Why do we look younger?

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Social and emotional maturity.

I always used to look young for my age. I have been told when I was around 25 that I could easily pass to be a young teenager. My husband used to joke around that if I auditioned for a part to play as a high school student, I would have gotten the part. Yeah right! But... today I look older than I really am because I am already getting some gray hairs!! I need to start coloring my hair!

Yes, that is just what I meant. Sorry I wasn't more descriptive yesterday.
For instance, I'm just beginning to (at least somewhat) understand social riddles that have plagued me most of my life - who's trustworthy, who's not; when people are taking advantage of me, etc. I look back to high school to someone I thought at the time and for years afterwards was a friend - well, finally at 40 I see that she really wasn't.
I think back to friends saying over the years "so-and-so was just taking advantage of your good nature," in regard to other relationships. I didn't get it.
I still have to have it pointed out to me by loved ones when I'm in a social situation in which my failure to appreciate the unwritten rules and power dynamic is causing me problems.
I've just started to be able to catch myself sometimes when I'm taking people literally or at their word, or automatically trusting...have to remind myself to apply critical thinking (which I can do very well otherwise) to people. It feels odd. It makes me feel odd.
I can "fake it" socially, and have learned when to do so, but I can't do it for very long without getting really exhausted. I watch others with natural social abilities and realize I don't have their "flow" in social situations - an ability to be flexible and react in the moment in a way that suits social norms. I can do it for short periods though. Mostly I've learned to seem like I'm having a good time or at least hide my distress.
Took me a long time though.

Thanks. In some ways this is a good thing, yes?

I come from a pretty family. We all look young. But half of my immediate family has AS phenotypes so hard to tell if there is a causal correlation somewhere.

Well, I have this boyish-like appearance to me, but my facial hair does grow out a lot. Only when its grown out do I look a bit older, but not much. I don't see much of a change of the way I looked at 16 all the way to now, except for the facial hair as well as the growth of my facial structure. In terms of how I acted though, I was quite mature for my age... hell, at this party I went to , one of the chicks who was there partying thought I was 21 lol. But, I do notice that I tend to have a more "cute boy" look as opposed to the "manly-man" look I see on most other college males my age. I thought it was just due to my my mom's genes being more dominant in me than my dad's.. but I really have no clue about genetics though.

to add something extra, I won't say anything directly, but could we suppose that SOME people with AS possibly have tried illegal substances - for the most part, say, Cannabis, Ecstasy (MDMA) an LSD? I knew someone who liked LSD due to the visual stimuli, but overall loved Ecstasy because of the way it really took their sensitivity to a whole-another level. Of course, once college began for this person, they quit doing it because they began to receive better stimuli - that of learning interesting things which was deficit in high-school. They were not aware of having AS until after they got out of high school.

My (very ASish) mom is almost 60 and could pass for being in her 40's...she is petite..always wears black..has had her hair in the same bob that she cuts herself since I've known her...and she is a vigilant raw foodist.
I need to become one.
I am 33 and frequently get carded...I do not take my youthful looks for granted though..Alot of my youthfulness has to do with my baby voice..immature speech...and silly dress...the fact that I walk on my toes probably also makes for a childlike gait.

I'm 21, and have always had the problem of people thinking i'm younger. It could be my behaviour I suppose. My mum thinks that a large part of it is my refusal to wear the latest styles or revealing clothes, I hate the way tight clothes feel, and I can't stand layering even in cold weather. As soon as winter comes around I get out my fleeces (all at least one size too big for me) my favourite is bright orange but I love it because its about 4 sizes too big for me, drawfing me but is very comfy to huddle into, I just wear the fleece over my t-shirt and wear jeans all year round.

I tend to be a little naive and I must admit I can't stand just sitting still or doing nothing, it makes me feel like I've wasted time. So I supposed that might lend itself to being mistaken for younger.

I'm hoping it'll last, though I hate how many times I get underestimated and treated like an invilid because of it. No one seems to think I know what i'm talking about.

Recently (a few months ago), I was told by someone who has seen me here and there for thirteen years that I just never change... not just my appearance but I wear the same things... as if time stands still for me.

I heard something like 10, 000 frowns cause one wrinkle. Dunno if that's true, and I'm not even sure of the approximate number, but that could be possible and explain why Aspies look younger. Then again, it could be as BS as the "We only use 10% of our brains" claim.

I'm in my thirties but would easily pass for a schoolgirl so I have to take ID everywhere. I also sound much younger as I answered the phone the other day only to be asked if my mother was around

People have a tendency to think I'm older than I look. It's probably a compliment when people are teenagers though.
EMZ=]

I've had this one my whole life, people never believe me when I tell them my age. When I was a freshman in college I was getting carded for going to rated R movies!

In my late 30s but could pass for mid 20s. My mum's side of the family always looked young for their age though, so I guess its genetic.

Facial expressions convey a lot about what someone's like. A dumb look, a smart thinking look, a childish grin...

Verified!! ! I'm on 98.2 degrees and keep going down baby!!

That's from 99.1 which was my average the last few months.

I don't know, I have a normal body temp but I look super young. I work with kids age 14-18 and when I started there, the first time the kids saw me they thought I was a new kid in the program (and the only kids that are 18 are on the way out, so they were assuming I was younger than that). When new kids come into the program it still happens from time to time.

And I'm 26.