‘Anti-ageing’ – oh how I hate that term! Grrrrr!
When we see the term ‘anti-ageing’ presented to us with great gusto in advertising, on product labels, in magazines, in the media and online, etc, what exactly does it mean?
The definition of ‘anti’ is to be against/opposed/resistant to something. So, why are we told be opposed to getting older which is a totally natural process of growth and self-evolution? Why are we being sold the myth that in order to be a complete, happy and fulfilled human being of value and beauty, we have to look young?
Model Denise O’Neill | Photo: Gert van der Ende
Wrinkles, jowls, laughter lines, baggy eyes, etc, comes to us all as time goes on. We age differently depending on our genes, sun or cold weather exposure, lack of sleep, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, substance abuse, stress and illness. But, we all age – fact. It’s normal.
We receive the anti-ageing message in all sorts of facial beauty products: day creams, night creams, under-eye creams, eyelid creams, neck restoring formulas, neck and jowl creams, lip plumpers, etc. Every area of the face has a cream! There are many cosmetic treatments available too to eliminate and prevent ageing happening to us: face/neck lift, brow lift, eye bag removal, fillers, Botox injections, micro dermabrasion, laser treatment, chemical peel and lip plumping . The booming beauty and cosmetic procedures industries are making mega bucks from people falling for their promises that life will be wonderful if they were to look 10 years younger.
Our ageing faces tell a story – our story. Our faces display communication and emotion. When we fill the lines and wrinkles and tighten up the sagging skin, we take away that facial communication. Faces become puffed, frozen, expressionless and alien-like. That special factor unique to each one of us, known as character, disappears.
The beauty industry has been very successful in getting its anti-ageing message out with clever marketing and it is very worrying to see that younger people are having preventative ‘work’ done. I wish the industry would sell beauty products using a ‘positive ageing’ message, marketing products which showcase the natural and ageing beauty that is in our faces. We still care about how we look and we want to showcase that with the products we buy.
What we really need is a revolution that says ageing is positive and a change of mind-set to celebrate the joy of getting older, showing that our inner beauty shines through our faces.
Let’s see more images of real people, with real wrinkles, jowls and laughter lines.
Let the characteristics which we have developed show that we have lived, that we are wiser, and that life is good to the very end.
Read more at Denise’s Grey Is Ok blog HERE
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