Why do my 4 week old identical twins look so different?

Why do my 4 week old identical twins look so different?

by Michelle
(Springfield, MO)

I recently gave birth to identical twin girls (they were in the same placenta). I am very curious why they don't look more alike, one has a different shaped forehead than the other and a more narrow/longer face. Will they begin to look more alike as they get older?

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Why do my 4 week old identical twins look so different?

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Feb 24, 2012
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Identical twins??? NEW
by: Anonymous

I have 3 year old identical twin boys, some people can tell them apart on first sight and others have to take a second look. I think they look different and are easy to tell apart. Twin A has a wider face and bigger eyes and twin B has a more oval face and smaller eyes, they are the same weight and height same hair and eye color only facial features are different. They shared a placenta and had a membrane separating them. They also had TTTS. They were part of a twin study thru the hospital and I questioned if they were identical and apparently they confirmed they are as I had 1 placenta. They said identical twins refers to their DNA and not their looks only. They are both healthy and happy boys I'm glad they different and individuals. Its truly a blessing.

Nov 15, 2011
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They'll change periodically NEW
by: Anonymous

My twin girls are now 9 years old. At 10 months old we got the DNA test done. I wanted to know whether they were identical or fraternal. As a parent I wanted to KNOW what zygosity my twins are just so I could say for sure YES or NO to people's guesses. My husband and I thought they were fraternal because one was smaller and we could see lots of differences. Everyone else thought we were crazy for having paid the money to find the result they had told us all along...they're identical. Through the years we've gotten them mixed up but never when they're looking right at us. Sometimes they seem SO alike in looks and personalities. Sometimes they're two distinctively different girls. Now the littlest one has become the biggest (by about 18 pounds in weight, and 1/4inch taller)and the biggest is now the smaller one. Wouldn't trade the twin parenting experience for the world!

Nov 04, 2011
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Was told twins were fraternal
by: Anonymous

I have 9 month old twin girls, when they were born they looked a lot alike, but one is very very light, the other, light Brown. People get them mixed up, I don't understand it, they have a lot of similar features but two different colors. People ask ne are they identical all the time, again don't get it, are they seeing something I don't. After reading these post, could my twins I was told is fraternal, and appear fraternal be identical, I've always wondered if identical twins could look so different, reading these post, I know they can, guess need to get DNA test to rid all questions.

Jul 26, 2011
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Identical twin that is nothing like her twin
by: Anonymous

I'm an identical twin and 34, I look nothing like my sister and are personalities are very different. Its to the point that no matter where we are in the world we will do the opposite of one another. She cuts her hair short and I’ll grow mine out, I’ll start working out and she gets out of shape.

For are personalities, I’m very much a tom boy and she is very much the classic woman. We have different allergies to meds, and different health issues. When people ask if I’m an identical twin I just tell them no, since I don’t really understand why we look so different.

Apr 30, 2011
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Identical?
by: Anonymous

I have identical twins that were born basically between a couple ounces of each other. From the beginning, I believed my daughters were not identical because one had a larger face. However, after completing a DNA test, they are identical! I still think I may of scraped one of their cheeks twice. They are so similar but so different. I think we always question what identical actually means.....
shannon

Apr 30, 2011
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Apr 25, 2011
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Identical?
by: Robyn

I have identical twin girls that are now 6 months old. Throughout the pregnancy I was told they were fraternal - had separate sacs and separate placentas. When they were born it turned out they only had one placenta. Confusion set in - either there was only one placenta or it had fused. After half an hour of intense inspection a "seam" was found and it was determined the girls were indeed fraternal. They certainly looked very different.

As the months passed, I started struggling a little telling the difference between the girls -there was a weight difference admittedly, different shaped heads and they looked slightly different in the face even though they have the same features, but if they were in similar outfits it took a good look to work out who was who. In photos it was just too hard to work it out - we tried to remember what each twin wore that day and it was determined that way.

My family doctor and the girls' health centre nurse recommended DNA testing - which we proceeded to have done. The results came back and shocked us all - they were identical! My family and I can see as many differences as there are similarities and I thought maybe a mistake had been made.

Having read a lot of your comments and after researching it, I think a lot has to do with when the egg split. My egg would have split almost immediately, whilst the later the egg splits the more "identical" the twins appear to be.

