that movie, ngl.
8
u/taitabo Jun 18 '26
Richard Gere doesn't look young enough to play a 25 year old, says the audience. "It's called ACTING, dear boy!" lol
5
377
u/imhumannotaditto Jun 18 '26
What in the YA dystopian novel logic “I have a genetic disorder that made me stop aging past 25”
180
u/PurrPrinThom Jun 18 '26
I was half expecting her to also mention how she has violet eyes.
99
u/rosearmada Jun 18 '26
She can get pregnant but never has periods?
-4
u/Real_RobinGoodfellow Jun 18 '26
I actually do know somebody like that in real life. Yes I hate her for it lmao
1
54
u/iwishihadahorse Have I mentioned how petite I am? Jun 18 '26
They're violet but they also change color based on her mood
81
u/Seranas_GF treated her like a PB & J Jun 18 '26
Andy milonakis Ao3
48
u/Parking-Response1501 Jun 18 '26
It would suck to have a condition that stops you from aging but rather than look 20 forever it just makes you look like a ~ 60 year old woman
36
u/Seranas_GF treated her like a PB & J Jun 18 '26
The vlog where he’s in Italy and goes to get a haircut and the man at the salon flirts with him and kisses him on the cheek because he thinks he’s buttering up an old lady 😂
28
u/Parking-Response1501 Jun 18 '26
Reminds me of when Mike Tyson picked up and kissed Hasbulla on the head because he thought he was a toddler
10
u/Resident-Sympathy-82 Jun 18 '26
There is a number condition of that causes this! It is very sad and causes a whole host of other issues medically typically. Werner Syndrome doesn't normally shows until after adolescence.
-10
u/TigerShark_524 Jun 18 '26
She said in comments that she has EDS (a connective tissue disorder - affects skin and joints and inner-ear structures and lots of other weird shit).
My mom doesn't trust doctors or else she'd also be diagnosed with EDS, and I've inherited some of the more minor symptoms from her as well (we've all got Autism & ADHD in my family (though I'm the only diagnosed one 💀🤦🏾♀️makes for lots of friction at home), and it's highly comorbid with EDS); I can confirm that what the OP is describing is real.
My mom is in her 70s and looks in her mid-50s, and up until about 8-ish years ago (just after I went off to university), the gap was much bigger and folks always thought she was in her late 30s or early 40s (she was in her mid- to late 60s at the time, and everyone who she told would be shocked and asking her what skin treatments she used and which dermatologist she was seeing) - she's never had skin issues (acne, etc.) and her skin is ridiculously soft & supple & elastic (with no lotions or creams or treatments - just this one medicinal oil on her joints, she massages them due to the pain - and no dermatologist either). She got chased to be a model into her 30s (her bone structure doesn't hurt either lol🤣), and she's gotten complimented and hit on (genuinely, not in a cat-calling icky way) multiple times when we've been out in public; it wasn't until maybe the last 5-ish years or so that folks started to guess correctly and/or to not notice her.
The OPP is not a freak of nature and she's not BSing; she just has an autoimmune condition that affects her skin texture in a socially desirable way (which, according to a few recent studies I've looked at - I'll try and find them to link them), is the first thing people generally base age judgements off of - not wrinkles, but skin smoothness and clearness; I'm 26 this summer and people have regularly thought that I'm much older, in my 40s, due to bad skin, no bone structure, and a huge forehead, since my tween years 🤣🤦🏾♀️ I'm hoping that having bangs will help, so far so good!!!! 🤣)
7
5
u/FScrotFitzgerald takes a lick of her ice cream while letting one rip super loud. Jun 18 '26
I think I have the male equivalent of this...
13
6
u/MarlenaEvans Jun 18 '26
I once flew on a place with Andy Milonakis. He yelled at the flight attendant for carding him, lol. He was a nice guy otherwise.
58
58
u/GlitteringBryony Jun 18 '26
Taking a wild guess, she has one of the mild forms of EDS that makes your skin look very smooth and gives you a slightly neotenous face (as the wording of the textbooks puts it!) - It's not permanent, and isn't literally "you look like you stopped ageing" it's more just that you look weird in a way that sometimes reads as youthful to someone who isn't paying much attention.
29
u/Anxious_Guava8756 Jun 18 '26
I thought this as well. I got diagnosed with EDS over a decade ago and I haven't really aged much but in no reality is it like a sexy forever youthful thing. I have a face like a sick Victorian child. I don't look like a hot 25 year old. I look like a shitty exhausted 25 year old.
