Struggling to get on the property ladder, crippled by student debt, and now Generation Z have another problem to add to their list of woes – they’re concerned they are ageing faster than those in previous generations.
On video-sharing platform TikTok, both men and women in their early 20s complain they’re mistaken for being well into their 30s. One video on the phenomenon, made by 26-year-old Jordan Howlett, received 24 million views.
Even Gen Z celebrities seem to be ageing at an accelerated pace. Kylie Jenner, the youngest member of the Kardashian family, who admitted to having lip filler aged 17, faced cruel comments at Paris Fashion Week for looking ‘in her 40s’ when she’s actually 27.
And some experts say there might be a modicum of truth to these observations.
A video on the phenomenon, made by 26-year-old Jordan Howlett, received 24 million views
‘From a scientific perspective, although Gen Z aren’t actually ageing any faster than previous generations, certain lifestyle choices can make them appear older than their biological age,’ explains dermatology expert and cosmetic doctor Dr Sonia Khorana.
According to Dr Khorana, twentysomethings now are more likely to alter their appearance with cosmetic procedures sooner than any previous generation, which can make them look older.
An estimated 41,000 Botox-style procedures were carried out on under-18s in England in 2020, leading to a government ban on minors having the treatments.
But it’s not just cosmetic treatments that may be making today’s young people old before their time – everything from stress to skincare could also play a part.
So, is this anxiety-ridden age group worrying about nothing, or could they really be ageing faster?
Kylie Jenner, 27, faced cruel comments at Paris Fashion Week for looking ‘in her 40s’
HARSH SKINCARE
Exposed to aggressive wellness marketing and alluring beauty influencers online, many teens and twentysomethings have complicated, multi-step skincare routines.
The irony is that while they aspire to prevent signs of ageing, in fact, this early experimentation with powerful actives like Retinol and chemical exfoliants, which aren’t suitable for young skin, can cause dryness that makes skin appear more mature.
And according to recent research, Gen Z (those aged 12 to 27) are spending more on beauty and skincare than any other cohort – about £466 per year.
‘There’s peer pressure to try the products influencers are promoting on social media, but these often aren’t suitable for those under 30,’ explains Dr Khorana.
Using Retinol on young complexions can also damage the skin barrier and cause irritation, even triggering conditions like dermatitis.
Dr Khorana’s advice? Stick to SPF, the best anti-ager on the market. Those in their late 20s can start to introduce retinoids if they want to combat fine lines, but anyone younger should stick to cleansing and moisturising.
FILLER FACE
Most of us can look back at photos of ourselves in our early 20s and think we looked wonderfully ‘baby-faced’. But now, nearly 60 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds feel pressure to change their appearance, meaning they are more likely to seek out cosmetic procedures such as dermal fillers.
‘Dermal fillers are brilliant for adding volume to the face. But too much filler can have the opposite effect, making you look older due to the shadows it can create on the face,’ explains GP and aesthetician Dr Ahmed El Muntasar (theaestheticsdoctor.com).
Trying to emulate the appearance of millennial celebrities could also contribute to Gen Z looking older than their years.
Disturbingly, some aestheticians sell tweakment packages designed to make their clients look more like a particular celebrity, such as Kim Kardashian. But Kardashian is in her 40s – so a young girl buying such a package is effectively paying to look older.
Another risk of injectables is ‘perception drift’. This is the snowball effect that can occur when young people have one problem ‘fixed’ with a tweakment, but then start obsessing over another part of their body and feel they need more and more procedures.
SKIPPING KEY FOODS
Veganism, juice cleanses and high-protein diets are extremely popular among abstemious Gen Z.
Research shows over a quarter are vegan or vegetarian, compared to 14 per cent of Generation X (aged 44 to 59) and 12 per cent of Baby Boomers (aged 60 to 78). But cutting out certain food groups can have a negative impact not just on general health, but on appearance, too.
‘Depriving your body of certain nutrients and minerals, for example, cutting out carbohydrates, or not eating enough protein, can lead to imbalances that can cause the fat distribution in the face to change,’ explains Dr El Muntasar. ‘When you lose the fat pads in your face, you have essentially lost your facial scaffolding, which can leave you looking hollow and significantly age you.’
SUNBED WORSHIPPING
To older people all too aware of the health risks, it’s astonishing that 43 per cent of Gen Z admit they use sunbeds. Yet this dangerous trend is all over social media.
‘On TikTok, trips to tanning salons have become a content genre in their own right. This normalises the idea of baking under UV rays, which is of course, very harmful,’ says Dr Khorana (@dermgp).
As well as significantly increasing the risk of skin cancer, sunbed use contributes to skin ageing thanks to the powerful UVA rays emitted by sunbeds.
But while the full visible effects of sun-damage can take 20 years to appear, malignant melanoma (a skin cancer linked to UVA damage) is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in twentysomething women.
PUFFING ON VAPES
A recent University College London study found that the number of 18 to 24-year-olds in England who inhale nicotine products has jumped from 28 per cent to 35 per cent since 2021, a higher proportion than any other age group.
‘Nicotine vapes can cause premature ageing, because nicotine causes the breakdown of collagen in the skin. In some cases, vaping can be almost as bad for you as smoking cigarettes,’ says Dr El Muntasar.
As vaping is still a relatively new phenomenon, the long-term impact isn’t clear – but the repeated motion of sucking on a vape over time, like smoking cigarettes, could also cause smoker’s lines (deep, defined wrinkles) around the mouth in later life.
He recommends young people switch to a vape that doesn’t contain nicotine as the first step to giving up.
STRESSED OUT
Today’s young people report feeling more stressed and anxious than any previous generation. According to a survey of 12,000 workers last year, Gen Z are the most stressed demographic in the workplace, with 98 per cent reporting symptoms of burnout.
Dr El Muntasar says this can literally make you look older, since the stress hormone cortisol can cause a breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin. High stress levels can trigger temporary hair loss or thinning too, by causing hormonal imbalances which can disrupt the hair’s natural growth cycle, causing hair to shed prematurely.
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