Society is obsessed with age. It’s the new hot topic as our demographic changes. Life expectancy is growing by 5 hours a day and a third of people born today can expect to live to 100. The average age in Britain is now over 40.
However at ease with our age we pretend to be, don’t we love it when we pass for younger. We purr when a barista says: ‘And one for your sister,’ passing coffee to our daughter. Who hasn’t taken a kid to uni, hoping a teeny bit to be taken for a school leaver? It always makes me smile: the mothers dressed in Converses and ripped jeans, trying to blend in with the freshers.
And it’s not just women trying to hold back the years. President Emmanuel Macron has totted up £24 000 on make up and hair styling in 3 months, paid for from his grateful subjects’ taxes. At 39 he might benefit from the odd crow’s foot to add gravitas.
A new mood is taking over: less anti-aging and more looking one’s best. Less ‘let’s pretend we’re 21’ and more acceptance of advancing years. Less mutton dressed as lamb, more mutton out and proud. After all, age should be venerated. Who would go to The British Museum if it was full of brand new stuff?
Whatever your age, you should celebrate. You’ve survived the self doubt of youth, perhaps a difficult childhood, bullying or a dysfunctional family. You’ve supported others, fought your demons, carried on when the going got tough. You’ve smiled at strangers who became friends, hooted with laughter and cried buckets. You’ve squinted in photos wearing fashion disasters and spent too long in the sun with that glass in your hand. You’ve had plenty of oops moments, Send to All horrors and ‘Did I really say that to my boss?!’ memories. So crack open your favourite tipple and celebrate your age. You’re worth it!
Age refusniks are coming clean about their age and deciding to look the best they can, rather than the youngest, talking about Retinol, Botox and fillers rather than coyly changing the subject. They want to look the best version of themselves and are honest, irreverent and positive.
Honesty is one of the most sought after qualities in ones plastic surgeon. At your consultation you want straight talking with kindness, expert skill tempered with realistic expectations and no hard sell. For this reason, consultations are never free because a clinic offering free consultations has invested in you and will be under pressure to convert these to surgeries. Instead, you can come along for advice with no pressure to undergo any procedure at all. You can come back to discuss any treatment further, at no extra cost.
You won’t come out looking like a Barbie doll, just the very best version of you.
Patience Wellbeing, Plastic Surgery Blogger