How to look older?

I'm a grad student and have had people ask me if I'm in high school. I've found in my case that wearing different clothes helps. When I wear a suit/other business clothes I have no problems.

i too have the same problem, i am 18 and look like i am 15. i absolutely hate it.

just two days ago the cable guy [About 24 years old] comes over to fix my cable box, (granted i have my own apartment and everything)
and says
"oh hi, are you the only one here? is your mom or dad home because there needs to be a 18+ year old here in order for me to fix your cable box."

i told him that it was my apartment in the first place and that i was 18.

He didn't believe me and asked for my license.
i showed him, and then throughout the whole time he was there he would not shut up about how young i look.
And he never once apologized for the mistake he made.

i am so sick and tired of being so young looking its really taking a effect on my personal life. I hardly go to out anymore because every one just gives me sh*t for being so young looking.

I have the same problem. I'm 25 and I work as an assistant in a high school and most of the time people think I'm a student. I was going between classes the other day and was looking at the time on my cell phone (which adults are allowed to use and do all the time) and another teacher saw it and asked me to give it to her because students aren't allowed to have them.

I'm not short, and I'm also overweight, so I don't think that adding height or weight will necessarily help. I have nice skin, no acne, I don't wear much makeup, and I dress professionally and it doesn't help. I am supposed to have authority and keep the kids under control, and when I ask them to stop doing something or do their work, they get offended and ask why I care and when I tell them because I'm a teacher and it's my job to care, they say "OH I thought you were a student!" Even the ones that know I'm working there don't want to listen to me because I don't seem like an adult to them. I worked at a middle school before I worked in the high school, and I still got mistaken for a student when I was there.

I too get the comments about how someday I will like it, but I've never been one of those people that wanted to look like someone else. I'd like to look my age, and I'm sure I will when I'm 40 too. I don't see aging as a bad thing, but a thing that adds maturity and life experience.

I'm pregnant now, and I get rude glances in the stores. I'm sure it'll be even worse when I am actually out with my kid when I have him. People see me and think I'm a teen mom. I'm at the age most people are having kids, yet I'm treated badly because I'm told I look 12-16 all of the time.

I'm tired of getting carded for everything as well, and I know most people probably think I have a fake I.D. If I go to a bar with a group of my friends, even if we are all sitting at a table, they will stop and only ask me for my I.D. and no one else. I've gotten to where I just get it out and don't even wait for them to ask, because it's starting to really get to me.

I know the grass is always greener on the other side, but I just needed to vent, and I feel glad that I'm not the only one with this problem. I guess maybe someday I'll "grow up" and be happy, but this is now, and I wish I could feel like a grown up now.

Hi, this is pretty interesting post. Some people just look younger and some older. Few years ago I had a same response from some people. They thought I was much younger. I just changed my hair a little bit and that solved my problem. Now I just to try to look younger. :-)

hi i am 21 year old and second year college student but i look like 14.all students are looks adult except me. i don't want to go to class because when the student saw me and they stear at me.and lought at me.i'm so worred. please help me i don't know what to do.i am not happy in my life.

I've been looking for ways too look older too, I'm petite, small chested with a babyface. I can't bring myself to cut my hair like everyone suggests, I know im still going to look young, only with an unflattering haircut- which is doubly bad. I try to dress older than my friends but i feel it means i have to dress conservatively. I don't want to give up being myself just for the sake of people thinking im slightly older but i really do get offended sometimes. I'm a waitress and i've heard everything from "are you old enough to work? " "are you old enough to sell alcohol?" I just want to say mind your own business first of all. im 23. One bouncer asked me if i was "eleventeen." i was furious. another said he didn't believe it was a real ID but he seemed to think he did me a real favor by letting me in. I just don't understand how people don't know how insulting they are. It's really not funny as much as i try to laugh it off. it is hard to gain confidence when everyone talks down to you right off the bat because you look young. But i once heard that power is not handed to you. You just take it. which is easier said than done when youre new at a job and need to practice some humility. Anyway it was comforting to find that I'm not the only one with this problem. And hey both my parents had this problem and they both look about fifteen years younger now (they are 55). I also find it mildly comforting that when i search how to look older on the web, all i get are results for how to get younger haha. I dont think i can look older, but i think im going to try speaking in a lower voice. i think people associate it with authority and confidence. we'll see.

I'm sorry to hear that others have this problem as well. Of course, when you complain about it everyone says you are lucky. I am 31 and look 18-20. People treat me like a teenager, particularly at work. I work in customer service where people always want to speak to my manager because they figure I don't know what I'm doing. Only when my manager tells them the same thing are they satisfied. One possibillity is taking hgh (human growth hormone). My doctor keeps suggesting it, but I prefer to take as little medication is neccesary. All medications have side effects the more help they are the more side effects.

