"Everyone wants to grow old but no one wants to look old."
We live in a world where ageism is prevalent, aging is feared and ANTI-AGING is a very profitable business, especially amongst women. Flip through a magazine or watch television and be bombarded with strategic marketing ads highlighting the inadequacies of growing old.
There is an ugly side of the beauty industry that has created shame and contempt towards aging with terms like:
'anti-aging', 'fighting aging', 'reverse aging', 'age defying', 'age renewal', 'youth preserving', 'ever young', 'ageless' and 'timeless'
to sell beauty product.
Beauty is defined in terms of the amount of wrinkles in your skin or the grey in your hair. The less, the better.
'She looks good for her age' or 'She has really let herself go' leads women to feel devalued and resort to invasive treatments, all in the name of youth. Of course everyone wants to look and feel good, but we shouldn't let the the beauty industry or societal messaging about women and aging determine what that means for us.
This isn't about judgement. If you want it, go for it, but remember that aging is a battle that you'll never win and that for many women, aging is a super power.
As women age, they experience a deeper kind of beauty. A beauty that works from the inside out. It radiates happiness and confidence from within drawing others in. It is a beauty that is focused on experiences, relationships and memories. It's a beauty that looks beyond oneself to experience all the beauty that life has to offer. Embrace it, don't fight it.