It has recently come to my attention in turning 20 that I should invest in looking 20. Evidence of my aging is emerging in wrinkles and freckles. A dermatologist has already recommended me a retinol and my 23-year-old cousin is lamenting preventative Botox. In a society obsessed with youth and beauty, how are women allowed to age?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Societal Disdain for Aging Women<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s hard not to dread aging when most media that Americans consume ignores and abandons older women (Hanssen 2012; Hofmeier 2016). Actresses over 40 struggle to find work as their beauty is seen to have expired (Guo, 2016). Even then, most married couples on screen include age gaps, with women in their 20s paired with men in their 40s and older (Wilson, 2015). For the past 90 years the average male actor has consistently been 8 years older than the average female actor, and the only time women get more roles is in their 20s (Hanssen, 2012). Intentional or not, these movies are pushing the narrative that only young women can possess beauty and Hollywood success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Aging in society is much harsher for women than for men. Women\u2019s anxiety over the process are often centered on the decline in beauty, health, and fertility the process brings (Barret, 2008). These fears have fueled the cosmetic industry and their efforts to convince women that all they need to prevent wrinkles is a simple cream (Flatt, 2013). This is, of course, an impossible goal, yet one heavily invested in (Grand View Research, 2021). But while the target demographic for these products has historically been middle aged women, the industry is now targeting much younger women (Muise 2010). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Skincare Boom<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Smooth, glassy skin has captivated mainstream media as a symbol of health and youth to an obsessive degree. While natural texture and blemishes have traditionally been hidden by makeup, the recent pandemic has changed things. The widespread use of masks made basic beauty staples such as foundation or lipstick impractical, so while interest in most makeup decreased the demand for skin care products has skyrocketed, especially when it comes to anti-aging (Choi 2022; Shanbhag 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n TikTok deserves a large amount of credit for the growth of skincare in young adults during the pandemic, as hashtags related to skincare and dermatology have garnered 3.9 billion views (Nguyen, 2021). Educational content is being dispersed by unlicensed, unsponsored creators, including influencer Isabelle Lux who promotes mouth taping at night, silicone patches, and training yourself to stop using facial muscles to avoid wrinkling to her (currently) 465.2k followers (https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@isabelle.lux?lang=en<\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Changing Attitudes on Cosmetic Procedures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Young women have been increasingly buying into the anti-aging industry over the past few decades and the market is predicted to continue growing (Mili 2016). But while older generations viewed creams and moisturizers as sufficient to combat aging, the younger generation has turned to more invasive medical procedures (Muise 2010). Botox for example, saw a 459% increase from 2000 to 2020 (American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2020). <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong>Dermatology has long been a lucrative medical field, but there\u2019s a growing split between its medical and cosmetic components. Studies have found the wait times for cosmetic dermatologists are significantly lower than for urgent medical dermatologists, implying that it\u2019s easier to get Botox than to get melanoma testing (Yadav 2016). People are so invested in the need to look younger that it\u2019s having real consequences in the healthcare setting as cosmetics compete with medical procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As women age and their looks decline, they can face real consequences in finding romantic relationships or even jobs (Nuemark, 2017). Appearance is capital in the workforce and as appearances decline with age, discrimination increases (Jyrkinen, 2012). \u201cSuccessful aging\u201d is important for women to maintain their value in the workforce and society, and it only serves to benefit the corporations selling these products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Even with the new culture wave of female empowerment, aging poorly is still viewed as a sort of moral failure (Flatt, 2013). Older women generally find acceptance with the process even with feelings of invisibility and irrelevance from society, as caring for physical health surpasses the need to maintain physical appearance (Hofmeier 2016). Aging is still treated like disease instead of the natural process it is, and with an older, affluent population the demand for medical and cosmetic fixes for aging will only increase (Ebrahim, 2002).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Works Cited<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 2020. \u201cPlastic Surgery Statistics Report.<\/em>\u201dhttps:\/\/www.plasticsurgery.org\/documents\/News\/Statistics\/2020\/plastic-surgery-statistics-full-report-2020.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Barret, Anne E. and Robbins, Cheryl. 2008. \u201cThe Multiple Sources of Women\u2019s Aging Anxiety and Their Relationship with Psychological Distress.\u201d\u00a0Journal of Aging and Health.<\/em>\u00a020(1):32-65. Retrieved March 31, 2023.\u00a0https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0898264307309932<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Buchanan, Kyle. May 26, 2015. \u201cLeading Men Age, But Their Love Interests Don\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0Slate.<\/em>\u00a0Retrieved May 3, 2023.\u00a0https:\/\/slate.com\/culture\/2015\/05\/leading-men-age-but-their-love-interest-don-t.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Choi, Yeong-Hyeon, Seong Eun Kim, and Kyu-Hye Lee. 2022. \u201cChanges in consumers\u2019 awareness and interest in cosmetic products during the pandemic.\u201d International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research.