Holding Back Time or Just Holding On?
Fifty years ago, being a 50 year old woman, meant you were counted as an old person.
Fast forward to today, and 50 is the new 30! For the sake of this topic and because I am a mid age female, living this truth, I will discuss the woman's point of view. Sorry guys, you are going to have to find yourself somewhere in my writing.
Aging is not a choice! Everyday if I look in the mirror I could find a new wrinkle, new line, new sag, new white hair, new jelly wobble, new reason to hate getting older. It's good I don't look in the mirror very often! How you age is a choice.
Outward appearances will change, it's a fact. Until the fountain of youth is discovered, as you get over a certain decade your body becomes unrecognizable. You wake up one day and think "who is this person staring back at me?" On the inside I feel like I am still 25! My spirit feels young and beautiful.
The beauty industry in the last 20 years has metamorphosed from enhancing your looks with a few touches of make up or creams, to a multi billion dollar mega business. Growing up, you bought your beauty products from the drugstore with a limited amount on the shelves. Ponds cold cream comes to mind, and Nivea cream for all uses, face and otherwise. I do not remember my mother or her friends ever discussing how to stop or delay time when it came to their beauty! The expected culture was you will age gracefully, as in Audrey Hepburn and Rita Hayworth.
As I thought about writing this blog, and where I stand on the subject, I was curious to how the world has become a place were everything is "new and improved". Humanity is constantly chasing the new best thing, in all aspects of ones life. Whatever happened to being content with health and peace of mind? Why do we want to look younger, prettier, perfect?
I live in a city that has a mall in every neighborhood, and every mall has a specialized store that sells only beauty products. The marketing and advertising in these shops is all about holding back time! Anti-aging, ant-wrinkle, regenerate, renew, ageless, enhancing!
I never go into these stores! I know, a 40 something woman, that refuses to buy into this hype? A 40 something woman, in 2017, that is not holding back time? In all honesty, I feel overwhelmed entering into a place that will reflect my lack of agelessness. I am not sleeping beauty, I am not going to live for four decades and look like I have lived two. Truth be told, I am proud of my years on earth. I am proud of my life well lived, being reflected in my face. I am proud I come from a genetic pool that ages well. My father is an octogenarian and looks like he is a sexagenarian, and my 50 something brother has less white hair then me!! The question you want to ask now I am sure, do I use any product that makes me timeless? I have to admit, the one thing I am religious about is an SPF product at the start of my day! I live in the desert, we have 365 days of sun!
Looking at the statistics of plastic surgery, since 2000. Over all, procedures have increased 115%! The most popular is breast augmentation and facial procedures (face lifts etc.) Non invasive procedures such as Botox and Fillers have increased 759% and 257% respectively! 90% of all plastic surgery procedures performed are on women! For me, those are phenomenal numbers! Why the increase? What the hell happened since 2000? It's only been 17 years!
One explanation is the increase in social media portals which allow us all to look into other people's personal life. Another could be the founding of YouTube which gave us all those tutorials on how to improve anything in our life. Yet one more explanation, could be the explosion of reality TV! Not the Candid Camera type of reality TV, but the programs that follow people's day to day lives!
Who am I to say, the why of this new trend? I live in a mini Hollywood, women have the comfort and the disposable income to keep with the latest facial procedure, the hottest trend in skin care, the brand new restorative method. Does that mean that the city is full of young looking females? Or that the aging process has been stopped in its tracks here? Not that I can conclude.
My city is full of elegantly dressed women, well groomed and made up. They care about the image they reflect to the outside world, and it shows. They dress in the latest high fashion from the world's best designers. They are a sight to see! It keeps us all on our toes, to follow fashion, to tidy up and be a better version of ourselves. What I sadly see, is these beautifully made up females, are topped by a molded visage, that looks nothing like a natural face would. Usually, a frozen unlined look that reminds me of a plastic doll. Barbie usually comes to mind. As my teenager often comments "mom, here is another plastic fantastic person". Let's not go further down the human body and mention what else looks like Barbie incarnate!
