When you go to visit your grandparents, old albums immediately pop up, “I weighed 40 kilograms when I was a teenager.” clichés are put forward and it is explained one by one who the people in the photos you never wondered are…
When looking at the photos, they show a photo of them in their 20s and almost look like they are in their 30s. You immediately think, “Do I look like this right now?” questions such as No, you don’t, and there are various reasons why they look big. Let’s take a look at why people looked big in the past.
First, let’s distinguish between biological age and chronological age.
When someone asks you your age, the answer you give by calculating the years from your date of birth to that time is your chronological age. Whether you feel like a 10-year-old at 30 or a 70-year-old old man at 20; This age does not change.
Biological age, on the other hand, depends on environmental factors, climate, diet, access to health services, access to psychological support, whether you have harmful habits, etc. shows diffences. Here’s one of the underlying reasons why people in the past looked older has to do with it.
Our lifestyle can affect our appearance.
In the old days, they were usually married at a very early age and had children immediately. In addition to the rapid maturation brought by these responsibilities, it is an undeniable biological fact that the female body changes after childbirth. So, it’s very likely that this is one of the reasons why they look old when you look at pictures of your mothers or grandmothers.
When we look at men, we cannot deny the effect of cigarette consumption on health and, accordingly, appearance. Early wrinkles, skin blemishes, yellowed mustache and beards… Although there are solutions for these today, such a thing was not possible at that time.
Clothing style can change our perception of age.
Outdated hair and clothing styles that we encounter in old photographs actually shape our perception when looking at those photographs. Although we are used to the “vintage” and “retro” styles that are in fashion today, this is not the case when we look at the old days.
Permed bouffant hair, maxi dresses, padded jackets… All of these affect our perception and create the idea that the people in the photo are aging fast.
We cannot deny the effect of make-up and skin care on appearance.
Today, with the spread of technology and the development of the cosmetic industry, the interests and habits in make-up and skin care have changed a lot. The sharp eyeliners, dark lipsticks, and crimson blushes in the past photos were replaced by “make-up like non-existent”.
In addition, people look younger today thanks to skin care routines such as anti-aging creams, cell-renewing serums, face yoga, and taking care of the use of sunscreen. Of course, our grandmothers didn’t have a chance to watch “make-up challenge” videos on YouTube…
- Sources: Uplifers, Mathematical
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