Why Do Millennials Look So Young? A Dermatologist and Stylist Explain The TikTok Mystery

Why do millennials look so young? TikTok is posting about it. Reddit is discussing it. And Google is going googoo over it. Seriously—the query has skyrocketed up 1,140 percent since last year. As an (apparently) weathered Gen X reporter and millennial ally, I wanted to explore the secrets of this demographic, born from 1981 to 1996 (now 29 to 44 years old), who are getting noticed for looking younger than not only previous generations, but also Gen Z, the generation that was minding its own business growing up, and is now 13 to 28.

Yep, there’s the idea that millennials look younger than generations before or after…which, if true, is an interesting concept and begs the question of why. So, leaving aside the raised eyebrows of my generation and the questions of how this may be a widespread millennial confirmation bias and why “looking young” is a goal anyway (I’m a older Gen Xer, so I’ve settled into my crows feet a bit by now), I turned to a stylist and a dermatologist to get the story on how and why millennials look so young.

• Dr. Kellie Reed is a board-certified dermatologist who practices at Westlake Dermatology in Austin, Texas. Dr. Reed specializes in aesthetic skincare and general medical dermatology. In her practice, she uses an artistic eye for using neuromodulators (botox, dysport), dermal fillers, laser and more.
• Samantha Dawn is a personal stylist and style coach with personal clients worldwide. She’s been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Good Morning America and more, and has styled on sets of shoots for major brand companies.

Dr. Reed sees cultural pressures and lifestyle aspects as contributing to Gen Z aging faster than millennial (TikTokker Jordan Howlett's post about being a rapidly aging Gen Zer has 3.6 million views). “It’s thought that Gen Z is a more stressed generation, and this can show on the skin via increased cortisol levels. Increased cortisol levels affect collagen and inflammation,” Dr. Reed says. But today, we have lots of dermatological interventions to reverse signs of aging, right? Yes, according to Dr. Reed, but “Gen Z also has access to more tools—fillers, Botox, lasers, etc. at a younger age. These things are great when used appropriately and in moderation. Filler or Botox overuse can paradoxically make someone appear older.”

Besides taking care of their skin, millennials may look so young due to psychological aspects. Stylist Samantha Dawn shared a tantalizing perspective: “Millennials are at the point in their lives where they've done a lot of self-reflection and healing. This journey has allowed themselves to do things they maybe weren't able to do as a child, such as wearing make up, having tinsel in their hair, having fun toys their parents would have said no to and wearing clothes that actually make them feel the way they want to,” she says.

“As a personal stylist that incorporates psychology in helping women find their style, a lot of my clients are millennials," Dawn explains. "Majority of the time, what they're missing in their style is the personal part of it. A lot of what they end up wanting in their style, is what they weren't able to have when they were younger. For example, a lot of my clients are craving more femininity in their outfits. It makes sense because as a child, they were taught being feminine is "weak" or that they would get unwanted attention. Now millennials know their power and they are all owning who they are confidently.” To which I say, I knew it: Blokette Core is a strike against the patriarchy!

Personally speaking, in the whole “millennials look younger than any generation ever has or ever will,” I think there are equal amounts of truth and confirmation bias. As a Gen Xer, I say this from my own perspective—I remember what it was like to turn 40 and think, wow, I don’t look like what I thought 40 was going to look like. But, frankly, it was as much from staying out of the sun, not having enough money to inject too many substances into my face (only a few!) and a penchant for aping what the kids were wearing. (Yep, I have a Labubu on my bag right now, and 40 was a long time ago.)

However, I do think that there’s more pressure on Gen Z these days than was put on millennials, Xers or boomers, and that’s showing up in all kinds of stress reactions, including sleep disruption, vaping and poor nutrition, which all show up on the skin. Additionally, Dr. Reed reports that today, misinformation may be a roadblock to solutions. “There are myths circulating how sunscreen is only needed when outside or on sunny days (UV penetrates clouds and windows so SPF is needed daily) or opting out of sunscreen due to misinformation regarding it and/or thinking SPF in makeup is good enough (its not),” she says.  Noted: And it’s worth remembering that SPF is not only an anti-aging strategy—it prevents skin cancer.