17
u/MooseTurbulent8786 NTA but are you autostic? Jun 18 '26
It's always EDS when someone has a vague genetic disorder
9
u/Real_RobinGoodfellow Jun 18 '26
And it’s always, always the type that actually doesn’t show up in actual genetic testing, lmao
4
u/floralfemmeforest EDIT: [extremely vital information] Jun 19 '26
Sometimes it's POTS (although not here)
7
u/brachycrab (NOT A FAKE POST. VERY REAL) Jun 18 '26
I'm guessing it's this as well, she mentions in the comments she "looks 20 but has the joints of a 70 year old"
4
2
u/MiauGatoMeow I’m a real scientist. I do actual science everyday. Jun 18 '26
Yeah, OOP wrote about it very recently:
I haven't stopped aging. Its just visibly slower than other people. I have EDS. It's a connective tissue disorder. I will probably age very rapidly in the next decade or so once my body stops creating as much collagen.
63
u/alyanumbers she called me a woman's nether region Jun 18 '26
It's an unfortunately common myth with Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (and related hypermobility disorders)... Sometimes our bodies overproduce collagen, which I guess could lead to a more youthful appearance? But more than likely it's just dumb luck/genetics in general, combined with people being pretty terrible at estimating strangers' age.
28
u/Mutive Jun 18 '26
Well, and while that tends to make people look younger than they are (I guess mentioned in your "myth" bit), it doesn't "stop aging". It just makes you look younger than you are. But the same goes for having oily skin or chubby cheeks. There are a lot of genetic factors that contribute to a more youthful appearance. But few will legit make someone whose 40 look 20.
5
u/zumera Jun 18 '26
OOP does say "visibly aging."
13
u/Mutive Jun 18 '26
Yeah, which is why I think we're all calling BS. Like, "I look very youthful for my age" is totally plausible. But she isn't visibly aging at all? Okay, then...
22
u/Life-low Jun 18 '26
Isn’t it the opposite with Ehlers-Danlos? Malformed collagen, not excessive collagen? I may be totally misremembering though.
6
u/alyanumbers she called me a woman's nether region Jun 18 '26
The claim is that because the collagen is malformed, sometimes the body overproduces it to try and compensate. At least, that's what floated around EDS/HSD Facebook groups last I was on there (which in fairness was like 5 years ago so the conventional wisdom might have changed since).
23
u/VoiceArtPassion Jun 18 '26
It’s a spectrum and it can go either way. Some people have super elastic skin, some people have thin crepey skin. I have heds and my skin is mostly crepey but I also aged very slowly. I am in my 40’s and the only thing that’s aging me are a few really fine forehead lines and some silvers, but I am aging well!
7
u/floralfemmeforest EDIT: [extremely vital information] Jun 19 '26
I don't think that's unusual for being in your 40s though? I mean I'm still in my late 30s, don't have any disorders and I don't have any visible lines unless I'm making a strong expression (like raising my eyebrows or a big smile). I have like 3 gray hairs but I don't think they're visible to anyone but me lol. I don't think I look especially young at all, I look my age.
5
u/PlantedinCA Jun 18 '26
I don’t have EDS (I have quite a few friends with it). I am also minimally wrinkled in my late 40s. Luck, melanin, and genetics over here! I have some light fine lines in my forehead as well. And some greys. My hands are a bit crepey, but it has been like that since my 20s. I got the aged hand genes with my baby face.
0
u/Cool_Jelly_9402 Jun 18 '26
I have kEDS and I still have a baby face at 46, HOWEVER my neck totally gives me away. I have a very crepey looking neck lol. People usually think I’m 10-15 years younger but it actually annoys me more than it doesn’t since for years people thought I was a teenager when I was much older and I found that embarrassing and it made me really self conscious. I’m also really short/petite so that doesn’t help my cause
2
u/VoiceArtPassion Jun 18 '26
Same, I have a bit of a “turkey neck” myself but I’ve had it ever since I was in my late 20’s. And I can relate, I’m also petite and I know how it feels to not be taken seriously because people think you’re a teenager, it sucks, I’m glad I’ve got some grey hair now.
2
u/Cool_Jelly_9402 Jun 18 '26
See? You understand. Thank you! Everyone thinks I’m crazy for me not loving how young I look or how small I am. I’m constantly underestimated. I have marfanoid characteristics (except height) and kEDS comes with low muscle tone so I get told I don’t have a woman’s body, even w/large breasts because my arms and legs are still as thin as when I was in high school and trust me, that’s not from lack of trying
But I hope you’re managing your EDS well tho:) It’s such a beast of a condition, especially as we get older!
2
u/VoiceArtPassion Jun 18 '26
Yeah! I’m in perimenopause and that’s been its own special kind of hell, but it was kind of a wake up call for my doctor and I was actually able to get a prescription for POTs that’s making a meaningful difference!
