A grandmother who is still just 38 has left people doing a double take after sharing photos with her 20-year-old daughter, with many struggling to work out which woman is which.
Brittany Desborough, from California, became a mum as a teenager and is now a grandmother after her daughter Makenzie welcomed a baby of her own.
The mother and daughter are frequently mistaken for sisters because of their similar features and youthful appearances, with some people even believing they could be twins.
But their family story is just as surprising as their resemblance, with Brittany revealing that her grandson and youngest son are less than a year apart in age.
And while the 38-year-old has attracted attention for her appearance, she has also shared the skincare routine she credits for helping her maintain her youthful look.
Grandmother and daughter mistaken for twins
Brittany has attracted attention online after sharing photographs alongside Makenzie, 20, showing just how alike the pair look.
The two women have blonde hair and similar facial features, and their pictures have prompted people to question their relationship.
Brittany previously told the Daily Mail that people often assume they are sisters before discovering the truth.
“A lot of people mistook us for sisters, or twins, and were left baffled when I told them we were actually mother and daughter,” she said.
Brittany had Makenzie when she was just 17, meaning the pair are separated by only 18 years.
Now that her daughter is an adult, Brittany has found that their resemblance attracts even more attention when they spend time together.
In one social media post, she reflected on how quickly the years had passed, writing: “One moment you’re 19 and holding your one-year-old.
“The next you’re hanging out with your 20-year-old.”
The post showed the pair posing together, highlighting their similar looks and leaving followers amazed by the relatively small age gap.
However, it is not just their resemblance that has surprised people. Makenzie has a child of her own, making Brittany a grandmother while she is still in her 30s.
How Brittany became a grandmother at 38
Brittany’s family has grown quickly over the years.
The mother-of-four had Makenzie as a teenager and later went on to have three more children with her husband, Chris.
The couple also share Savannah, 11, Charlie, nine, and Hunter, who was born in 2024.
Makenzie became pregnant with her own child at a young age, and Brittany has spoken about the emotions she experienced when she discovered her daughter was expecting.
According to the Daily Mail, Brittany found Makenzie curled up in bed after learning about the pregnancy.
“I found her curled up in bed staring at the wall. It was like deja vu,” Brittany recalled.
She said that her own experiences as a young mother helped her understand what her daughter was facing.
“All I felt was sympathy. Myself and Chris supported her and she seriously knuckled down.”
Makenzie went on to have her son, Banks, making Brittany a grandmother.
The timing of the two generations’ experiences has created an unusual family dynamic, particularly because Brittany had welcomed her youngest child only a few months before discovering that her daughter was pregnant.
As a result, Brittany’s youngest son and grandson are less than a year apart in age.
She has admitted that the situation felt unusual at first, but said the family has embraced it.
“It was strange having a grandson and a son less than a year apart, but I wouldn’t change it for anything,” she said.
“Hunter loves his nephew very much.”
The family are also reportedly working towards building an annex for Makenzie and Banks, allowing them to live close by as they navigate life with their growing family.
‘People are even more surprised now’
Brittany has said that becoming a grandmother has made people even more astonished when they learn her age.
While she was already used to being mistaken for Makenzie’s sister, the revelation that she has a grandson often prompts an even bigger reaction.
“People are even more surprised now when I tell them I’m a grandma,” she said.
“But it goes to show; us grannies come in all shapes, sizes and good looks.”
The comments reflect the way Brittany’s family life challenges some people’s assumptions about what a grandmother should look like.
Her youthful appearance has also helped her build a following on social media, where people have shown an interest in her beauty habits and skincare routine.
Brittany has shared details of the products she uses, offering followers a look at how she cares for her skin.
The skincare routine behind her youthful appearance
Brittany has shared a detailed skincare routine online, including products she uses in the morning and evening.
Her routine features a cleanser, glycolic acid, niacinamide and zinc, gel moisturiser, squalane oil and Vaseline.
She has also shown herself using facial tape designed for the forehead and crow’s feet area, which she describes as a key part of her routine.
Brittany has claimed that the tape helped reduce the appearance of lines in those areas.
Vaseline is another product she has highlighted, applying it to her cheeks at night to help lock in moisture.
Sharing the order in which she uses her products, she listed Youth To The People Papaya Cleanser, The Ordinary Glycolic Acid, The Ordinary Niacinamide and Zinc, Hada Labo Gel Moisturiser, Timeless Squalane Oil, Vaseline and Seald Wellness Face Tape Duo.
She has attracted a following of around 21,000 people on her TikTok account, with viewers keen to learn more about her routine.
Some followers were quick to express an interest in trying the products themselves.
“Can’t wait to try this,” one person commented.
Another wrote: “Adds to cart.”
However, skincare experts advise that a consistent routine and sun protection are important parts of looking after skin. Products that work for one person may not produce the same results for everyone, and claims about wrinkle-reducing treatments should be approached with care.
The reality of becoming a mum so young
Alongside the attention surrounding her appearance, Brittany has also spoken about the challenges of having a child while she was still a teenager.
She previously reflected on how different her life was from that of many people her age.
“While most of my friends were partying and applying for university, I had no choice but to grow up,” she said.
Her experience has now come full circle as Makenzie navigates motherhood herself.
Brittany has said that she and Chris supported their daughter when they discovered she was pregnant, drawing on their own experiences of raising a family at a young age.
Rather than viewing the unusual age gap between her youngest son and grandson as a problem, she has described it as something the family has embraced.
The family have also shared pictures together, including photographs in matching Christmas pyjamas that show three generations side by side.
Fans struggle to tell the pair apart
Despite their different roles within the family, Brittany and Makenzie continue to leave social media users amazed by their resemblance.
Their photos have prompted comments from people who cannot believe Brittany is already a grandmother, while others have focused on how youthful she looks alongside her daughter.
“Which one is the daughter,” one viewer asked.
“I literally can’t tell the difference. Who’s the grandma here?!” another wrote.
A third commented: “Girl how do you look so young!!”
Another person was equally impressed, writing: “Who is the daughter here omg you’re soo pretty.”
The reactions show why the pair’s photographs have attracted so much attention, with their similar appearances making it difficult for some people to immediately identify the mother and daughter.
But while their resemblance may be what first catches people’s attention, Brittany’s story also offers a glimpse into a family where two generations have experienced motherhood at a young age.
And despite the surprise that comes with revealing her family role, the grandmother appears happy to embrace it.
As Brittany put it: “But it goes to show; us grannies come in all shapes, sizes and good looks.”
