Gen Z appear to be aging at a faster rate than Millennials and there's a number of reasons for that, experts say.
For example, take Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan - who also made her name by playing a literal teenager in comedy series Derry Girls - she is 37.
At the other end of the spectrum, we have the cast of this year's edition of Love Island, where most of the contestants are in their early twenties but have been mistaken as being much older by people online.
Advert
So why are Gen Z aging like milk compared to older Millennials?
Well, according to experts, it could be one of multiple reasons.
Cosmetic surgery
Cosmetic surgery isn't something that is exclusive to the Gen Z age group (who are usually between 12 and 27 years old), however, the rise in accessibility of minor cosmetic procedures, also known as 'tweakments', has skyrocketed over the past few years.
Advert
"I’m seeing many clients start getting filler in their 20s, which didn’t used to be the case," dermatologist Courtney Rubin told Huffpost.
"Filler works great as a way to replace volume that has been lost over time, as a restorative treatment, but when you are in your 20s, you haven’t lost any volume yet."
She went on to add that younger people are also using filler to modify rather than rejuvenate their faces, which can sometimes lead to a warped appearance.
Advert
Buccal-fat removal (which is where fat in the lower check is taken out) is also growing in popularity due to its ability to give you razor-sharp cheekbones. However buccal-fat naturally decreases as you get older, meaning that having it removed is only speeding up your aging process.
"When we are making major changes to facial features, there is an increased risk of something not looking quite right." she said.
Vaping can age you
Recent studies have also linked the rise in of vaping amongst Gen Z as another reason they could be aging prematurely.
Advert
Dr Bav Shergill, of the British Association of Dermatologists, recently explained to The Daily Mail that nicotine is a major culprit in breaking down the elasticity in your skin.
"Nicotine is the active ingredient, and it is associated with all kinds of skin problems. It is associated with acne, psoriasis and breakouts." Dr Shergill said.
Of course, older generations have been consuming nicotine in the form of cigarettes for decades - but that shouldn't be an excuse to not to put down the vape.
GP Asiya Maula also added that heat created from vaping can also cause dehydration of the skin, causing premature aging.
Advert
Stress
Now stress may not be the first thing you think about as a cause for premature aging, but it turns out that it could be one of the reasons why Gen Z are appearing old before their time.
A recent viral TikTok saw user Jordan Howlett claim that stress had caused him to look older than his age.
"We live in a time where millennials look way younger for their age while Gen Z looks way older for their age," he explained in the clip, adding that people often mistake his mum for his younger sister.
Well, it turns out that Howlett's belief that stress is aging us isn't far from the mark either, with Dr Suzanne Ferree, a senior physican Vine Medical Associates in Atlanta telling The Daily Mail: "Gen Z has grown up with social media as part of their entire life, probably from a very young age.
"There's the big comparison, I don't see the stress of comparing yourself to everybody else where."
Dr Ferree went to say that cortisol - a hormone which is released in response to stress - can cause the 'breakdown of things', like collagen in the face.
All in all, it's not looking good for Gen Z.
Brenna Cooper