Everyone from your generation looks great until you turn 35. At around that point all of a sudden every other person you know looks double their age the following morning.

42 comments

1. I’m shocked, nearly daily, when I meet people my age that seem decades older than me.

   The difference only become drastically more pronounced as you get older.

2. I’m 38 and noticed this too around 35. Some people I know look wrecked from drinking, poor sleep, poor eating etc. especially when they move jobs and get new headshots lol

3. I’m 34, and starting to feel/see it a bit… but I also see it a lot more in people with kids, to be honest.

4. Time is not the only thing that makes you age. Friends who kept smoking throughout their 20s look a decade older then me, who quit at 19.

5. I’ve noticed that my friends that have kids look a lot older than the ones that don’t.

6. There is [newer research](https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2019/12/stanford-scientists-reliably-predict-peoples-age-by-measuring-pr.html) that shows we age in bursts not in a linear fashion. The first of those bursts is around 34.

7. I’ve noticed the aging kicking in for most people after 30.

   Im 35 and my face and skin still look 10 years younger. It’s just down to my genetics and also no smoking/drinking and staying indoors.

   I have put on a bit of weight though.

8. Time is the greatest democratizer.

   Those who take care of themselves look great, those who do look like trash

9. lol such an arbitrary number.

   I’m still of the belief that if you take care of your body it’ll take care of you.

   Usually around mid 30s is when people now have kids and multiple responsibilities and habits you were doing to stay healthy slip, including not getting enough sleep.

   And that happens it’s life

10. This website is so depressing I fucking hate it. This actually might be the post that makes me delete my account lol

11. That’s around the time ppl become parents …

12. These days it’s normal to fixate on physical appearance. I think the less you worry about how old you look the better.

13. A lot of people have trouble letting aspects of their lives evolve as they age which might skew your perception as well. If you see a person who still looks great as they age, they probably have their clothing, hair/beard, skin care routine, diet, sleep, and stress management generally dialed in.

14. The weirdest thing has been seeing some of the gen z men look worse than I do. Guys that were effortlessly in shape 5 years ago now looking bad from their unhealthy habits. 

    You know you’re old when the generation below you is starting to look old

15. You REALLY start to see a big difference between people who exercise, eat generally healthy and take care of themselves after age 35 and those who do not. The unfortunate thing is this process starts in your 20s and you see the results (or won’t see) until you are in your mid 30s. I have friends that do jiu jitsu, rock climb, run marathons, cycle, etc and they all look like they could be in in their late 20s. My friends that do nothing except go to work and come home and watch Netflix all look like they could be 40, 45, maybe even older in some cases.

16. People in their 30s tend to have more money but limited time. It is easy to eat unhealthy food or eating out alot and not exercise. That fat in your face and belly makes you older along with a more serious face.

    Exercise and eating better will also have a good impact on your attractiveness, that’s something in your control.

17. Not really true at all, but I’m glad you “realized” this.

18. I think there are two main reasons for this. 1) nowadays a lot of people are having children around this age. Children age you pretty significantly. 2) those with unhealthy vices like drinking and eating like shit no longer have the strong metabolism, and tend to have a less active social life after their early 30’s.

19. Our society is so twisted about age. Being younger is way worse than being older in almost every way.

    You don’t think those people look older or younger than their age. We are very good at telling roughly how old people are. You look great or you look healthy or you look tired or whatever. But you look your age. This thing of being proud because people think you’re 15 years younger is bullshit. Everyone knows how old you are, give up the insecurity. Just take the compliment that they think you look healthy and happy, they are only saying you look younger because it is customary.

20. 35 is the age that 17 year since high school of poor diet, lack of formal exercise, and too much alcohol catches up with you. It’s also the point at which most people’s jobs and family lives start to get hectic. That combination means most people start to look old and tired.

