Why do modern 20-40 year olds look so much younger nowdays compared to our parents 30-40 years ago?

[smahala1991]

[Flatmanlewis]

Lots of reasons but better health habits, fitness, nutrition, and overall choices. My pictures of my grandparents in their 50s shock me. I’m in my 50s and when it comes up meeting strangers I routinely get a shocked reaction and disbelief.


My grandparents chain smoked, drank like Don Draper, and “acted old”. Everything from attire, to how they spoke, to things they said.



Also, women in particular seem less likely to transition to the ‘old lady style’ that seemed common at one point. Shirt gray hair, baggy old lady clothes, elastic waistband pants. Women now seem to dress with a longer style window so I think that’s offsets their aging look. Add to that a widespread acceptance of age defying treatments and surgeries and it’s just not like it was for us.

[Simslover92]

My guess is that we don't work nearly as hard as our parents did. Many of us don't have to have jobs that is hard physical labor.

Also, the fashion has changed a lot. We dress a lot younger than our parents did. They wore a lot of outfits that covered themselves up where we wear a lot of tight revealing clothing these days.

Our parents had a lot more responsibilities at a young age than we did. For example, cooking for younger siblings and getting a job while in high school, sometimes even middle school. So the stress level was much higher then than now causing them to probably look more mature than they actually were.

It amazes me when I see a picture of my mom at 12 because she looked 16 in the picture whereas my 12 year old pic I look like I was 9 or 10.

But it's weird because now that she's older she's aging slower. She looks really good for her age.

[sheikalana]

Right? When I look at my mom who's in her 60s and see a picture of my grandma in her 60s the difference is shocking! My grandma has been old since I was born. I'm in my 30's and people still assume I'm in my 20s. I think we have better skincare routines and a healthier lifestyle.

[WhiteSteve]

Women have had all kinds of advancements in beauty/esthetics, and men have discovered the shaved head, which ages you so much less than the old look of just being bald wherever you were bald. Michael Jordan made it cool to be bald on purpose, haha

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

Many people have good genes in their body. One time I was age 30 and this girl said to me no way, I said yes I am. She thought I was an at least age 18. My late grandmother was age 83 and her doctor said to my mom, your mother has a heart of a 40-year-old woman, he said, if she didn't have dementia should, would have lived in late 90s possibly 100s.

[matchrestore]

• Our skin isn't as wrecked from tanning - we use sunscreen, etc.
• We don't dress in stereotypical "old person" clothing
• Hairstyles is a huge factor.
• There's a lot less smoking, and even for those that don't smoke, there's a lot less exposure to second hand smoke
• There's less smog, environmental pollution, etc.

[NathanDavis]

heavy metals, basically... and other chemicals

we might look younger today, but that's on the outside...

our insides are starting to take the toll

[DarkWinterNights]

I was going to say the same. We may look better on the outside. But at least I n my immediate circles we’re a lot worse off health wise than our parents were at our age.

[NathanDavis]

@DarkWinterNights yep... unfortunately, we're living longer but not better... health wise

[Apple1996]

Because we don't go out tanning like they did. And we use sunscreen if we do go outside

[exitseven]

People in the old days had hard lives. They had to get up to change the channel on the TV and wash dishes by hand. As a result they aged a lot faster.

[Miah04]

Better Make up. Filters, better beauty care products. Anti aging products to help keep the skin younger and more vibrant

[DeeDeeDeVour]

So many factors contribute to numerous improvements we see nowadays.

[CorneliaUSA]

Better face cream and face routes to take care of your skin.

[Tomisworthless]

They probably didn’t have a lot of toxins and artificial foods in their food and water

[Ladyblanche]

We live in a modern society with advancements in skincare, beauty

[VIVANT]

Irl or on line? Bc online it’s photoshop

[Minahh]

We don't let men stress us