Are Gen Z Girls Really Aging Faster Than Millennial Women?

A peculiar social media conversation has recently gone viral, with many people wondering why Gen Z is aging more rapidly than millennials.

While some social media users have taken this as an opportunity to make lighthearted jokes by comparing the differences between the two generations that famously don't see eye to eye, others have come up with interesting theories that include lifestyle habits, environmental factors, and beauty standards.

So, let’s delve deeper into the possible reasons behind this phenomenon and explore whether there's some truth to this viral claim, or whether aging, like beauty, is simply in the eye of the beholder.

Filtered Lives and the Quest for Perfection

As generations that grew up in the heyday of social media, both millennials and Gen Zers have been the most constantly bombarded with idealized portrayals of beauty. While this has unarguably heightened the pressure to conform to these unattainable standards, it seems that the latter is being more affected by it. With the rise of curated feeds, photoshopped Instagram pictures, and filters that alter your appearance, younger generations are more likely to aspire to look like the heavily edited and curated images they see on social media.

The quest for this level of perfection has led to Gen Z being the highest consumer of social media filters and editing apps, with up to 76% of Gen Z social media users utilizing some face-tuning before posting a picture of themselves, according to a 2021 study. It has also led to the pursuit of more drastic and sometimes harmful measures, such as both minor and major cosmetic enhancements or extensive beauty treatments, in order to emulate the filtered perfection they see online.

As early as February 2023, 75% of plastic surgeons saw a spike in clients under 30, according to data released by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, which, according to some professionals, is a "consistently higher plateau over the five previous years." This shift toward earlier cosmetic intervention reflects deeper social implications, suggesting a growing normalization of such practices.

But here's the kicker: While more younger people are participating in trends that are typically attributed to older people, this doesn't necessarily keep them looking younger.

In an ironic twist, and according to experts, including cosmetic injectors, some of these procedures may even achieve the opposite effect. For example, dermal fillers, which have become increasingly popular among a younger demographic of consumers who seek plumper lips or more defined cheekbones, can actually lead to lymphedema, a condition characterized by the accumulation of fluids that causes swelling and puffiness in the face. This effect can actually cause an overprojection of the cheeks and exacerbate the shadows around the mouth, making smile lines look deeper.

Additionally, because younger people still have plump cheekbones and lips, adding more volume with fillers can result in an overly exaggerated appearance, distorted facial features, exacerbated puffiness, and even a loss of youthful definition.

The Influence of Celebrity Culture on Youthful Appearances

A prominent example of unfortunate filler abuse is one of Gen Z's leading role models – beauty mogul Kylie Jenner. Despite looking flawless in her carefully curated social media posts, her heavily enhanced features have sparked controversy and criticism after appearing significantly different in paparazzi photos, with many pointing out the negative effects of overdoing cosmetic treatments at such a young age, while others have joked that she looks like "a beautiful 45-year-old lady."

Another procedure that has been making the rounds lately, including among Gen Z celebrities, is buccal fat removal, which also often backfires. This procedure involves removing fat from the cheeks to create a more chiseled look, but it has been noted that the long-term effects may lead to prematurely sagging skin and a sharp loss of facial volume, which can make you look older after recovering from the procedure, not years down the line, as it would with a typical aging process.

Even though younger people are participating in trends that are typically attributed to older people, is this enough to blame an entire generation for, according to The New York Times, "aging like milk?"

Having access to change your face at an early age will, well, change your face; however, is this what the majority of Gen Z are doing? In the world of social media, we sometimes forget that when a trend, such as calling out Gen Z for getting too much work done, takes off, it can be hard to escape the narrative and overlook all the counterexamples.

Additionally, with Gen Z celebrities such as Kylie Jenner being hypervisible to the public, including when she got lip fillers at the age of 16, it creates a false perception that the vast majority of people are doing some type of work on their faces, which is simply not representative of reality, as the majority of Gen Z haven't been getting these types of procedures, especially not at such a young age.