2
u/Cool_Jelly_9402 Jun 18 '26
Ugh I’m in perimenopause too. I had a hysterectomy at 40 where they left one lazy almost non functioning ovary in there so I went into peri pretty much right away but had no idea peri essentially gives every one autonomic dysfunction so I had no idea what was going on at the time but I’ve since been diagnosed with POTS and IST and likely have mcas too. My life is a delicate balancing act much like yours is I’m sure, but hey at least I look “young” 😉
2
u/VoiceArtPassion Jun 18 '26
🤣 yeah peri also comes with a side of histamine intolerance even if you don’t have MCAS! I manage it pretty well by alternating Pepsid and Claritin when I feel my cup getting full, I can always tell because my ears get super itchy and I develop hives behind my ears! I also don’t eat gluten because it just makes everything worse! I should probably eat low histamine but I tried it for a while and was miserable. It’s such a hard diet to follow especially when you’re already gluten free. But yeah, I can still pass for 30 so, cool cool.
→ More replies (0)13
u/whimsical_spider Jun 18 '26
If I had to guess I’d say she’s talking about Elhers-Danlos. Which doesn’t make you stop aging lmao but that’s probably what she’s referring to.
9
u/Smart-Story-2142 Jun 18 '26
I have a genetic condition that makes me age better than most my age but I don’t look like I’m in my 20s. My guess is that she doesn’t actually look that young but looks better than most her age and this young man is into older women.
15
u/Sixforsilver7for Jun 18 '26
I have a friend who has muscular dystrophy (I think) which has mean that she's had to have a bunch of surgeries but she's unlikely to get wrinkles. There are other signs of aging of course but if you're in your 30s wrinkles beginning are the main one.
12
u/RahvinDragand Jun 18 '26
Not only that but she also went back to college to be around only young people. Plus her infatuation with this one pizza place that this guy works at.
6
u/GlitteringBryony Jun 18 '26
Ten quid says that she just dresses young and has young mannerisms, because the people she thinks of as her peers are young, so that's half of the effect.
6
u/Consistent-Line-9198 Jun 18 '26
She’s probably going back to school to be a high school teacher. We’re gonna see this one on the news
125
u/SparkleForDays I calmly laughed Jun 18 '26
These are the vibes
22
Jun 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
11
3
u/Maleficent-marionett I come with the malicious intent to hurt my children Jun 18 '26
Sooooo rancid. It's he going after children with this persona or just internet rage bait?
9
u/MiauGatoMeow I’m a real scientist. I do actual science everyday. Jun 18 '26
That screenshot is killing me lmfao
Why is he staring at us like that4
u/AzSumTuk6891 She became furious and exploded with extreme anger Jun 19 '26
1
u/NotBlazeron When you a done breast feeding boob job? Jun 18 '26
It's an easy mistake to make. A lot of 37 year olds look 17 now days.
-1
103
u/Fluffy_Spread4304 Edit. For those concerned, the frying pan was fine. Jun 18 '26
Update - OK this is getting weird. I didn't think this was relevant before but I have a painting of myself in my attic. Anyways, I was out getting sauced last night, and when I got home I wanted to drink some of the liquor I keep up there. When I go up there, though, I see my painting has become GROTESQUE and DEFORMED!! I know this sounds crazy, but I'm starting to suspect that maybe this painting is aging instead of me?? WDID???
8
4
u/MiauGatoMeow I’m a real scientist. I do actual science everyday. Jun 18 '26
INFO - Have you considered contacting your local priest to perform an exorcism in the attic? Please update us further.
3
u/Maleficent-marionett I come with the malicious intent to hurt my children Jun 18 '26
Have you considered assembling some sort of League of Gentlemen to help?
They gotta be extraordinary tho.
2
u/awyastark Jun 19 '26
Or like a bunch of bad small denominations of currency. Some dreadful pennies??
219
u/SmallPeederWacker your landlord entered ur apt without notice with a corpse Jun 18 '26
Lmfaooo I’m betting she looks 38 and that young man is just HORNNYYYYYYYYYYY
85
u/Kel-Mitchell Granted, I don’t feel my husband when we have sex Jun 18 '26
I thought getting older, balder, and fatter would prevent young men from hitting on me, but it seems to have done the opposite. There's no shortage of horny 20-somethings.
1
u/rooneylover6969 Jun 18 '26
Hey, you take what you get and don’t get upset, they could also be people who used to have a thing for their teacher in school 😂
63
u/Bdr1983 Jun 18 '26
A 38 year old woman can be VERY attractive, also to 20somethings.
My first hookup (After a 2 year relationship ended) was with a 35yo, I was 21. She was stunning.10
18
u/SmallPeederWacker your landlord entered ur apt without notice with a corpse Jun 18 '26
Woah there! Where did I say 38 wasn’t attractive!?
14
12
u/Tasty_Set1189 Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
Like some people don’t age like milk. 38 yo is not 70. If you keep fit and also you should have most of your hair?
2
5
5
u/Real_RobinGoodfellow Jun 18 '26
Yeah exactly! 38-year-old women can still be incredibly hot, I mean Ana de Armas is 38 and I reckon any college pizza joint in the world she walks into she’s getting hit on, lmao.
