To be shocked women still try to stop aging?

I am from such a culture. No one in my family has had anything done, so yeah, much easier to resist. My 80 year old mum looks great in my eyes, just as she is

I'm sure you do too ☺️

I went to buy some new glasses, I would have liked to have browsed in peace but a man and women ,staff members, wanted to assist.

They were both trying to get me to try some multi coloured glasses, so the arms were red and the main part blue for example.

They repeatedly told me ‘they will make you look younger’ like they had discovered the fountain of youth was wearing Timmy Mallets cast offs.

In the end, I asked them why I had to look younger? Honestly, they both acted like I had said something embarrassing and almost subversive.

I agree that women are still expected to constantly be trying to perform being younger. Bizarre and a waste of time

For me the sadness lies not in the fact that people use methods to try and look younger but that society tells us younger is better.

Some cultures value, older women with far more respect than we do in the West. I don't know if they have the same pressures?

Quite odd that you first ask why women have stuff done, and then call them special snowflake for not getting anything done.
Anyway I am 53 and will never be tweaking my face. Happy as I am.

If you can tell they've had it done its a bad job.
I can guarantee there's women out there who have expert work done and you wouldnt know.

Nobody forces us to buy anything. 🙄

We do it because WE think younger looks better, so WE wear make up to hide what our face really looks like. We get surgery so we can appear to look younger than we really are. We wear padded bras to make our boobs look bigger because WE think it looks better. We wear fake eyelashes because WE think it looks better. We get chemicals injected into our face and lips because WE think the results of makes us look more attractive.

WE do it. Nobody forces us to do it. We don't do it for the men. Men don't force us, and contrary to the Mumsnet Massive hive mind, most men think it looks awful and would prefer us without all the added crap.

We just think that youth is better, which it is. Who wants to be old and wrinkly?

But ageing is inevitable, still doesnt stop us trying to put it off for as long as we can.

I think it’s an important topic. We aren’t talking about a bit of lipstick. We are talking about some women feeling pressurised to inject stuff into their faces and lips to look ‘good’.

I am relieved that my kids and their friends (early 20s) have not fallen victim to start this stuff early. They are busy with university, hobbies, grad jobs etc and do not emulate this look at all. The opposite in fact; they dislike the Love Island look. But my daughter (21) said when she is 50, will everyone be having botox and will there be anyone left ageing normally here? It’s a valid question.

I do not think having procedures to your face to look younger is the way to go. Whilst the OP is goady, I think the rise of cosmetic procedures needs to be discussed. It’s not about ‘slagging off women’. Not for me anyway.

On there reverse, the young women with a face full of fillers and those dead spider eyelashes always look 20 years older!

I came of age in the 90's and having a puffy face was not desirable... but now, it seems, looking kind of plump to the point of hangover-bloat is sexy!

When will we all look back at paying money to inject literal toxin into our faces to stop us looking our age and be horrified.

Never! I'm that special kind of snowflake that resists that shit 🤷🏾‍♀️.

Yes exactly. My husband is going to get a hair transplant when his hair reaches a certain point. Why not, if we can comfortably afford it?

I am not a special snowflake. But I don’t have procedures because I think I look pretty good aged 52😏 I don’t need them!

I read on here once that there are two choices. To look older or to look weird. I am inclined to agree.

It's because a) we are living much longer b) women want to stay in the workforce for longer c) culture has continued to become more visual d) it makes money.

One of my dear friends has had botox for work. She is a smart woman at director level for mid-sized businesses, with decades of experience, but as she pointed out "there are no middle-aged women in my industry, only young people and middle aged men". I don't judge her for it, but I feel sad for her that this is still the expectation.

My aunt died in her early 50s of cancer. Before she died she said to me that growing old was a privilege.

I think about this a lot. Every grey. Every line. I just think this is a privilege that loads of people don’t get to experience.

Or, how about, it has nothing to do with feminism and just wanting to look your best in a way that suits you and not some random uppity on Mumsnet?

i get my hair bleached, is that ok with you?

I’m not sure allllll this progress has been made, or at least maintained, we’re going backwards recently at a rate of knots.

Also, it’s all very well to expect women to withhold the onslaught of a patriarchal society but they still live within it. For example, I’d love to think that I’m brave keeping hair uncoloured and ‘embracing’ my grey but if I had to go to a job interview in my 50s? Then I have a better chance in many cases by dying it. Yes, it’s shit, but it’s not my failing.

I would say that how we dress and how we speak has a far bigger impact on how we are treated @SomewhatAnnoyed

May I ask how old you are?

I’d like to know the answer to the question I asked about HRT.

I am older.but want to "gild the liliy"as my Nan used to say for as long as possible. The vast majority of women feel the same .how many natural blondes are there. I thank L'Oréal very much for their night creams and hair colours! Mum used to say night cream was good from around 25 on .unless you are Karen Brady with half a mil or so for plastics. Every woman from cleaner's to "CEO deserves to look and feel her best9

Is it only the anti aging procedures you have an issue with. Do you have an issue with things like:

• teeth straightening
• acne control and treatment
• attempting to have the perfect figure (whatever that is at the moment)
• hair cuts
• makeup
• moisturizers and such like

I think to done extent we all do something to improve our appearance. I have a friend who spends nothing on hair, makeup and suchlike but spends a fortune on her teeth.

I know someone who didn't used to spend much time on their looks but now as they are retired spend a lot of time and probably money on hair and beauticians. I see it as maybe her trying to look after herself after years of working hard.

I use makeup and skincare (SPF) but I rarely go to hairdressers.

To some extent I think we all succumb to social pressure to look a certain way but I guess some go to more lengths to achieve a certain look.

Those things aren't mutually exclusive but none of them will make you look 'younger'.

Oh look…another day another thread slagging off women for making their own choices.

I mean this one is special because you’re damned if you do, and you’re a special snowflake if you don’t, but still.

Why are we doing this to each other on here, continually? What a damn waste of our collective time and brains.

I don’t think in my circle a majority of women are doing fillers and the like.