Blanca Valbuena

Why do Portuguese People look so old?

Ask › Category: Advice › Why do Portuguese People look so old?
4 Vote Up Vote Down
Askbot asked 5 years ago
I am not trying to be funny but I am a 28-year old female moved to Lisbon two years ago and speak some Portuguese.  I am also part of various meetup groups and go out to Portuguese events all the time.  The thing I have noticed is that lots of females my age or younger looks so much older than me.   I am not trying to say I look great or anything but every local I meet looks like they are in there 40 or 50s.  My husband is Brazilian and he says it's the smoking but I cannot just believe that. Example we were out last week at a party in Avenida Nova's area and I meet 2-women. We began to talk about where I come from and I told them when I graduated from university I moved to my own apartment.   Both told me they wish they could afford to, after they leave school.  I didn't get their age but both were 2nd years at Technica!  So probably 21 but they looked 40. I am not going to blanket this statement as every Portuguese woman but I see it so obviously.  I picked anonymous as my name so I am not identified but I had to ask. PS. The men don't look as bad but once they are over 30 they do seem to have a belly plus the beards..eww.  I am glad I am married.
1 Answers
0 Vote Up Vote Down
Antonio Evans Staff answered 5 years ago

Ahh my Anonymous firiend you have become a watcher of Portuguese people and are slightly in correct in your blanket statement.

So not all Portugeuse women look old. In fact many look there age but remember if you are coming from the US you have a mixture of ethnicities so you might be use to see different "peoples" at different age group. People of caucasian, african, asian decent all age differently depending on diet, lifestyle, genes and of course sun.

I can address two items that make Portugal special when it comes to those things. Sun and lifestyle. Being a temperate southern European climate we have more than 3023 hours (125 continue days) of sun in Portugal. Lisboa itself is listed as one of the 21 most sunny cities int he world. Awesome right? Well yes and no. Great for weather, terrible for your skin. Having so much sun ages you incredibly.

Now this being the case many Portuguese don't use sun screen and have misinformation that sun screen causes cancer. I have gotten into many arguements with my Portuguese friends who swear that sun screen is a killer. They are wrong. Sunscreen is one of the most important items you should put on yourself daily. Sunny day, Rainy day and Cloudy day. The rays are killing you and also aging you.

Compounded with the lack of use of sunscreen Portuguese people love the beach. If it's a weekend during the summer all the local beaches will be packed with people sunning, surfing and people watching. All my portuguese friends go to the beach at least 1-day a week.

So now to lifestyle, your husband is right smoking is a thing for young Portuguese woman. Coming from the US where smoking had disappeared and only shows up in poorer communities smoking is typical of people in there 20s. Also the cost to smoke is cheap here compared to the US. You can get a pack of cigarettes for 4 euros vs 15 dollars in the US. So people smoke apleanty.

Now I don't 100% agree with your blanket statement that everyone looks old in Portugal. But I will agree lack of sun knowledge and smoking does age the Portuguese populance. Wear sunscreen people.