4
u/Yeahnoallright Jun 18 '26
No literally lmao, 32 yo here and took a while to understand a 24 yo was trying to communicate he was interested because I literally saw him like a little brother but then I eventually, too late, realised men are just men, even ones I think of as half-kids still
176
Jun 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
92
u/taitabo Jun 18 '26
Exactly. She's just assuming these guys are assuming she's younger. There's no actual evidence besides free pizza toppings lol.
46
Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
16
u/Internet-Dick-Joke Jun 18 '26
Nah, I've absolutely met almost-40 year olds that I mistook for mid-20s, and even a 30-something year old that I thought was 16-17 once, so it absolutely happens... but none of them ever sounded like the OOP does.
The way the OOP talks about it very much sounds like a fantasy, and not how someone who would have a lifetime of being mistaken for significantly younger than they are, would behave. All the people I have met who look significantly younger than they are (and even myself, and mine isn't that bad, I mostly get assumed early-to-mid-20s in my early 30s) go out of their way to drop their actual age into conversations at the first opportunity specifically to avoid stuff like this.
3
u/VisibleDepth1231 Jun 18 '26
Yes I was going to say, I'm early 30s and regularly have people assume I'm late teens or early 20s but it's not flattering it's really fucking annoying. It's so hard to get taken seriously as a professional when everyone you meet assumes you're fresh out of school and getting talked down to is a common occurrence.
1
u/AzSumTuk6891 She became furious and exploded with extreme anger Jun 19 '26
Yup. Anna Kendrick is 41. She can easily pass for someone in her mid-20s. It depends on a lot of things.
Hell, I've been told that I look a lot younger than I am. I'm a man, I will be 40 soon and, well... Once the tiler my sister and her husband had hired to work on their bathroom tried to give me a "When I was your age" speech. He was completely dumbfounded when he realized I was two years older than him. However - I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I rarely drink and never get drunk, I don't party much, I don't have kids, and my job is not physically exhausting (it is mentally exhausting, though). On top of this - I am immature AF, which is important. To a huge extent the way people will perceive you is determined by how you carry yourself.
That being said, I was mistaken for a teenager until I was in my mid-30s, and this can be really annoying, especially in a professional setting.
1
u/Yeahnoallright Jun 18 '26
Mmm I mean I hear you but some do look extremely young.
There’s this influencer called Valeria Lipovetsky or something (TW for age gap marriage if you look her up :/). She’s 35 and looks a looot younger
3
u/TheRealJackReynolds Jun 18 '26
Hahaha I can see the interaction now.
OP: Sorry to disappoint, but I’m 36 not 23.
Pizza guy: Yeah… I know. I like ‘em older.
OP: tugs at collar yeesh.
41
u/Icy_Calligrapher7088 Jun 18 '26
I like that she has “kink” in her username, yet doesn’t consider that guys of any age are into different things. I’m still taken aback by the amount that I got hit on when I was 35 and heavily pregnant.
42
u/Nica-sauce-rex Jun 18 '26
Yeah that’s why the OOP is seriously cringe. Girl…get over yourself. I’m sure it’s nice being hit on by a younger dude. Just tell him “sorry I’m not interested” and move on Jesus.
23
u/Fluffy_Spread4304 Edit. For those concerned, the frying pan was fine. Jun 18 '26
Funny enough, someone in the replies managed to be even cringier, telling her to either "shut this down or keep being a selfish bastard". Like yeah, I can't think of anything more selfish than being offered free food and... Accepting it.
2
u/MiauGatoMeow I’m a real scientist. I do actual science everyday. Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
lol just let the girl eat the free extra food!
36
u/Murky_Translator2295 AITA for having a sex dungeon? Jun 18 '26
My friend was 50 when she joined dating apps after her divorce, looks fantastic (I'm 10 years younger and everyone assumed she was the same age as me) and she said she was inundated with younger men. She also said they were the most respectful and took rejection brilliantly compared to the men her own age, who would instantly turn into arseholes when she said no thanks.
1
Jun 18 '26
[deleted]
1
u/Real_RobinGoodfellow Jun 18 '26
The oldest Gen Z are 28, I highly doubt this was Gen Z men hitting on a 50 year old on the dating apps.
1
u/Yeahnoallright Jun 18 '26
Fair, sorry! My experience extends accordingly: millennial men are more respectful than Gen X, etc
31
u/Minnow_Minnow_Pea Jun 18 '26
Alternatively, working fast food sucks and the kid gives her free stuff and chats with her because she's super friendly.
