Autism and Aging

[WereBear]

When I was a teen I looked older and could pass for someone in their 20s. At 39 I was carded (drinking age 21) by a waitress who turned out to be... my age.

I must say going through menopause sped up the situation of my apparent age, but still, I look under 50 when I am over 50, and I might have hit another plateau. I also take good nutritional care of myself, don't smoke, barely drink, and so forth. These are all good strategies.

 

[tducey]

I'm 36 in September but don't look that; I probably look more like someone in their 20's.

 

[Sherlock77]

I've often been told that I look young for my age, even with a big beard... This is the first time I've heard this suggestion... My thought has always been that I have never "abused" my body much as I have never smoked, never used drugs and never been a drinker, and I know (I think) all three can tend to age the skin...

 

[CMZ]

I get this often too. As just one of many, many examples when I was about 43/44 I was at a restaurant and the owner told me when I turned 21 that I could come back and try his restaurant's alcoholic beverage offerings.

 

[Panthro]

What's funny is that I keep having people that are younger than me, think that they are older than me. I'm 34, but people think I am around 10 years younger, hell I have had people think I am 22. Just a few months ago, I went to Disney with my family and the clerk asked me if I was over 18.

 

[keebles]

I have also never heard this theory, but it is an interesting one! I am always accused of being in my early to mid 30's (I'm 47) and everyone thinks I'm younger than my baby sister who will be 41 next month. But I'm also on the chubby side (that's being polite, but oh well) which always makes one look younger, I don't have a single gray hair (and may never since my grandmother had none either, and she was 94 when she passed and never died her hair), I don't have any visible wrinkles (unless you're looking with a magnifying glass), and I act like I'm 12 most of the time anyway. But whether it's genetics or ASD, I'd probably lean more towards genetics on my mother's side of the family (my father's side scares the crap out of me age-wise...I hope I don't look ANYTHING like them when I get old!).

 

[MysticEmber]

I am 30 and get told all the time I look 18-23. I also get the questionable looks by others when they look at my I.D. when I am buying alcohol.

 

[Nervous Rex]

I think @Streetwise is right. We don’t emote as much with our faces, so our faces aren’t as wrinkled as others our age - hence a younger appearance.

I don’t believe anyone has grossly underestimated my age - I’m well over 6 feet tall, and I’m just the right amount of bald and overweight for my age.