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)

Yup. Spend a lot of time in Italy and it's barely noticeable there.

and I go to the dentist to improve what can be improved.

I can't be anyone else, and I am not trying to be, but I look the best I possibly can.

Trends will come and go, women used to have no eyebrows not long ago, now they define your face, it will change again eventually. As long as we are happy with what we see in the mirror, and on photos taken, who cares what other people think.

They still have their type of person with the fake labels and the pumped lips and the ridiculous eyebrows. It depends where you are.

But it is less. I think women just seem more body confident. I watch older women in Italy on the beach in bikinis while we are hiding under a towel. The tan makes them look better think. But they must just have more body confidence generally.

Was the lip blush painful? I’d love to try it.

I don’t have tattoos but my friends who do said it’s similar. I found it fine, uncomfortable but not painful. Well worth it in my opinion, I really think I look better.

I wouldn't get it done myself, but "mutilating" is a hell of a strong word for the majority of minor cosmetic procedures. Excepting cases in which a procedure goes wrong, I wouldn't call something like getting lip filler or botox an example of "a severe and disfiguring injury" as the word mutilation is defined.

The irony of acknowledging the aging process versus injecting poison in the hope of appearing to defy the aging process on the outside?

Whats this old crone at 50 business. Im 64 and no way have I let myself go.

That’s very different from what OP was doing. If that’s what she was aiming for she missed the mark by a long shot

I feel like a lot of younger women look the same and it’s difficult to tell them apart. The make up is always way overdone and looks very similar person to person. Often either lip fillers or they over-line their lips to make them appear much bigger.

I’m 32 so still technically a ‘young woman’ by your definition and I barely wear make up. Bit of tinted moisturiser, sometimes light lipstick, bit of mascara. Don’t feel like I suit lots of make up, it doesn’t make me look better. I had it done professionally for a special occasion last year and felt like a drag queen even though I’d asked for it to be as natural as possible.

Why would you describe yourself as an old crone? No wonder younger women feel the need to mess with their faces if they think that people like you would class them as an old crone. Horrible description of a woman in their 50s.

You can imagine how those of us who were teased in school for our naturally full lips and darker skin feel, now these attributes are apparently desirable for the general population.

No. The irony lies in stating that a woman in her 30s who decides she want to look younger is different from a woman in her 20s deciding she wants fuller lips, because the second has 'no need'.

I see it as different degrees of vanity ending in insanity….

Wears some make up and gets hair done - looks natural.
Spends a fair bit of time and money on hair, face, nails, gets a few tweaks - looks nice but a bit fake.
Spends a lot of time and money on hair, face, nails, has numerous tweaks - starting to look weird.
Gone too far - looks plastic and pumped up - hard not to stare.
Katie Price

I’m 64. I wore a little makeup for work until I retired six years ago but since then have never worn it except when I had a professional make up for a black tie event, and I didn’t feel it did much for me, I was expecting it to be transformative. The other day someone complimented me on my lipstick shade - I wasn’t wearing any.

With the very best will in the world, almost no matter what you look like after 50, you will become invisible to the world. Old women do not matter and are valueless to society. It's bullshit. But it's how it is.

Your sense of self and value needs to come from within. Because regardless of what you do, the external value lies in youth.

I think doing treatments because you enjoy them, they make you feel good, is a great thing. Seeking external validation is a waste of time. As you age (no matter how well) you won't get it.

'Let yourself go'?

Go where? LOL

Ugh I can't be bothered with the energy of people like you

Attractiveness absolutely matters at all ages

A well kept older person will be treated better than one who looks away with the fairies

You massively over estimate the value of an older woman.

You have peevish vibes, this is your problem not age.

I am 54 and do not feel invisible. It's a fucking relief no longer being a sexual object for men.

I'm fine with ageing. I've lost a lot of people younger than I am now. Ageing is a good thing. I'm in the best and most peaceful part of my life. But that pleasure comes from within.

Not because others think I look good externally.

And if you get peevish vibes from my post you have excellent language analysis. 😂

100%!!!

I don't really believe anyone who claims to be happy about looking bad by the subjective standards of the society they live in. It's awful. People are horrible to ugly or unkempt people and nobody sane would be content with that. It's a depressing feature of our species but we are just apes.

Percentage of women with cosmetic treatments is the highest in UK estimated at 25% but is followed by France at 20-25% and then Italy 18-23%. However, the lowest uptake is Sweden and Northern Europe which to me makes sense in terms of cultural attitudes.

That still leaves 75% of women in the UK that have not had any cosmetic treatments (surgical and non surgical) I think that I must only know women from this 75% as I certainly don't know anybody who has had anything done- young or older. I am totally shocked about the young people the OP references for example as this concept is alien to me.

When I was in continental Europe on holiday I certainly did notice women that had had cosmetic surgery.

Women from the U.S. are 10 times more likely to have cosmetic treatments than UK women according to the stats. Perhaps if you are a UK person heavily influenced by American culture then the uptake of these treatments is more prevalent?