P.S. Although identical twins are not hereditary, my mother is also an identical twin, and her twin's daughter had fraternal twins. I think there has to be some connection.

Hope this comment helps anyone else struggling with non-identical identical twins!!

Mar 25, 2011
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My ID Twins
by: Anonymous

My ID twin boys are 9 years old and look slightly different. I believe they are mirror image twins. One is left-handed and the other is right and their hair parts on opposite sides. We experienced TTTS during pregnancy and the boys have had a size difference since day 1. They were born at 2lbs 12oz and 4lbs 4oz. They look almost the same and are often confused by kids at school, coaches, etc. but our family has no trouble telling them apart. One of them is a little taller and thicker (the oldest) and the other has a more slender face and build. As for the comments about ID twins being hereditary, they are not. I get so tired of hearing "do twins run in your family?" I just quit explaining the truth to people. Fraternal twins can be both hereditary and caused by in vitro (and similar procedures). Id twins happens randomly and no one knows why the egg splits. I'd love to do research on it.

Feb 20, 2011
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NON Looking IDENTICAL TWIN BOYz
by: Katarina

I had so called IDENTICAL TWiN BOYz in JUNE 2010*
My boys are now just on 8 months*
I was told from the beginning they were IDENTICAL, that they shared their PLACENTA & we even faced the difficulty that the boys had developed TWIN-to-TWIN TRANSFUSION (ONLY IDENTICALS get this)*

When our boys arrived BABY A was bigger than BABY B* They were beautiful and healthy*

They looked ALMOST IDENTICAL, I thought ooookaaaay, maybe with time and the weight difference to catch up, they will come to be MORE THE SAME*

NOT THE CASE !!! Now at 8months, my boys are clearly BROTHERS & TWINS, BUT IDENTICAL ? ? ?

When people ask....I dont know what to say....
Im like .. MEDICALLY they are IDENTICAL, but they look different, I shrug and tell them ONLY GOD KNOWs WHY ???

IM STUMPED, thats what bought me to this page,
Im wondering WHY TOOOO>

:-)

Jan 19, 2011
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identical but look different
by: Anonymous

i had identical twin boys 6weeks ago with baby a being born first at 4lb10oz, and baby b wieghing 5lb9oz, baby a is a good 2 lbs smaller now than baby b, baby a has a narrow face and smaller eyes where baby b has a rounded face and large eyes, same eye color and hair color, i keep thinkin once a catches up in wieght they will look more alike, lookin at them straight ahead you can tell the difference but from a side profile you can not, so when ask if there identical and i say yes i get wierd looks as well, they had one placenta with the membrane, and like the doctor told me the test came back identical, im not sure why they have different simularities, but maybe as they get older they will start to look more alike

Jan 17, 2011
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DIFFERENT IDENTICAL TWINS
by: Anonymous

my identical twin girls are 11 yrs old now and although one was half a pound heavier and fit and well when born the lighter of the pair was a little poorly and taller. To us they looked different from the start and had different personalities from day 1. The lighter twin had some eating difficulties during early school years and the weight difference widened by over a stone and the height difference is over two inches (the original shorter twin now being much taller). If you describe the girls they have same eye colour, same hair colour, same skin tone and same features, but with slight differences to the size of eyes, slight difference in shape of lips and angle of nose, to us they look totally different from each other. As the lighter twin has put on weight (still not caught up on height or weight completely) people who have known them all their lives and could see their differences now do a double take when they see them as they are no longer sure which twin they are speaking to. I have always wondered if they are actually identical as after the caesarian birth with general anaesthetic a healthcare assistant commented to me that they were not identical as thought throughout the pregnancy as there was a membrane in the placenta. Some years later I wrote to their paediatrcian consultant (who is monitoring them for different heart conditions) who stated as far as he was concerned they were identical and my consultant during pregnancy confirmed that they were identical. It seems to me that their differences developed both in the womb(how they were lying whilst developing) then external factors whilst they were growing, the lighter twin not having the same nourishment. I'm glad to hear that other id twins look different as I have had 11 years of trying to explain this to the interested and confused. Having said all that when I look back on baby photos I have real trouble telling them apart, it's nearly always by their clothing as they have rarely been dressed identical.

