New Research: How to Look Younger

Molly FormanUpdated: Mar. 16, 2022

Whether you can fool others about your age depends on a surprising mix of factors.

1 / 3

Smile wide!

Young, middle-aged, and older individuals studied
thousands of photographs and were asked to guess the age of the models, who had different facial expressions. Neutral expressions yielded the most accurate results, and fearful expressions made subjects look older; happy faces were rated as younger than they really were.

2 / 3

Quit trying!

When older adults look like they are trying to pass
as more youthful versions of themselves, younger people tend to
see them as less likable and more
deceitful, according to a University of Kansas study.

3 / 3

Ask a youngster!

Older people think that everyone is about a year older than his or her true age, while younger adults tend to guess that older people are younger than they actually are.

Originally Published: May 21, 2012

Originally Published in Reader's Digest