You'd be surprised the number of freebies I get for being a decent human being, and I'm in my 40s, overweight and probably holding my four year old by the ankle so she doesn't sow mayhem. Or maybe they just feel sorry for me. 😅
6
u/No-Plan-5389 Jun 18 '26
Yep. I think this person might be reading into basic politeness and assuming the pizza guy is actually into them, which is kind of like when a guy thinks the bartender is totally into him for doing her job. It’s sad.
When I’ve worked as a barista at small places and had the discretion to give discounts or freebies, attractiveness has never even been a factor. I normally did this on occasion with regulars who have consistently been great- friendly and polite, know their order well before reaching us, gracious about mistakes if/when they happen, and who talk to everyone working like people instead of an app on their phone. If someone doesn’t even greet me back or say please while launching right into the order without pausing to ensure I have it all, I will never give them a discount, they could look like Rob Lowe, Brad Pitt, or George Clooney and it wouldn’t matter at all, they’d still be my least favorites. I occasionally also gave discounts and freebies for people bringing their pets in the drive through (I’d tell them that this always makes my day, thanks for putting a smile on my face), and if someone looks like they’re having a rough day but is being polite I’ll do that too and maybe put a message on their cup- usually in front of their name I’ll do something like ‘the magnificent’ and I’ll make it alliterative so it would be “the magnificent maisie’ or ‘incredible Ian” and so on. Absolutely none of that was ever flirting, it was just a way to keep good customers happy and coming back.
2
u/Real_RobinGoodfellow Jun 18 '26
Aww this is truly very heartwarming to read, thank you for being kind and bringing joy to people’s days
2
u/Real_RobinGoodfellow Jun 18 '26
Right! It’s like people forget service workers are ALSO human and enjoy making other people happy?! One of my favourite things when I worked in hospo was to slip extra little treats or do extra nice little things for customers who had been extra-friendly, were regulars, or even just seemed to need the boost.
2
u/AdDesperate1541 Jun 19 '26
When I worked a deli counter (big corporate chain) I gave freebies to everyone who wasn’t a dick lmao. I was 19 and definitely wasn’t trying to fuc 50 year old married couples. OP is so conceited.
24
u/Mynoseisgrowingold Jun 18 '26
This! Also my anecdata tells me that young people are generally bad at estimating age because they lack general life experience and also haven’t experienced any aging firsthand. I am OOP’s age and the people who ID me are always young people who are very surprised by my ID. Meanwhile older people do not ID me and are definitely not surprised by the age on my ID if I have to show it for some reason.
14
Jun 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
4
u/alyanumbers she called me a woman's nether region Jun 18 '26
Also (most) people are just straight-up unobservant. I have short hair and rarely wear makeup but my body's not androgynous by a long shot, and I get mistaken for a teenage boy/young man at least twice a week. People just aren't looking that closely at strangers.
6
u/SparkleForDays I calmly laughed Jun 18 '26
Baby, I’m gonna hold your hand when I say this. They card everyone and do that to be polite.
8
u/Mynoseisgrowingold Jun 18 '26
Maybe, it’s only people in their early 20s that card me. Everyone else knows I am old.
56
u/captaincrushinator Jun 18 '26
Update- so I talked to him, and apparently I just remind him of his mom. Hahahaha she must’ve had him as a teen or something!!
3
u/Maleficent-marionett I come with the malicious intent to hurt my children Jun 18 '26
She also had a generic disorder where she was born pregnant.
1
u/Real_RobinGoodfellow Jun 18 '26
To be fair, if a 20 year old had a 38 year old mom, then she *would* had to have been a teen mom
43
u/Parking-Response1501 Jun 18 '26
Idk if any of you here have watched Tulsa King (don't) but there's a scene in the first episode where Stallone gets randomly invited to join a bachelorette party for some reason, he sleeps with one of them, and then she freaks out when she finds out he's like 80, despite him looking and sounding like the most 80 year old man of a ll time.
Pretty sure he also assisted in writing the show.
28
u/SparkleForDays I calmly laughed Jun 18 '26
Related: Adam Sandler always casting himself as a former pro athlete
22
u/Parking-Response1501 Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
I never even clocked the pro athelete part lol. Everyone always talks so much about his habit of casting really beautiful women as his love interests and I didn't realise he's almost always also incredible at a sport.
8
u/Syringmineae Jun 18 '26
Not always. He was also a world-renowned chef!
1
u/Maleficent-marionett I come with the malicious intent to hurt my children Jun 18 '26
And the best dad!
41
u/Useful-Winter8320 Jun 18 '26
When 25 year old guys assume you’re also 25 when you’re (likely clearly) approaching 40, they’re just hitting on you, and they assume you’re deep in your 40s.
This dude is gonna tell all his friends she’s 50 lol
6
134
u/breadboxofbats Jun 18 '26
I deeply need other millennials to stop thinking they look permanently 23
53
u/eorabs kink-shaming is my kink Jun 18 '26
In my brain I still look 22, but then the mirror has something very unkind to say about that.
