Lately, there’s been heightened
conversation
online about how
millennials
don’t
look their age
How is it that
“Bridgerton”
star Nicola Coughlan is
37 years old but appears truly like 19,
What is the age of Penelope Featherington’s character on the show?
Why are individuals who were born in 1993 now considered as adults?
the same age as George Costanza
in the
first season of “Seinfeld
― 31 ― appearing at least a decade younger? (Please forgive us for this, Jason Alexander; we greatly appreciate your contributions.)
One of the most intriguing aspects of this conversation is that much of it originates from Generation Z, those who were born immediately following the millennial generation. On the flip side, numerous members of Gen Z express feeling as though they’re growing older rapidly.
spoiled milk
.
“We find ourselves in an era where millennials appear much younger than their years, whereas Gen Z tends to look significantly older for theirs,” stated TikTok influencer Jordan Howlett, aged 27, in a widely circulated video.
In January with more than 24.8 million views
.
I’m part of Gen Z, but nobody takes me seriously,” Howlett stated. “Whenever my mom and I go out together, others often think she’s actually my sibling.” On one occasion, when Howlett requested an autograph from The Rock, the actor mistakenly believed “Jordan” referred to his child and wrote, “Your dad is awesome; he waited here for ages.
“Dude, Dwayne is 52, I’m only 26! What?” the influencer quipped in the popular video.
Howlett attributes the early signs of aging in his cohort to the pressures of employment and financial difficulties they face.
Although this may be true, an important aspect is absent from discussions regarding the varying aging processes experienced by millennials (typically ranging between 28 and 43 years old in 2024) and Generation Z (which includes individuals aged 12 to 27). Generally speaking, millennials were the pioneers when it came to adopting sunscreen use and shunning cigarettes, whereas certain members of Gen Z appear to be moving in the opposite direction with these habits. (This topic will be explored further subsequently.)
“Millennials have certainly learned from both the insights and errors of previous generations,” he stated.
Dr. Anthony Rossi
a dermatologist, professor, and researcher at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
“He mentioned that they generally applied sunscreen rigorously and appropriately: Applying it beforehand and reapplying when necessary. This had an impact, particularly contrasted with previous generations who often shared that they utilized baby oil combined with iodine along with sun reflectors for tanning and burning purposes.”
Incorrect data can result in actual harm.
Shamara Bondaroff
Certainly, we’re discussing this broadly: You can find Boomers, Generation X members, and Generation Z individuals who are highly attentive to skincare routines. For instance, take a look at the younger generation known as Generation Z.
Sephora baby craze
Which, somewhat dismally, keeps tweens and teens obsessed with preventing aging.
And surely there were millennials who had monthly subscriptions for tanning beds back in the early 2000s. (A shoutout to all those)
“Gym, Tan, Laundry” warriors
And those who would stick Playboy logos onto their outfits for their appointments.
Get a slightly pale imprint of a small rabbit on your skin.
. As an aside: It might be a good idea to obtain a Tretinoin 0.025% prescription at this point.)
Major errors occurred in the millennial skincare routine as well: Looking back, religiously applying an apricot scrub every night was likely not a good choice.
Sure thing, aging does occur within that age bracket: “When people say millennials appear youthful for their years, they’re usually referring to millennial non-attorneys, so I wanted to clarify,”
One guy made a joke about X
the platform previously called Twitter.
Nevertheless, from what we gather informally, it appears that millennials generally took to heart the guidance offered in Baz Luhrmann’s 1999 unexpected chart-topper ” Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)”.
aka “The Sunscreen Song”
And applied the sunscreen.
“Applying sunscreen is a daily habit for them, rather than being limited to only beach days,” he mentioned.
Dr. Danilo C. Del Campo
a dermatologist based at the Chicago Skin Clinic and the CEO of a skincare product line
Los Doctores Cubanos
.
Apart from sunscreen, individuals from the ’80s and ’90s tend to be quite diligent about various aspects of their everyday skincare regimen. As they progress further into their 30s and 40s, these people are increasingly including products with
antioxidants
and
retinoids
to reduce some of the obvious indications of getting older.
Generation Y might have experienced the
heyday of sweetened beverages during childhood
, but now they hold onto their
“emotional support water bottles”
— And staying hydrated also helps maintain your plump and youthful appearance. If they need to achieve some color, they opt for a controlled spray tan instead of risking sunbeds and tanning oils.
Millennials frequently enhance their skincare routines with advice from dermatologists, adopting a very thorough method,” Del Campo stated. “This includes cleansing, treating, moisturizing, hydrating, and finally protecting the skin to sustain its overall health and strength.
And, naturally, numerous individuals within this age bracket are decelerating the aging process through
“tweakments”
such as fillers and Botox. This combination includes — using sunscreen during their teenage and young adult years, along with highly specialized skincare routines,
maybe even over-hydrating
with their
beloved Stanley water tumblers
, and cosmetic injections indicate that society’s perception of how a person should look at age 30 or 40 has significantly evolved recently.
Millennials were not influenced by sunscreen-hating TikTok personalities either.
Based on a 2023 poll conducted by
the U.S. Academy of Dermatology
, 20% of Generation Z members think that having tanned skin is more crucial to them compared to safeguarding themselves against skin cancer, and 30% confessed that they would prefer to have an attractive appearance now with a tan, even if it means their skin may deteriorate later in life.
