Does fighting the signs of ageing actually have any objective benefits?

[tinsatape]

Given the popularity of things like Botox and filler along with other anti-ageing products and procedures do you think there is a significant advantage or benefit to being in your 40's and 50's and not having the typical lines, volume loss, sagging, crows feet that one might expect of a woman that age?

So for example if two women are both 47, go for the same job, have the same qualifications, experience and so on but one has a smooth, line free face will that give her an advantage over the other woman who has some signs of her age on her face?

What about in dating? If woman is 50, single and dating if she has no lines under her eyes on her forehead, round her mouth, or crows feet does that give her an advantage in dating, will men be more likely to be attracted to her or want to see her again because she has nice skin?

I am not necessarily talking about looking younger because that is about more then your skin and most people look their approximately age even if they have youthful skin. I am just more trying to work out if doing what you can to prevent or reverse the visible signs of ageing on your skin and face has any objective benefit or if it is more just a personal endeavour where you feel more confident?

Doesn’t the job depend whether you’re a model or are being hired for your research?

Well I suppose I just meant a non modelling job so one where your looks are not part of the issue but in this scenario one woman has less signs of aging that the other, that is the only significant difference in them. I know this is an unlikely scenario but I am just trying to see if people think it does make any difference.

I wonder whether it actually helps your health in any way For example does keeping your skin soft mean it stays stronger too?

I'm not sure, but according to the economist an obese woman gains as much in her career from losing weight as gaining a masters degree, so misogyny is alive and well in that area!

www.economist.com/films/2023/06/02/can-being-thinner-make-women-richer

Yes.

There is research out there that shows that men are more likely to be hired the taller and more attractive they are. The same is true for women (only not the height).

Well I did read this a while back, so there maybe some truth to what you say.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2366093-the-radical-new-theory-that-wrinkles-actually-cause-ageing/

I think it makes a difference yes. Ageism is rife and it's naive not to acknowledge that.

" Pretty privilege" also exists. Attractive bias is an unconscious and people who are conventionally attractive are at great advantage

That is quite something!

Well yes. It's called pretty privilege. All else being equal people recruit the better looking person. All else being equal people date the better looking person. That doesn't necessarily equate with the amount of Botox you have had though.

I think so. I definitely think there is a "pretty advantage"

It's an unconscious bias towards attractive people and I believe youthfulness plays a part

I don’t think you can separate out the two things though. For some people being wrinkle free increases confidence. The increase in confidence empowers them in their careers etc.

@Neverpostagain So are you saying you think having less wrinkles equates to being prettier? I am not saying I disagree with you but it is a bit sad that it's like that. I like old faces and find beauty in them but then I do what I can to stop mine looking old!

In the society we will in youth is valued so I would guess that yes, retaining an appearance that better represents youthfulness and therefore attractiveness, will deliver objective benefits.

This is generalisation of course bc there will be people who don’t give a shit about lines and wrinkles and will hire purely on merit and there will be men (and women) who are attracted to character and grey hair wouldn’t put them off a person.

Wrongly or rightly, generally youthfulness is associated with attractiveness and “pretty privilege” is a real thing so by the extension of that, it’d be a fair assumption that a person who (successfully) masks the signs of aging will have a privilege over those who don’t?

🤣🤣🤣

the naivety

And yet this is something that is never addressed in unconscious bias courses.

Well not necessarily, but yes in general I think evidence suggests that youth is absolutely tied into ideas of beauty for most observers.

I think it depends on the amount of work.
I think it could have a negative effect with a very plastic or over done/surgical looking face. Compared to a naturally aged one.

There is research into people being given preferential treatment such as jobs, served first etc based on attractiveness. And in the study I am thinking of the measures of conventional, agreed upon attractiveness were off the top of my head: full lips, smooth, clear skin, shiny hair, symmetrical face, big eyes, white teeth, and blush on the cheeks (which are usually indicators of youth).

From a human psychology point of view humans are drawn to attractiveness, and it gives people an advantage. However I'm not sure these treatments always make the person look younger. I had Botox on my forehead and I lost the animation and enthusiasm in my face and felt unable to communicate in the way I do normally, it made me self conscious and the impact was I was a less able communicator. Plus people with lip filler tend to constantly fiddle and mess with their lips I've noticed too, so I'm not sure that self confidence people are seeking from these tweakments always carries through.

I think being slim and reasonably attractive is an advantage. Not so sure about Botox etc- depends perhaps on your industry. Likewise there are certain ways of looking “done” that would be advantageous in my industry and others that would be disadvantageous. Being model-gorgeous would largely be a disadvantage and the women I work with who look like that deliberately obscure it at work.

Saying that, I had cosmetic work done to my teeth (Composite bonding and whitening) due to a chipped front tooth from being pulled over by a dog in childhood) and lost about 3 stone it has made a massive difference to my self confidence and I'm certain it's helped my career which has rocketed in the last year. I'm 45 though, so aging hasn't impacted on that. Interesting thread OP.

It might depend a bit on the role. Being very doled up looking can lead to people assuming you’re not as clever or not as serious…it shouldn’t, of course, but I’ve seen it in action.

Interesting post OP.
I get my highlights done before interviews, to hide the grey!

Well I am not sure things like Botox or filler make us look younger or better either but there popularity lies in the promise that they will and so I am interested in people's motivation for doing things like i.e. if having less lines or sagging for example gives us an advantage. I can well see how too much work or bad work may have the opposite effect!

Back in the 90s, 19 year old me got a job as a garage parts delivery person. The manager out and out told me at the interview that they would always hire the best looking girl out of the applicants. The reason being that if garages had a choice of say 5 companies to buy parts from, each of them offering the same parts at very similar prices, which one will they go for? The one with the fittest girl who they can have a bit of a flirt with to brighten up their day. I doubt if these days anyone would be quite so explicitly honest in admitting this kind of rationale, but I’m sure it still applies to a lot of situations.

@IhateSPSS Like you I am on one hand kind of intellectually critical of all this and question it but I still wear my spf, use tretinoin and all that stuff and I think it does make me more confident.