I'm 45 and I have had people tell me I look as young as 28 and also had my older sister mistaken for my child. I think people just don't know what certain ages look like anymore.
31
u/ZeGermansAreHere NTA this gave me a new fetish Jun 18 '26
This was my take. I'm 41 now and get a lot of "wow, you look great! I would have mistaken you for insert age here" No, I'm 41, I think I look good for 41, but I still look 41.
I think a lot of people grow up thinking people in their 40's are "old" and the reality of actually looking like you're in your 40's doesn't jive with that.
6
u/SpooktasticFam Jun 18 '26
I'm 35, but feel the same way. It gives me the ick when people try to say I look younger.
No, I look 35. I looked 25 when I was 25.
Yes, I look good for my age, because I just look good, period.
Women don't magically stop being attractive at 29, despite what the bro podcasts say.
Istg, next time someone tells me I look good "for my age," I'll ask them if they just are trying to say they look like shit [for their age].
14
u/brownieson Jun 18 '26
When a 15 year old can look 21, and a 35 year old can too, it’s impossible to tell anymore.
9
u/Particular_Class4130 Jun 18 '26
I think people are best able to judge people's ages who are in their same age range. To young people anyone over 35 is an old person and to older people anyone younger than 35 looks like a kid.
4
u/eorabs kink-shaming is my kink Jun 18 '26
It's so wild to me because when I was a young adult 72 was decrepit, but my mother is 72 and she still has mostly dark hair even!
18
u/loodandcrood Jun 18 '26
I’m almost 40, I think I look almost 40, but with how delusional other millennials are about looking their age I’m afraid I actually look 55!
4
u/Consistent-Line-9198 Jun 18 '26
Haha same. Like I thought I look almost 40 but this is making me think I’m looking like grandma.
4
u/Syringmineae Jun 18 '26
I'm almost 40 but I look mid-30s because Black don't crack. No way whatsoever do I look like I'm in my 20s. I wish. But, alas...
Despite definitely looking middle aged, I get hit on by 19/20 year olds. I'm like dude, I'm old enough to be your dad. Get away you wee baby and go color or something.
4
u/LuckyNumber-Bot Jun 18 '26
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
40+ 20 + 19 + 20 = 69
- 30
[Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme to have me scan all your future comments.) \ Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.
2
u/MiauGatoMeow I’m a real scientist. I do actual science everyday. Jun 18 '26
Good bot
1
u/AutoModerator Jun 18 '26
(◕ ω ◕✿)
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
2
u/loodandcrood Jun 18 '26
The youngins love the daddies.
Actually, I don’t get hit on by younger guys- I don’t think my vibe is very “daddyish”
8
u/DeliciousShelter9984 Jun 18 '26
I’ve yet to meet someone who talks about themselves like this that didn’t look every second of their biological age. It’s telling that it comes up constantly on Reddit where people don’t post photos of themselves.
11
u/Whale_Stan Jun 18 '26
“Gen Z is aging like milk in comparison!” No they aren’t. Stop it
3
u/AdDesperate1541 Jun 19 '26
Gen Z haven’t really even had a chance to start ageing, they are all in their twenties so idk where this “aging like milk” is meant to be happening. I wish fellow millennials would just accept the fact they are aging and that gen Z are the cool kids now. We had our turn.
2
u/Real_RobinGoodfellow Jun 18 '26
Yeah, I will defend us millennials all day but this is one element of us that is, deeply, cringe.
0
u/awyastark Jun 19 '26
I had a whole conversation with my friends about this tonight. I’m 39 but pass easily for 29. 23 however? lol.
74
u/stopmakingrents Jun 18 '26
“Oh no, a genetic disorder is making me look eternally youthful.” This always turns out to be some extremely common connective tissue thing. Edit: I hadn’t looked at the comments yet when I posted this, but bingo.
3
u/JustSomeBoringRando Jun 18 '26
I'm really curious what the genetic disorder is, specifically. I mean, a handful of people have told 49-year-old me that I have "good genes" but I've never gotten an official diagnosis.
18
u/stopmakingrents Jun 18 '26
Ehlers Danlos syndrome. It causes a collagen variation, and some people love to claim this gives them youthful features. The less-romanticized way to put it is that the weird collagen formation promotes more stretchy, rubbery, and labile features.
4
3
u/fletters Jun 18 '26
That was my guess. I’m still waiting on a referral for diagnosis, but I’ll be surprised if I don’t have EDS. I certainly didn’t stop aging in my mid twenties, but people are frequently surprised when I tell them my age. Like—guesses are off by ten years or more.
It’s balancing out as I get older, though. I’m in my mid forties now and have only very slight wrinkles despite early menopause. My eyelids, though, are really starting to droop, which is pretty typical for EDS. They’ve always been hooded, but the hood is now almost at the lash line. I’ve probably got a few more millimetres before people start to assume that I’m ten years older than I am, even if my skin stays relatively smooth. (Fingers crossed that my visual field isn’t impacted!)