You can always try to wear makeup. I just found some interesting makeup things for parties.

I am so glad i found this website, i am 21 years old and 5 ft, i work with children and everybody who i work with mistakes me for a child, when i first started i kind of expected it but now I’ve been in the job about 7 months and people still comment about my height and how young i look, it really puts me down and knocks my self confidence, just the other day a sales man knocked at my door and asked me if my mum and dad was in i replied " No i don’t live with them" He replied " o sorry is this a children’s home?" I looked at him and said no i rent out a room in this house and gave him a weird look, he said "o i thought u was just bunking a day off school". People don’t realize when they say little comments how it makes people feel, i just want to look like an adult not a child, it affects me in relationships because i think why would they like me if i look like a child??? I dont really have good dress sense, well never know what to wear, is there any where that could help me or somethink that could help me???

goshh i need help im 15 and often people tell me i havent changed!, that i look just like i looked before when i was 5 , so i want to make a change and dye my hair a color that would make me look old but no soo old ? i have a round face kida like selena gomez i guss and i have dark brown with blonde highlights '!!!>>????????????

I, too, have this problem. I get so flustered and angry and depressed--and people say I get CUTER when I get this way. I don't want to be CUTE! I want to look sexy, powerful, maternal--something a man will take one look at and think: "I want her to be the mother of my children!"

I will never find that, however. I am 24 years old, and single. I have always been told I look like I'm 16 or 17. No matter how much make-up I wear or business-like I dress, the more I get called "cute".

I will NOT go around with a drink in one hand and a smoke in the other to show I'm at least 21. And I WILL NOT go in to a bar to meet a man "my age". I am a strong Christian woman and will not lower myself to that.

I guess I'll never have the family I so long desired....

How can I change this?!

This is my 24 hours a day problem! what should I do to look the age I really am?! this is what I always think about.
I have a baby face too, it is just frustrating especially when you deal with people and in your mind you know how old they think you are, and that makes you lose "confident".
when people treat you and react with you as you are 13-15 , but in fact you are 20 that is really disappointing. their dealings r different>
n what makes that worse "I hate high heels" and never think it will be my choice to wear.
anyways I am trying to figure out something inshallah it will be usefull , but if not I should deal with my situation>
it's good to share the problem>

I completely understand where everyone is coming from!
I'm 23 and someone asked my boyfriend (26) if I was 15 today, and told him that dating me was not a good idea!
I was so pissed off! Albeit I was wearing jeans and a hooded sweater (to a soccer game), which probably made me look younger. But this is the 3-4th time that he's been told that.
I wear makeup, i do my hair, i normally wear age appropriate clothes, but i think my height (5') and petite frame are working against me.
Does anyone else think that makeup may not make baby-faced people look older, maybe it makes them look younger?

I too have this problem of not looking my age. I am 21 and I have been told that I look 12 years old. It always gets on my nerves(to put it lightly) when I get told this. It happens at least twice a week and I have no idea what to do about it. Im petite and fairly short. I always wear jeans and tank tops and I have long wavy dark brown hair. I wear heeled boots most of the time for the added height. I always act confident and mind my manners like all the advice on the subject sugests. Nothing seems to help! I am the senior employee at the church nursery where I work because I have been there the longest. I am completely responsible and always show up on time and it really burns me up when a parent complains to my boss that they don't want to leave their kid with another kid. It really makes life harder to have this problem. When I complain about it to other people they just tell me that some day I will be happy about it. I hate it when I hear this. I think if I hear it again I will scream. People just don't seem to understand how much not looking your age effects your life. I don't like grocery shopping because someone always asks if this is my first time shopping. I don't like any of my college classes because people always stare and ask what I'm doing there. And to top it all off, I have never had a boyfriend. Most of my friends in high school were boys and I asked them why no guy wants to date me. All they said was "Just not into any girl that looks like their little sisters." Or "Your pretty but not in the right way." And my personal favorite "You're cute but but not attractive...to men." Great! I am at a loss...I don't know what to do but I feel like I have to do something! Please Please Help!!!!!

I perfectly understand how you feel. I experienced the same thing during my first few years at work. My youthful look worked to my disadvantage. What I did was that I worked hard in my profession in order to gain the respect of my colleagues. And I am proud to say that I did a pretty good job. Now, I don't look that young anymore and I am starting now to worry on how to look young. What I am trying to say here is that make the most out of that beautiful youthful look because time will come that it won't be there anymore.