Jan 14, 2011
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id twins
by: Anonymous

I am surprised how many ppl still think identical twins can run in the family. Before ultrasounds and blood testing I'm sure they didn't know if twins were actually identical or not. I have 3mo id twin girls and I LOVE the explanation from sept 2 2009 about the mitocondrial DNA. It explains SO much. My girls look very different. Everyone always asks if they are really identical. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one having this issue!

Oct 08, 2010
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different looks for identical twins
by: Anonymous

My mom has an identical twin sister (aka my aunt). My aunt is older (born 1st) and had a slightly different look in the face. My aunt has alittle bit wider face and her eyes were alittle bit different in shape. My mom's face is more of a thinner oval. That is the only way I could ever tell them apart in baby pictures of them. My aunt, the first born, was also 2 inches shorter. If you look at Dylan and Cole Sprouse (off of Disney Channel) they have the same type of look differences as my mom and her twin. Dylan, the one who was born first, has the same differences as my aunt. I'm not sure if it's like that for all identical twins, but it is definitely an interesting thing.

Sep 22, 2010
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"identical" twin girls.
by: Anonymous

I have two sets of twins one set is 17yrs old the other set is 13yrs old. The 1st set of twins are "identical" they look exactly like in the face and such they look exactly like eachother and they both have red hair. Here is the catch twin A the older one has red hair, blueish greenish eyes and freckles every where. Twin B the younger one has red hair, brown eyes and no freckles. Has this ever happend to anyone else before? Or something Similar?
Now the second set of twins I have are fraternal one with blonde hair blue eyes and one with brown hair blue eyes.

Sep 21, 2010
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ID twin girls here too
by: Anonymous

Mine are 2 1/2 years old. One was 3lbs 15 and the other was 6lbs 8 at birth. They are currently 4 inches apart and 8 lbs. They look very similar, but obviously easy to tell apart because of the size difference. I'm not worried, but it is funny that people think they are about 9 months apart. What do you think? I'm crazy! lol
Also, the bigger one has very curly hair and the smaller one ha wavy hair and it's lighter in color. But they both have a light brown birthmark on their thigh (just like me). So that's pretty cool. I just figure they are both healthy so it doesn't matter. FYI, we did have them tested, even after the docs said they were identical. Same result, identical. :)

Jul 10, 2010
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identical non-identical twins?
by: Ellen

I just had twins 3 weeks ago and though their features are similar,they have different skin tone and different head shapes, and one has a narrower face. Twin A was born a pound lighter than Twin B, but when he reached his brother's weight, I thought he would look like his brother more, but he doesn't. Anyway, in a weird way, I am relieved that they don't look alike - though maybe they'll look more alike later - but I hope their physical differences stay different.

Jun 24, 2010
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Intresting
by: jennie boyd

I was very intrigued when reading the comment on here, I have identical twin girls who are 12 years old, yet they are complete opposites in personalities however they have the same features. I have always thought they looked different and could never understand why people would get them mixed up however looking back at photos you notice the similarities in the girls.

There at an age now where they can cut their hair and dress how they want. For those that know them they look completely different however to an untrained eye they are still mixed up even by school teachers who teach them in different classes.

My daughters school use a thumb print to identify them for school lunches, the machine has mixed up the girls on several occasions and is confused which twin is which to the point the girls now have to enter a pin number rather than be identified by DNA thumb prints. There are 7 sets of twins in there year, 4 of which are identical! They all experience the same issues!!!

As far as hereditary comments go my mum is an identical twin and my grandma had 3 sets of twins, my mums twin sisters daughter also has identical twin girls so I am quite confident that family history as a part to play in this. I was 20 when I had my girls and therefore it’s not linked to older mums to be.

I think though we are all blessed to have twins even though it doesn’t always feel that way and been a twin is special and even they still draw attention to them because they look the same!

Jun 15, 2010
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...
by: Anonymous

Well, take it like moles, they are developed after birth, they aren't determined by genes, that's where the differences between the identical are born, they may have the same genes, but genes are indeed expressed differently, for one reason or another, I knew a pair of twins, in a French class with me at the time, I could always tell them apart, because one had notably lighter hair, however, my french teacher never actually picked up on it.

