I’m twenty-three and I started recently. I’m making good progress (at least I like to think so!), so go for it! Best of luck to you.
Please. if your thumbs hurt, then back off and/or change your grip. It’s possible to play with the bottom hand thumb not even touching the chanter!
Otherwise you could end up with RSI at worst, or at best, bad habits 
Well, it can happen if you know what you want.
I started highland piping in my early teens, (thanks to Eric Rigler, I had no idea that the poor bearded piper in the firelit background was entirely diconnected from the notes or instrument that were being produced!) but I abandoned them after an intense year, for more -appealing- things like guitars.
I started whistle at 18, got my first set of pipes 7 months later.
If you are asking if you can ever be “good” starting so late in your developmental curve, then you must want to be, if not just good, the very best.
At 23 now, I find myself struggling more with the very basic finger motions, struggling to find rythm, make the melody smooth, clean, true, (especially when practicing stacatto chanterwork with the regs) than all the fancy boopities, cranninnities, burbles and necceccities. Those are all easy enough, but finding the truth inside the tune is just -damn- hard. Finding Grace is near impossible. So Far.
So my biggest piece of advice is to listen, because, what are you going to work on if you dont know what you want to sound like, and how will you know the difference?
My second piece, and most important piece, is to do it slowly, with a metronome.
You can make all the magic on earth happen if you methodically Identify and deconstruct your physical motions, work to eliminate them as factors. They need to just happen, and they need to happen tension-free. Absolutely relaxed.
That coupled with an all consuming need, and you might start to get somewhere.
And I dont believe that technique can be discarded conveniently under the idea that making music can be done without good technique. Without good technique it becomes “head music” where the musician sacrafices the reality of intonation, timing, and melody, and starts to hear music that isnt there. -I’m guilty-.
Key of D,
It is never too late to learn anything. I started the pipes earlier this year and I am 41. I have been playing guitar for 30 plus years, but was always intrigued by the pipes. The important thing is that you enjoy what you do. I do not compare myself with David Power, Seamus Ennis, Liam O’Flynn or other great pipers as you will always come up short. To be able to play any air, jig, reel or hornpipe is enough to keep me going. There are so few UP players that you will always be unique. Guitar is easy compared to this. As long as you are one who likes a challenge, and does not get discouraged easily, you will be able to play the pipes well enough. At your age, perhaps very, very well if you practice and practice some more. But remember it is all about enjoyment, not being the “best”. Keep this in mind and you will always be happy with whatever you do. Best of luck!
Well,
That’s what I figure. I know I would enjoy playing them. I’ve always been intrigued by bagpipes. What first caught my attention at a young age, was the highland pipes. Hearing certain tunes on them send chills down me. And that’s what made me want to learn. I originally wanted to learn the highland’s, but then I got into playing Irish music, and discovered the Uilleann pipes, and was also very intrigued by them. I figure, since I’m not in a pipe band, and that I play more Irish tunes then Scottish marching tunes, I should go with the UP’s. They’re more versatile anyways. More complex yes, but nothing’s perfect in life. I know I’d enjoy playing them and learning them, even all I could play was the two Braveheart songs… 
(By the way, I wonder what must have went through all those highland and uilleann pipers when they saw that guy standing there by the fire playing HP’s, when what was sounding was UP’s… haha)
Anyways, I’m gonna go ahead and learn the UP’s as best as I can, and as soon as I can. Maybe later on in life, give the Highland pipes a try. I’ve always loved Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace on them. 
One thing at a time though eh? Thanks guys.
-Eric