Anti-aging as I understand it, is to delay or stop the aging process. Our bodies are made of cells, that are strong and can regenerate when we are young, as we get older our cell quality diminishes and eventually dies. So can we really retard or freeze aging through a product or a procedure?
Here is what I have learned: Aging is inevitable, embrace it. If you are not getting older, you are dead! Holding back time and holding onto your youth is a myth. Anti-aging products and procedures cannot do what it states on the tin! They can possibly make you look like a different version of yourself. I am not a scientist, but to look better, I would have to believe that it goes from the inside out. Eat a clean healthy diet, hydrate your body and skin, avoid the sun, smoking, substance abuse, laugh with those you love, diminish stress in your life, and pray that you come from a tribe of people with good skin!
I live in a city that has a mall in every neighborhood, and every mall has a specialized store that sells only beauty products. The marketing and advertising in these shops is all about holding back time! Anti-aging, ant-wrinkle, regenerate, renew, ageless, enhancing!
I never go into these stores! I know, a 40 something woman, that refuses to buy into this hype? A 40 something woman, in 2017, that is not holding back time? In all honesty, I feel overwhelmed entering into a place that will reflect my lack of agelessness. I am not sleeping beauty, I am not going to live for four decades and look like I have lived two. Truth be told, I am proud of my years on earth. I am proud of my life well lived, being reflected in my face. I am proud I come from a genetic pool that ages well. My father is an octogenarian and looks like he is a sexagenarian, and my 50 something brother has less white hair then me!! The question you want to ask now I am sure, do I use any product that makes me timeless? I have to admit, the one thing I am religious about is an SPF product at the start of my day! I live in the desert, we have 365 days of sun!
Looking at the statistics of plastic surgery, since 2000. Over all, procedures have increased 115%! The most popular is breast augmentation and facial procedures (face lifts etc.) Non invasive procedures such as Botox and Fillers have increased 759% and 257% respectively! 90% of all plastic surgery procedures performed are on women! For me, those are phenomenal numbers! Why the increase? What the hell happened since 2000? It's only been 17 years!
One explanation is the increase in social media portals which allow us all to look into other people's personal life. Another could be the founding of YouTube which gave us all those tutorials on how to improve anything in our life. Yet one more explanation, could be the explosion of reality TV! Not the Candid Camera type of reality TV, but the programs that follow people's day to day lives!
Who am I to say, the why of this new trend? I live in a mini Hollywood, women have the comfort and the disposable income to keep with the latest facial procedure, the hottest trend in skin care, the brand new restorative method. Does that mean that the city is full of young looking females? Or that the aging process has been stopped in its tracks here? Not that I can conclude.
My city is full of elegantly dressed women, well groomed and made up. They care about the image they reflect to the outside world, and it shows. They dress in the latest high fashion from the world's best designers. They are a sight to see! It keeps us all on our toes, to follow fashion, to tidy up and be a better version of ourselves. What I sadly see, is these beautifully made up females, are topped by a molded visage, that looks nothing like a natural face would. Usually, a frozen unlined look that reminds me of a plastic doll. Barbie usually comes to mind. As my teenager often comments "mom, here is another plastic fantastic person". Let's not go further down the human body and mention what else looks like Barbie incarnate!
Anti-aging as I understand it, is to delay or stop the aging process. Our bodies are made of cells, that are strong and can regenerate when we are young, as we get older our cell quality diminishes and eventually dies. So can we really retard or freeze aging through a product or a procedure?
Here is what I have learned: Aging is inevitable, embrace it. If you are not getting older, you are dead! Holding back time and holding onto your youth is a myth. Anti-aging products and procedures cannot do what it states on the tin! They can possibly make you look like a different version of yourself. I am not a scientist, but to look better, I would have to believe that it goes from the inside out. Eat a clean healthy diet, hydrate your body and skin, avoid the sun, smoking, substance abuse, laugh with those you love, diminish stress in your life, and pray that you come from a tribe of people with good skin!
Comments
Post a Comment