Jun 15, 2010
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Apr 29, 2010
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Not quite identical
by: Anonymous

My 2 year old girl twins were monoamniotic, so we know they were identical. We even have a pic with their cords twisted together, which couldn't have been possible if they weren't identical. However, they do not look entirely alike. Strangers know they are identical. But once people get to know them, they can easily tell the difference. To start, there is a two pound size difference because one twin (who was actually born weighing the most) had some difficulties early in life. There was only a 3 oz difference at first. There is also a differnce in the shapes of their heads. To me, this is the dead giveaway. Their is also a difference in their hair texture and slight difference in their complexion that people don't really notice. Their facial features are very similar, though.

Feb 13, 2010
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Not so...
by: Anonymous

" Identical twins are caused through hereditary, the splitting of an egg is considered a "birth defect"."

This is not true. I am always amazed at the common misconceptions about identical twinning. It is not hereditary. They are still unsure why it happens. Fraternal twins are familial and run in families and have a strong hereditary component. Identical twinning does not, it is considered a "fluke" and a chance happening.

Jan 14, 2010
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Mother's of identical twins
by: Anonymous

I am a 26 year old female identical twin. I had to comment on your thread for a few reasons:
1.) It is completely normal for identical twins to have different characterists. My sister and I from birth had different weights, eye shape, and color. Even though twins have the same DNA it is not identical. One twin may have the more dominant DNA than the other. Even now, my twin and i look even more different from one another. For example, I was the first born weighing over a pound more. Today I am ironically the skinnier twin, that is slightly taller. I also have bigger eyes still. As well as slightly darker hair, and a slightly darker complexion.
2.) I have noticed that older women who seek fertility treatment or concieve through invitro, tend to have twins. I think this is due to manipulating genes. The high coincidence of this makes it quite obvious, it is manipulating genes through science.
3.) also, the thought that older women's eggs are more "elastic" is entirely not true. Identical twins are caused through hereditary, the splitting of an egg is considered a "birth defect". I as a twin would say it is a miracle instead. My mother was extremely young when i was concieved, and gave birth to my sister and I at 19! Identical twins run on the maternal side of my family. My great grandmother was an identical twin as well. It truly has nothing to do with age of the woman. It is a direct effect of fertility treatment OR it is a hereditary gene in your family.

Jan 10, 2010
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twins
by: claire

totally opposite to your topic, i have non identical twins who are almost identical looking, they both have blonde hair and blue eyes, they both have the same problem with their teeth on the exact same side not coming down properly. they are almost identical to their older brother who is exactly 3yrs & 7months older. ithink mine might be ientical but i was never actually told they had their own placentas. they were born at 37wks and were 5lb 10oz and 4lb 8oz

Dec 29, 2009
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Why do my 4 week old identical twins look so different?
by: CLAY

I TOO HAVE ID TWINS WHICH LOOK DIFFERENT, WE ALL SHOULD. TO US ( BEING THE PARENTS) WE CAN TELL THEM APART BECAUSE WE KNOW EVERY LITTLE DETAIL ABOUT THE BABY, TO EVERYONE ELSE (UNLESS UNDER HEAVY SCRUTINY) THEY LOOK JUST ALIKE. I RAISED THIS ISSUE WITH SOME OF MY FRIENDS, I ASK, "DO THEY LOOK JUST ALIKE TO YOU" AND THEY GET MAD THINKING I'M BEING SARCASTIC AND SAY YES, OR WHAT DO YOU THINK. SEEING THEM AS DIFFERENT IS A GOOD THING FOR THE PARENTS, WATCH TV AND YOU'LL SE A MOTHER WITH TWINS CAN CALL OUT EACH ONE'S NAME WITH NO PROBLEM.IT'S GOD'S WAY , HE'S LETTING YU KNOW SINCE YOU'RE PARENTS

Dec 23, 2009
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ID twin girls that look different!!
by: Anonymous

My twin girlss shared a placenta with the membrane between them.. We were told they have to be identical. They have the same blood type and both have blue eyes which my husband, myself and our other two children are brown.. and different blood types.. yet the girls do not look alike!!!!! They have similarities, but do not look identical at all!!! Should i have them tested or just continue to assume they are different looking identical twins???

