And why we should be supporting each other, whatever our choices.
I was surprised earlier this week to receive an email in my inbox entitled ‘disgusted’ because Rejuvage covered both the ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’ (surgery, treatments etc.) sides of beauty in a pro age context. The message was very direct basically stating we could not be ‘pro agers’ if the site content was anything other than an all-natural approach.
‘I assumed you were about positive ageing, yet when I look on your site you are about treatments into looking what society wants us to look – young! Botox, breast lifts, cellulite reduction etc… how can these be celebrating ageing??? Surely this is opposite of ageing naturally and gracefully?
… sorry but you are adding to society’s expectations that you need to be something unnatural to you real self to age … and i find it disgusting.’ – October 2017
This raised an interesting and topical debate which reminds me of the early days of feminism when wearing make up was a hot issue. Many feminists in the early days felt wearing makeup was pandering to society’s stereotypes.
Today we have a similar situation with the pro age revolution. Does being pro age, mean you should reject anything that is not natural and let ageing follow a purely natural course. I have definitely seen a trend for embracing your grey and wrinkles but surely this should be a choice?
74-year-old Lauren Hutton for Vogue Italia.
I am as passionate about being a pro ager as I am about being a feminist and believe the premise is simple for both.
Pro age and feminism, are about equality, that whatever our age, gender, race we should all have rights of free choice and recognition. Everyone should be valued and not invisible because of our age or how we look.
Our experience and getting older brings lots of joys and benefits, as one of the #over50 crowd, we are often more comfortable and contented with who we are now compared to when we were younger. I know I feel a lot calmer and contented. The very cool Sarah Jane Adams captures it so well with #wrinklesarestripes.
So, the fundamental starting point for me as a pro ager is that you are positive about age and embrace the positives of every age. Everyone should be valued and have the right to age well.
If people choose to have treatments and surgery that does not change the fact that they support pro age. Feeling positive and healthy over 50/60/70 is an individual choice, and different approaches suit different people – that is part of being liberated.
57-year-old Shauna aka ‘ChicOver50’ helps women look and feel beautiful with her pro-age makeup line.
The ‘anti-ageing’ mentality
Helen Mirren fronts Allure magazine’s campaign to ditch the term, ‘anti-ageing’.
I understand that having surgery and invasive treatments is wrapped in an ‘anti-ageing’ mentality – with a perception that you only have surgery and change your appearance to look younger and conceal the signs of age. Many would argue surgery is about continuing outdated views of youthful beauty. And yes, we’ve all seen extreme scary cases of surgery transformations, but treatments can also be empowering.
In the new pro age world, we should be free to express ourselves how we want without shaming each other because of the choices we make. There are many that are against invasive treatments because they think they are driven by a need to turn back the clock and conform to society’s cultural pressures. But on the other hand, some women will spend £100s each month on creams and anti-ageing supplements that are wrapped up in marketing hype and false promises. Why is it seen by the natural-only brigade as OK to spend thousands of pounds a year on lotions, potions and pills with the secret hope of looking younger, but on the other hand surgery is unacceptable?
There are so many ways to embrace pro ageing, a healthy active lifestyle filled with nutritional superfoods and positive thoughts seems to me to be the best foundation. The approach you take doesn’t matter, it’s about embracing diversity and individuality without the judgement of others.
I believe being #over50 is a great time for self-expression, often we know ourselves better and have a little more free time to invest in ourselves. It is a time many of my friends have taken up new fitness regimes, starting yoga or weight training for the first time. Oh! and a few have botox and fillers too, which isn’t a bad thing, they’re not obsessed with looking younger, it just makes them feel better about themselves today.
A reunion of the legendary supermodels of the 90s at the Versace runway in September featuring Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni, Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen.
The natural way isn’t the only way
Yes there is still an obsession in the media towards the young, but this is changing, as you can see with the growing Instagram community of over 50s, 60s and 70s supporting each other. It’s so great to see many different tribes of pro agers supporting each other and that is what we should encourage, not express disgust at women who embrace positive ageing in their own way. The natural way is not the only way and whatever our age, we should be free to do what we want with our bodies and style.
It’s hard enough for women over 50 changing attitudes without our own crowd being so negative. Pro agers need to stop being self-righteous, if we want to wear makeup, dye our hair, take pills and potions or have surgery it is up to us.
I hope pro agers embrace diversity and equality for all. It would be a boring world if everyone was a natural yogi, let’s embrace individuality in pro ageing.
By Louise Proddow
Image credits: Vogue Italia, Sara Jane Adams, Instagram
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!