While it’s clear that the number of under-30s getting facial procedures such as Botox or fillers is increasing, the total number is somewhat minimal when you take into consideration that around 2.5 million Botox procedures were performed globally in 2022 to clients in the 18-34 age range, while members of Generation Z account for around 2 billion, which makes the number of procedures a mere drop in the ocean.

Additionally, with the oldest Gen Zers turning 27 this year and considering the fact that our bodies slow down the production of collagen around the age of 25, it's possible some are starting to notice expression lines and are freaking out about how quickly they seem to be aging. Of course, they're not really aging quickly but may be made to feel like they are, thanks to social media and the constant comparison to perfectly edited images or simply an inability to handle changes well.

Finally, let's not forget that many of us are also questioning why previous generations looked so old and gasp at videos of mature-looking high schoolers caught on camera in 1989, or simultaneously agree that Matthew McConaughey looked like today's average 30-year-old in his yearbook photo when he was only around 18.

So, while many factors can influence the way the younger generation perceives aging, this doesn't seem like a new phenomenon unique to Gen Z.

Tanning, Vaping and Other Aging Accelerators

We can agree that someone's opinion of how someone else looks can be driven by many factors, including their personal biases or even the attempt to engage-bait for monetary gain, but we can't deny the fact that, according to statistics, Gen Z is currently the generation that's more likely to be involved in harmful lifestyle habits that could potentially affect their appearance and how they age.

For instance, despite the abundance of available information on how UV rays damage our skin and accelerate its aging, a survey showed that 60% of respondents between 18 and 25 years old still tan. On the other hand, another survey found that 30% of millennials don't wear sunscreen, which is still not ideal if you’re trying to prolong your youthful appearance, but seems better in comparison to Gen Z.

Additionally, Gen Z also seems to be a generation that heavily indulges in vaping, which has been linked to accelerating the appearance of aging, while millennials are more inclined to smoke traditional cigarettes, which still leads to premature signs of skin aging, but the numbers are sitting at 44% for the latter and a whopping 85% for the former.

And even though both generations grew up with unhealthy eating habits, with millennials indulging in McDonald's from a young age and Gen Z having access to an unprecedented number of fast-food apps, it seems that the latter are consuming much more of it, with a study showing that about 56% of Gen Z adults are overweight or obese.

Now, your weight won't determine your skin's appearance, but indulging in foods that contain the same inflammatory components that cause you to become overweight may also negatively impact your skin by affecting the cells’ ability to rejuvenate, leading to early signs of aging.

Finally, while millennials tend to embrace broader holistic health practices, such as going to the gym and doing yoga, which can have a positive impact on their overall health and appearance in the long run, Gen Z seems to have been caught up in "cancel culture" moments when it comes to wellness. This, paired with carrying the world's problems on your shoulders with a victim mindset and engaging in extreme forms of activism, may lead to a higher cortisol (stress hormone) level, which can also speed up your aging process by making you more prone to inflammation.

Closing Thoughts

We can’t deny that lifestyle habits, easy access to face-altering procedures, awareness of stressful situations in the world, and increased interest in presenting as more mature might be contributing to Gen Z's perceived rapid aging. But it’s also important to acknowledge the role of social media in amplifying specific cases of aging among Gen Z, which may not necessarily reflect the broader reality.

Viral videos of someone looking much older than they are due to their personal choices gain traction and become viral because they’re an exception and not necessarily the norm, and with platforms such as X, where everyone can curate and present content in a way that promotes a discourse between opinions and arguments, it’s easy to see how a particular narrative can dominate the conversation.

However, while it's important to have conversations about the societal pressure to look young and perfect, as well as the psychological and physiological dangers of succumbing to altering your appearance at a young age, it's equally important to consider the bigger picture and not generalize an entire generation based on a few viral cases.

Gen Z's rush toward cosmetic enhancements is a valid topic to discuss and explore, but it's not unreasonable to say that everyone has different experiences, habits, and choices when it comes to their appearance, so should exceptions overshadow the diverse reality? Or should we take a step back and refrain from passing judgment, even if we think we’re doing so in the name of concern or awareness?

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