To be upset that young women feel they have to mutilate themselves like this

[LandOfFruitAndNut]

For context ‘young’ in my book is anyone under 35. I am in my 50’s. Very much old crone territory and thankfully no amount of procedures could improve my bog standard appearance. Thankfully as I am over 50 I really couldn’t give a toss.

So - AIBU to think that any level of plastic surgery is unnecessary except for medical reasons and to be particularly upset that young women think they need it?

Young people are beautiful. Full stop. They are young, have fresh skin, bouncy hair and ooze youth. Why does society tell them that making their bottom extra round or their lips extra puffy will improve their lives immeasurably?

Because it is society. I don’t buy the ‘doing it for themselves’ for one minute. If it was just for them they wouldn’t be posting images of the new improved them over the internet usually with the support of some down lighting and a smoothing filter or two.

Is this yet another issue we can lay at the feet of the patriarchy or is the concept of beauty so skewed anyway that I should stop getting so exercised about it and go back to my knitting?(societal stereotype of 50 something woman for dramatic effect. I prefer decoupage)

Neither is lacking a sense of humour! While I agree that using ageist language is not cool if it is used to put people down it bothers me that so many people these days take everything oh so seriously and are offended when no offence was intended. It's very, very, very, tedious.

Can you please not perpetuate language like 'old crone' in 2026? Thanks 🙏

Why not? If the cap fits…..

Im an old hag and im fully embracing my hagdom. The patriarchy with it's impossible, ever-changing beauty standards can fuck right off.

Oh dear me, did you never learn about self-deprecating irony in your English lessons?

The girls are infuenced by other girls as much as the patriarchy.They actively want to look like they do lips/eyebrows etc.

As long as they understand any risks and make informed decisions it's up to them what they choose to do with thier faces/bodies...

The old will never understand the young.Dont try to.

I think you are fixated on some fantasy of youthfulness.

For going back to school last year DD's friend got highlights, acrylic nails, a spray tan, eyelash extensions and her brows waxed and tinted.
They're 11.

WTF!

Yep managed to understand that fine.

What nonsense.

How old are you? My grandmother (who's 90) has had a LOT of plastic surgery to keep looking young. I think her first face lift was when she was 40, so about 50 years ago!

She's not the only one out of her same-age friends, either

How on earth do you work that one out 😆 ?

Horses don't care what you look like, neither do bikes, tennis balls, scrabble boards, rugby teams, artist easels,

I could go on but I hope you've got my point?

Urgh get lost.

Foot binding, corsets, led cream to make you more white, hair bleach, etc etc

nothing new, people always sought to enhance themselves, just that the methods are different now

I don’t get the make-up that goes on like paint. They’re literally painting layer, upon layer on their faces. I’m glad I’m old. (Late 50s and considering a bit of botox.)

Women are a whole lot more than breeding appliances.

Agree, my DS and his friends don’t like it and see it as in indication a girl is probably vain and a bit shallow. He wouldn’t date someone who’d had fillers. I suppose if I’m really honest I feel the same way about it. There are all sorts of different faces out there… apart from the filled ones which all look weirdly a bit similar.

Yep the six song haha of Holbein is all about how at that point white skin high forehead and bleached hair - lead based makeup and urine were used sometimes leeches to drain blood

Victorian times had arsenic and belladonna drops.

Haha… when she said it’s easier to have fun I think she meant get laid.

I've had a lot more fun on a horse 🤣

Well that’s a bunch of horseshit. 😂 We live in an incredible technological age where literally everything is new- for humans and the planet- both good and bad! Quote was written at a time when nothing much had changed for Millenia

But also people continue to be the same and think the same things and have the same emotions. We may have more technologically advanced ways of interacting with the world (ie mumsnet) but the things that pique our interest remain the same throughout the millennia.

Couldn’t have said it better. There are some weirdly wise women on here tonight.