These statistics might be quite concerning for young adults who are cautious about sunlight exposure; however, it’s crucial to recognize that millennials benefited from an era when mostly professionals were providing guidance rather than social media personalities or so-called “health gurus” contesting the use of sunscreen on platforms like TikTok.
During the 1990s, discussions surrounding skin cancer started gaining attention.
major public health problem
, just like cancer in general did. (Do you remember when everyone was wearing those yellow Livestrong bracelets around 2005 or so?)
Millennials were frequently reminded from an early age about the significance of early detection and how doctor exams and self-checks can help identify concerning moles or blemishes. With the rise of social media, these constant reminders from moms about using sunscreen to avoid skin cancer became even more widespread.
The message has since become confused. While the formal guidance from
the American Academy of Dermatology
is to use broad-spectrum protection SPF of at least 30 that protects against UVA and UVB rays, today’s anti-sunscreen advocates blithely share conspiracy theories that
sunscreen causes cancer
It was established as a scheme by pharmaceutical firms to increase their earnings and harm individuals’ health.
Most recently, “The Hills” star Kristin Cavallari (who belongs to the Millennial generation) faced some criticism — even from ultraviolet rays! — for her actions.
dismissing everyday sunscreen use
And featuring a guest who mentioned that building a “base coat” via gradual sunlight exposure enables the skin to withstand the sun without getting burned.
That was certainly not the message Millennials received as they grew up, stated Shamara Bondaroff, an aesthetician and the founder of SB Skin NYC and Miami.
She mentioned that for a period, the messages regarding skin protection disseminated by genuine experts through social media were more impactful than they had ever been before.
“Some of the strongest visuals will continue to be those showing individuals who applied sunscreen only to certain areas of their body, thus affecting how they aged,” she stated.
The reality is,
studies show
That sunscreen shields against all three of the most prevalent types of skin cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Since
At minimum, one out of every five individuals in America will encounter skin cancer at some point.
By the time you reach 70 years old, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, it’s important to make sure you take the time to use sunscreen.
What are some other factors causing early signs of aging in Generation Z? Using tanning beds, vaping, and injectable fillers are among them.
Experts in dermatology are concerned about the well-being of Generation Z due to more than just widespread misinformation regarding sunscreens. There has also been an alarming revival of
use of tanning beds amongst younger individuals
, thank you once more to TikTok.
“The tanning beds make me shudder,” Rossi stated.
I make sure to inform Generation Z members that any exposure to UVA rays doesn’t provide them with immunity,” he stated. “A so-called ‘base tan’ won’t shield you from UVB-induced sunburns, and there’s no such thing as a harmless tan since even minor reddening or swelling indicates DNA damage.
What are some other factors that might contribute to early signs of aging?
popularity of vaping.
The nicotine and substances utilized in vaping can lead to the degradation of collagen—a protein essential for maintaining supple and taut skin—potentially causing wrinkles around the mouth area and swelling around the eye region.
Another factor contributing to why members of Generation Z might appear somewhat more mature compared to Millennials at the same age could be the increased acceptance and use of dermal fillers within this younger cohort, as mentioned by experts.
Courtney Rubin,
A dermatologist and co-founder of Fig.1, a skincare line.
Of course, millennials do receive Botox and Juvederm nowadays as well, however, they were not using such treatments during their college days. At an influential age, Generation Z experimented with these practices.
Snapchat’s body dysmorphia-inducing beauty filters
and saw their preferred influencers get in-office filler treatments.
I’m noticing that numerous clients are beginning to opt for fillers in their early twenties, something that wasn’t common before,” Rubin stated. “Fillers work exceptionally well as a means of restoring lost volume due to aging; however, this isn’t typically an issue for individuals in their 20s since they generally haven’t experienced significant loss of volume yet.
According to Rubin, what occurs is that individuals in their 20s are opting for fillers not primarily to restore volume, but instead to alter their face shape. For example, they might use chin fillers to achieve a more defined jawline.
The dermatologist stated that ‘when significant alterations are made to facial characteristics, there is a higher chance of achieving less than optimal outcomes.’
Other individuals are taking it to the next level by opting for buccal fat removal, a procedure aimed at eliminating facial fat to attain a sleek, Marlene Dietrich-like jawline. (The issue, as
Certain plastic surgeons have observed
,, does eliminating a significant part of the buccal fat pad potentially cause premature aging? Facial fat generally adds fullness to the skin, making you appear younger; conversely, its removal might produce the opposite result.”
In general, it’s challenging to predict how Generation Z’s attitude toward skincare will develop, as they are still quite young and exhibit a wide range of behaviors. Some within this group are very conscientious about sun protection and hydration but may be more cautious when it comes to using dermal fillers.
“Regrettably, there continues to be an abundance of poor guidance circulating from individuals who shouldn’t be offering advice, yet that’s the reality we face,” Bondaroff stated.
It’s simple to be swayed when browsing without thought, yet Bondaroff stresses for her clients that skincare should be viewed as healthcare rather than being lumped together with makeup or haircare: “Misinformation can result in genuine harm,” she stated.
The aesthetician remains confident, however.
I believe many members of Generation Z use social media to communicate with various professionals like aestheticians, dermatologists, and primary care doctors regarding their skin issues,” she explained. “This helps them gain a clearer understanding of how to address any concerns they might have.