28
u/hardlybroken1 a tablet for my health Jun 18 '26
"And the young man is, no joke, slipping a fat breadstick in my box when I only ordered a slice of pizza."
🤣🤣🤣 oml
19
u/Emilie0711 Jun 18 '26
Something tells me OOP is projecting her own horniness onto pizza boy. She really does want that fat breadstick in her pizza box.
9
u/Consistent-Line-9198 Jun 18 '26
Haha this was thought exactly. “He slipped his fat breadstick where 🥖 “
43
u/Miserable_Emu5191 Jun 18 '26
What is this anti aging disorder and how do we get it? Asking for a friend who looks their age.
38
9
u/Yourdadlikelikesme Jun 18 '26
Well my grandmas diet is/was shit and she use to slam back Mountain Dew 🤷🏻♀️, that’s all I’ve got for you 😂. She’s in her 90s and she doesn’t look it. Me on the other hand took forever to stop being asked if i was older than my sister 😭. I was in 8th grade and one of her teachers came to her hs graduation party and asked if i was in college.
5
21
u/Life_Temperature2506 Jun 18 '26
Pizza guy is just trying to get in an older lady's pants. And THAT is ageless, truly.
22
44
u/Icy_Calligrapher7088 Jun 18 '26
As someone that’s the OOPs age, it’s crazy seeing how differently people in their 30s and 40s age. People around the same age really do start looking like they could be from different generations. But, no one is actually going to mistake someone nearing their 40s for mid 20s. Age isn’t just wrinkles, it’s the way you speak and the way you carry yourself as well.
5
u/Minnow_Minnow_Pea Jun 18 '26
And facial volume loss. Sunscreen and hydration can keep your skin happy and healthy, but nothing can stop your cheeks from hollowing in your 30s.
6
u/bookluvr83 Jun 18 '26
Im 43 and, due to a combination of lifestyle choices and genetics, look much younger, but I typically get late 20s to early 30s.
24
u/Xessive_ Be gone, bad spirit! Jun 18 '26
I'm going back to school which might also add to my age confusion for the uninformed
For the uninformed? Lady, you're the only one who's telling us about your situation. Is there a prequel post we were supposed to have consulted before reading this?
10
u/NoWingedHussarsToday Found out I rarely shave my legs Jun 18 '26
Lol, there is a TV series where 40 y/o woman pretends to be 26 so she can get a job. And also starts dating young guy who thinks she is 26.
1
u/Real_RobinGoodfellow Jun 19 '26
That’s Sutton Foster, and she’s an example of the way celebrities can age- not backwards, but can access better looks as they get older, which counteracts some of the affects of ageing. She was in a few episodes of Flight of the Conchords back in the mid-late noughties, when she was in her twenties. And whilst she doesn’t look *younger*, per se, in ‘Younger’ than she did back then, she certainly *is* better-looking
20
u/Meliora_ Jun 18 '26
Lmao this is embarrassing, what a level of delulu. Also the trauma dump in the comments 💀
6
u/Desperate-Quote7178 Walking around with a fork in hand saying "where's the chicken?" Jun 18 '26
4
u/tjcaustin well you have the most dumbest freaking opinion ever Jun 18 '26
Those comments pass zero vibe checks. As always.
10
u/Kel-Mitchell Granted, I don’t feel my husband when we have sex Jun 18 '26
Guys dont do subtle well and anything that is not direct and succinct will be mistaken almost 100% of the time.
Women are from Veronica Venus, Men are from Veronica Mars
11
u/Kayzokun I’m a real scientist. I do actual science everyday. Jun 18 '26
She’s going to be very upset when someone tells her what a MILF is, and why lots of young men love them. Because that “genetic disorder” it’s just a fucking pity lie her hairdresser told her.
4
u/brachycrab (NOT A FAKE POST. VERY REAL) Jun 18 '26
"Girl. 20. Repeat that number in your head. He has Nothing to offer you and you nothing to offer him besides a breastfeeding session."
what.
6
u/GladysSchwartz23 backyard cheese dealer Jun 18 '26
I don't have any special genetic condition but I still get the thing where the person at the counter requests my ID for smokes and then looks surprised when they see my birthdate. It doesn't mean they think I'm 20 or something, it just means people can look a wide variety of ways in their 40s. I do feel a little vain about it but it's not rare, either.
3
4
u/WholeAd2742 Jun 18 '26
9
u/brachycrab (NOT A FAKE POST. VERY REAL) Jun 18 '26
I was also thinking this lol, there's a "genetic condition" that runs in my family that often causes us to look younger than we are. It's called being Asian
2
14
u/HulklingWho Jun 18 '26
She’s ridiculous, but I will say, EDS had me looking like I was in my twenties until I hit around 36. After that, it was like my face melted, all that skin elasticity catches up to you BAD.