<\/em> <\/em>Fash Text<\/em> 9<\/strong>, 1. <\/em>Retrieved April 10, 2023. https:\/\/fashionandtextiles.springeropen.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s40691-021-00271-8<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Depillis, Lydia. October 26, 2015. \u201cWhy Age Discrimination is Worse for Women.\u201d Washington Post. <\/em>Retrieved March 31, 2023. https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/wonk\/wp\/2015\/10\/26\/why-age-discrimination-is-worse-for-women\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ebrahim, Shah. 2002.\u201cThe medicalisation of old age.\u201d BMJ<\/em>. 324(7342):861-3. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC1122816\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0Flatt MA, Settersten RA Jr, Ponsaran R, Fishman JR. 2013 \u201cAre “anti-aging medicine” and “successful aging” two sides of the same coin? Views of anti-aging practitioners.\u201d\u00a0J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci.<\/em>\u00a068(6):944-55.\u00a0<\/em>Retrieved May 3, 2023.\u00a0https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3805285\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Guo, Jeff. September 19, 2016. \u201cWhy the age 40 is so important in Hollywood.\u201d\u00a0Washington Post.\u00a0<\/em>Retrieved May 10, 2023.https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/wonk\/wp\/2016\/09\/19\/these-charts-reveal-how-bad-the-film-industrys-sexism-is\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hofmeier SM, Runfola CD, Sala M, Gagne DA, Brownley KA, Bulik CM. 2016\u201cBody image, aging, and identity in women over 50: The Gender and Body Image (GABI) study.\u201d J Women Aging<\/em>. <\/strong>29(1):3-14. Retrieved May 6, 2023.https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5215963\/<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jones, Trina. 2013. \u201cThe Significance of Skin Color In Asian and Asian-American Communities: Initial Reflections.\u201d UC Irvine Law Review. <\/em>Vol 3:1105-23. Retrieved April 10, 2023. https:\/\/www.law.uci.edu\/lawreview\/vol3\/no4\/Jones.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jyrkinen, Marjut, and Linda McKie. “Gender, age and ageism: experiences of women managers in Finland and Scotland.” Work, employment and society<\/em> 26.1 (2012): 61- 77. https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0950017011426313<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mili, Lakhimai and Viktor Anand Kumar. 2016. \u201cSemiotic Analysis of Anti-Aging Product Advertisement.\u201d Notions: A Peer Reviewed Journal of English Literature. <\/em>Notions Vol. 7 No2. 2. Retrieved May 6, 2023.https:\/\/anubooks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/N-2-2016-3.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Muise, Amy and Desmarais, Serge. 2010. \u201cWomen\u2019s perceptions and Use of \u2018Anti-Aging\u2019 Products.\u201d Sex Roles: A Journal of Research.<\/em> <\/strong>Vol:63, 126\u2013137 <\/em>Retrieved March 31, 2023.https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11199-010-9791-5#Sec20<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nguyen M, Youssef R, Kwon A, Chen R, Park JH. 2021 \u201cDermatology on TikTok: Analysis of content and creators.\u201d International Journal of Women\u2019s Dermatology.<\/em> 7(4):488-489. <\/em>Retrieved May 3, 2023. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8484946\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nuemark, David, Ian Burn, and Patrick Button. 2017. \u201cIs It Harder For Older Workers To Find Jobs? New And Improved Evidence from a Field Experiment.\u201d National bureau of Economic Research. <\/em> Retrieved March 31, 2023. https:\/\/www.nber.org\/system\/files\/working_papers\/w21669\/w21669.pdf<\/a>\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n Schiffer, Jessica. April 8, 2021. \u201cHow Barely-There Botox Became the Norm.\u201d The New York Times. <\/em>Retrieved April 10, 2023. https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/04\/08\/style\/self-care-how-barely-there-botox-became-the-norm.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Shanbhag, Shreya, Akshatha Nayak, Reema Narayan, and Usha Yogendra Nayak. 2019. \u201cAnti-aging and Sunscreens: Paradigm Shift in Cosmetics.\u201dAdvanced Pharmaceutical Bulletin.<\/em> 9(3):348-359. <\/em>Retrieved April 10, 2023. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6773941\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilson, Chris. October 6, 2015. \u201cThis Chart Shows Hollywood\u2019s Glaring Gender Gap.\u201d Time Magazine.<\/em>Retrieved May 3, 2023. https:\/\/time.com\/4062700\/hollywood-gender-gap\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n It has recently come to my attention in turning 20 that I should invest in looking 20. Evidence of my aging is emerging in wrinkles and freckles. A dermatologist has already recommended me a retinol and my 23-year-old cousin is lamenting preventative Botox. In a society obsessed with youth and beauty, how are women allowed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":187,"featured_media":4714,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[184],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2022"],"yoast_head":"\n\u201cAnti-Aging Products Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Facial Cream & Lotion, Eye Cream & Lotion), By Distribution Channel (Hypermarket & Supermarket, Specialty Store), And Segment Forecasts, 2021 \u2013 2028\u201d\u00a02021.\u00a0Grand View Research.\u00a0<\/em>Retrieved May 10, 2023.\u00a0https:\/\/www.grandviewresearch.com\/industry-analysis\/anti-aging-products-market<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Hanssen, Andrew F. and Robert K. Fleck . 2012. \u201cPersistence and Change in Age-Specific Gender Gaps: Hollywood Actors from the Silent Era Onward\u201d\u00a0Social Science Research Network.\u00a0<\/em>Retrieved May 6, 2023.\u00a0https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2169573<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Yadav, Geeta et al. 2016. \u201cA Cross-Sectional Survey of Population-Wide Wait Times for Patients Seeking Medical vs. Cosmetic Dermatologic Care\u201d PLOS One.<\/em> 11(9):e0162767. <\/em>Retrieved April 30, 2023.https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5025036\/<\/a><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"