Sep 24, 2009
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look different
by: Anonymous

i have a pair of identical twin boys who is 12 months old now..They don't look so alike..T1 has big eyes & T2 has smaller eyes..i am puzzle....

Sep 16, 2009
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ID twins not ID
by: Lis

I'm so relieved to read your stories!!! I have 9 week old identical girls that could not look any more different from each other. People look at me strangely when I tell them my girls are identical. I had been told that because I had only one egg fertilised with one sperm implanted through ART, and to share a placenta, they had to be! Best wishes, everyone!

Sep 14, 2009
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id twins
by: steff

I recently had ID twins. But they do not look alike at all. One was born with a cleft lip and is chubby and has a rounder face with a darker complection. Twin B was and still is smaller with less hair and did not have they cleft lip. He is fairer and eyes are different.

Sep 02, 2009
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ID
by: Anonymous

My ID's don't look exactly the same either. I asked the same question on a forum and someone found this info:

How Identical Twins Happen

Identical (or monozygotic) twins happen when a fertilized egg splits into two separate babies - usually within the first twelve days of Mom's pregnancy. After twelve days, the egg may not split entirely and result in conjoined twins. Some people theorize that the later in the pregnancy the egg splits (between days 8 and 12), the more likely the twins will have similar characteristics since they had the additional time to lay "identical" genetic groundwork.

As far as scientist can determine, there is no reason why the egg splits - it's a spontaneous and random occurrence. One theory is the egg ovulated by maternally mature women (Moms over 35) is not as flexible as it is in younger moms. When a fertilized egg begins its natural division process in creating a baby, the egg actual 'breaks' (or splits) into two instead of dividing.

Identical twins have almost identical brain wave patterns. They also can share very similar physical characteristics; for instance, if one twin's tooth doesn't grow in, his or her identical twin will most likely miss the tooth as well. Mirror twins are identical twins with mirror characteristics - one may have a dimple on the left side, and the other a dimple on the right.

How Identical Twins are Not Identical

There are two main factors that cause identical twins not to be truly identical:

Identical twins share the same DNA - but do not have identical DNA. When the egg splits into two halves to form identical twins, the DNA may not divide equally between the two cells. The basic concept is similar to when you cut an apple in half, the two halves may not look the same.

I don't want to get to complicated with the explanation, but DNA differences of identical twins revolve around the mitochondrial DNA (DNA that is not located in the nucleus of a cell).

Mitochondrial is DNA passed on to the child by Mom. A fertilized egg will have Mom's mitochondrial DNA, half of Mom's nuclear DNA, and half of Dad's nuclear DNA. When the fertilized egg splits into two, the twins will each have identical nuclear DNA, but not EXACTLY identical mitochondrial DNA. Physical differences in identical twins are contributed, in part, to how much and how similar the mitochondrial DNA each twin inherited from Mom expresses itself

Sep 02, 2009
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Identical Twins
by: Anonymous

I too have 8 month old identical twins. They too share the placenta, they look entirely different. One looks like her father and one resembles me. Don't know how it is possible.

Jul 31, 2009
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non-identical identical twins
by: Anonymous

I also had identical twin girls that do not look anything alike. One is smaller with blue eyes, blond hair, with a fair skin complexion. The other is larger with brown eyes, tight curly dark brown hair with an olive complexion. The doctor assured me that they were indeed identical.

Jun 21, 2009
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Identical?
by: Anonymous

Yes same here - one placenta. My identical girls are 15 mos. old now and look extremely different from each other. One has blue eyes, the other hazel. The shape of their eyes and their face is totally different too. I recently read about a "fused placenta" that can make fraternal twins look like identical. I guess the only sure way to know is to get the DNA testing done.

Jun 08, 2009
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if they shared the same plaecenta they are ID
by: niandy

i have ID twins that suffered from TTTS.so they had about a 3lb wieght diff. at birth.baby (a) is light skinned has thin curly hair and looks just like thier father.and baby (b) has brown skin,has course hair and looks like me.i was so skeptical that i recently had a blood test & they are indeed ID!!

May 02, 2009
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Identical twins look different
by: Anonymous

I also so have identical twin girls (one placenta) who do not look alike. They are now 6 months old and still do not look identical. I have read that the term identical is misleading. Hoping for a better explanation.

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