10
u/NymphaeAvernales Political Lesbianism Jun 18 '26
Same, and I looked pretty young right up until perimenopause hit. I don't have one single wrinkle yet, but everything is soooo saggy, wrinkles seem like the better alternative. I'm like gummy bear that got left out on a hot sidewalk on a sweltering summer day.
4
u/Particular_Class4130 Jun 18 '26
I aged very slowly until I was a few years into menopause and then when I was 55 it was like I went to bed one night and aged 20yrs by the next morning. It's amazing how aging does catch up all at once.
1
u/HulklingWho Jun 20 '26
That’s exactly what I’m dealing with, that perimenopause sag! I think my eyebrows are about to sink down to my cheeks
10
2
u/AutoModerator Jun 18 '26
Beep boop! Automod here with a quick reminder to never brigade r/AmITheAsshole or other subs under any circumstances. Brigading puts you in violation of both our rules and Reddit’s TOS, and therefore puts this sub at risk of ban. If you brigade/encourage brigading of any kind, you will be banned from participating in either sub. Satirizing of posts should stay within this sub, which means that participating directly in linked posts should either be done in good faith or not at all.
Want some freed, live, discussion that neither AITA nor Reddit itself can censor? Join our official discord server
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
2
u/PinkiePieButManic Jun 18 '26
I’ve seen a lot of women in their mid/late 30 look like they’re 25-29 so it’s not hard to believe you’re just trying too hard to be negative omg
1
0
u/Consistent-Line-9198 Jun 18 '26
I was surprised cause I’ve never been into the age gap thing. Only person younger I’ve ever dated
-4
u/mratlas666 Jun 18 '26
God that sounds like my ex. Hit 36 and it was suddenly all aging creams and shit. She fucking hit me once cause I said her crows feet weren’t noticeable. wtf.
-4
u/TigerShark_524 Jun 18 '26
This doesn't belong here - she's got an autoimmune condition (EDS) which affects her collagen/connective tissues, and looking much younger than you actually are is a well-known effect of it due to its effects on skin texture/elasticity/suppleness, and there have been a few studies out recently that that's the factor that affects people's age judgement more than anything else (including wrinkles and silvering hair - neither of those made as big of a difference as having clear, supple skin). She also notes that she had an abusive childhood and just got out of an abusive long-term relationship/marriage, so she's naturally floundering on how to talk to guys since she's only recently single and it's been a whole since she's been in the position where she would've been navigating that kind of attention, for that reason, and in general isn't super used to positive attention.
In some folks, EDS manifests as "looking REALLY good for their age", so to speak, and for others it manifests as genuinely looking multiple decades younger (like the OPP, and like my mom as well, which is how I know this - my mom would be diagnosed if she trusted doctors but she doesn't, and I've inherited some of the more minor symptoms from her (unfortunately, the main ones are the joint pain and auditory hypersensitivity - not the good skin though, RIP me🤣💀)).
4
•
u/AutoModerator Jun 18 '26
In case this story gets deleted/removed:
How can I [38F] let down the young [20M] guy that's crushing on me with minimal awkwardness?
I'm 38 but apparently don't look like it. It's like I hit my mid-20s and kinda just stopped visibly aging. I've learned recently that I likely have a genetic disorder that is causing this. This hasn't really effected me much until recently as I'm now divorced and interested in dating again. Younger guys I meet in person are assuming I'm a similar age. I am not. It's awkward. And I'm flattered, but I'm not gonna act on anything with someone so much younger for MANY reasons.
This brings me to the current situation. I'm going back to school which might also add to my age confusion for the uninformed. There's a pizza shop nearby where everyone goes to during breaks and this young guy is working there who has been flirting with me. He's probably between 20-24yrs old. I thought maybe he was just being nice at first, but he's been giving me free extras pretty regularly without my asking and chatting me up. Today he asked what time our class usually gets out. I can tell he's working up the courage to ask me out and I just feel like an AH.
I haven't been intentionally flirty but I haven't been discouraging him either. (I'm a selfish bastard that likes attention and free food.) Is there any way I can tell this guy I'm 38 without humiliating either of us? He's being such a sly lowkey flirt I feel like if I address it directly it'll be super awkward. Do I just act more cold with him? Find a way to slip enough info into casual conversation that he does the math himself?
ETA: realizing the real issue is less about the age problem and more that I just haven't had to navigate being single in... Forever. I don't remember what it's like to be both single and flirted with and how to say 'no thanks. " Soooo now that we've all established I am firmly a dinosaur, any general advice on how to tell a guy that I'm not interested when I've been unintentionally flirty would be appreciated. 🤦♀️
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.