    I am 38 and surrounded by people who look wrecked, but I can tell you that not one of those people are on top of either diet, exercise, job, alcohol, or family. Not one of those people seems to do anything about it other than moaning that they’re fat or poor or tired or have bags under their eyes and don’t have enough sex.

    It’s a tough pill to swallow but either you settle in and accept fate and become fat, unfit and old quickly, or you take the active decision to keep on top of things.

21. anecdotally, a buddy of mine & I noted that it *seemed* like you could make a lot of subpar choices in your 20’s and 30’s, and they *usually* didn’t come home to roost until late 30’s (YMMV). But they do come home….. all of the sudden the difference between the smokers & non-smokers, workout people vs. sedentary, etc. comes screaming into focus.

22. Im mid late 20’s and get confused often for a freshman at uni.

    I’ve got a friend in her early 40’s who looks mid late 20’s! She is childfree which definitely helps.

23. Not me and my friends.  In my 40s, got carded yesterday, I’m sure she knew I was over 21, but there are still laws – looked at my age and was like “damn, you have some good genes!  Be happy!”

24. Thats actually how humans age. They get dramatic appeance changes in the teens then again in the 30s and again in the 70s. Why age groups look fairly distinct.

25. I’m 37 now. I’m constantly estimated to be around 27 years old. Somehow, I look way younger than I actually am.

    I don’t know why or how. But I suspect that a healthy diet, no smoking, no alcohol, exercise and no kids play some part in it.

26. Sun exposure, stress, smoking, drugs, alcohol, etc. add up.

27. It’s exactly the opposite. The difference between ugly and beautiful is huge at 22. 42, much less. And by 82 everyone is hugging the average line.

28. 35 is not old, but it is the age where life stops giving you freebies. You don’t exercise and have a crap diet? You live with too much stress and get bad sleep? Be prepared to see it/feel it. If you put the time and effort in to take care of yourself your body can stay “young” a lot longer.

29. I think we all look way better at our respective ages than our parents generation – look at pics of your parents at the same age you are now. They look at least a decade older, for the most part.

30. Honestly as an alcoholic I’m shocked I don’t look older then I am.. ill be 38 this year and some of the 30ish year okds I talk to look older then me.. Hopefully with me trying to get healthier and back in shape it will make things better.

31. That and use moisturizer on your face

32. It’s so crazy. I’m very active and eat healthy at 41 and it seems like everyone I went to college with is 100lbs overweight and sallow-skinned. What happened to them?

33. I use moisturizer and sunscreen every day and I look better than most guys in their 20’s. Skincare isn’t just for chicks.

34. Depends how you even judge what each age is supposed to look like. For men hair loss definitely plays a role. It can add a lot of years very quickly to someone’s appearance.

35. Im 37, my high school best friend (and ex) is 38. We’re both hot.

36. I noticed in my late 20s, especially with everyone’s waist line. All the fit guys in High School and University seemed far more pudgier.

    In my 30s the long-term married couples look a good decade older than me and basically have no energy, while I can still do all nighters.

    Its pretty wild

37. Wear sunscreen and don’t smoke.

38. I think this is partially an income thing. I live in an upper middle class community and most people look pretty good. Even into their 60s/70s. Money is a hell of a drug.

39. I went from a little salt-and-pepper to fully gray around 35. Granted, I had a lot of life stresses around then, but I’ve heard other people say similar things.

40. Well… I am 35, and I am not overweight, the opposite in fact, I have an athletic body. I barely have grey hair on my head, and none on my beard. And absolutely no wrinkles. Great, right?

    But I still somehow look a bit older. The face still changes. But it’s great, now I look more mature.

41. I suddenly went from 12 year old boy to aging at around 37, after what my wife called a “glow up”. I look in the mirror and I see an old guy, but when I see others my age, I still feel young, thank god. My knees and flat feet on the other hand have gone to complete shit.

42. I’m 37 and could not agree with this more. I tell everyone that 35 is the year I all of a sudden went from “young but getting older” to “I’m basically 50”

    Really fascinating.