Cosmetic surgury to look younger?

[Spartana]

I know alot of people get cosmetic surgury to correct certain things they don't like about themselves but would you get it JUST to look younger? If you liked everything about yourself but were noticing the signs of (gentle) aging - say a bit of bagginess or wrinkling around the eyes, chin or mouth - would you invest the money to get rid of that? And if so, how far would you go? A bit of botox here and there or a a full face lift? I've always been a person who liked the natural look best - no make up, hair just as it is, etc... - but now that I'm getting older I'm noticing that the "natural look" ain't as nice as it use to be :-)!. I still look fairly youthful from a distance (like from a galaxy far far away :-)!) because of my physique and hair but am starting to notice those first few signs of aging. So are you a person who would have some sort of cosmetic surgury or continue on with your "natural look" as you aged?

[julia]

It's a no from me. You know how when you paint the walls, the doors suddenly seem really yellowy instead of white when they seemed perfectly ok before? I reckon that if you start on one thing you might then notice the next thing more than you would have done otherwise. I'm 47, so I'm also becoming aware of the signs of aging. I've just read a book called 'The Warmth of the Heart Prevents Your Body from Rusting' - very realistic but still comforting.

[Alan]

I like to think that I continue to improve with age, and much prefer the look of the current me to my younger self. So no, I wouldn't do it.

[catherine]

Good question! Funny thing is, I think I look younger in the mirror than I do in photographs. So I'll fix myself up for the day and think, OK, not that bad, but then I'll see a picture of myself and think "Wow, do I look THAT old??"

My general philosophy has always been to just be au naturale... my only justification at this point, just hovering on the younger side of 60, would be to "buy" maybe 5-10 years to extend my working life because I have so much darned debt. I know it sounds stupid, but if you're a man, you're an experienced businessman, but if you're a woman, you're over the hill in the workplace. I have fought really hard to avoid being "Glenda'd" (I had a friend Glenda who was dismissed for "downsizing" reasons--but my own personal feeling was that they felt she wasn't on par with the younger market researchers.) I can't be Glenda'd in the same way because I work for myself now, but sometimes I think my personal philosophy on aging, and my need to work until I'm 70 are at cross purposes.

If I WERE to do something to make myself look younger, it would be something like a mini-lift and Botox on my forehead. I don't have bags under my eyes, but the lower half of my face seems to be a little droopy. Plus, I'd probably get my teeth whitened, because I think teeth are an instant give away.

As part of my job in market research, I sometimes interview patients. I used to do tons of market research with consumers of osteoporosis medications, so they were all women 55-70. My clients and I would always analyze them (not for professional reasons--just out of fun) to see what makes people look younger (we had their ages as part of the data), and after this very unscientific market research, we decided it's about having a trim body, modern hair style, and if you wear glasses, they should be "hip" glasses. Thank God--you don't need to go under the knife for any of those things!

[Sissy]

I would have my eyes done in a heartbeat. People think I am sad, angry, sleepy or ill when actually Im not. I would be able to see better, also and that would be great!


sherry

[Spartana]

I like to think that I continue to improve with age, and much prefer the look of the current me to my younger self. So no, I wouldn't do it.

Ah yes, but guys DO get better the older and craggier you get with age. Think an older Clint Eastwood - just as ruggedly handsome in old age as in his youth. Well, ALMOST :-)!

[Spartana]

I used to do tons of market research with consumers of osteoporosis medications, so they were all women 55-70. My clients and I would always analyze them (not for professional reasons--just out of fun) to see what makes people look younger (we had their ages as part of the data), and after this very unscientific market research, we decided it's about having a trim body, modern hair style, and if you wear glasses, they should be "hip" glasses. Thank God--you don't need to go under the knife for any of those things!

I think this is what got me started on this whole thing. Yesterday I saw a woman from behind with a ROCKIN' body. Very fit with a tiny pair of hip hugger shorts and a jog bra. Nice youthful haircut and color. I thought she was 20ish. When I passed her I was looking into the VERY withered VERY baggy VERY wrinkled face of a 70 plus year old woman - maybe even older. I was so shocked at the difference between her face and body (and how she looked so youthful from afar compared to close up) that I started thinking about my own (gently :-)) aging face. My first though SHOULD have been - "wow, look at how awsome she is" but instead it was a admittedly very shallow thought was that she needed a face lift. I hated that I thought that but it was the first thing that popped into my head. And while I can take care of my body in a natural way (although I'm sure things will shift around as I age - and not in a good way :-)), not much I can do about the face or skin. And while I do think it's shallow of me to want to look more youthful as I age, I guess I don't want someone passing me and their first though being "Wow, she needs a facelift"! Especially when I've always held to the "be yourself" motto all my life. Damn, vanity sucks :-)! My sister, who is 50, is also going thru this now. All thru her 40's she looked 20-something - even getting carded occasionally. But once she hit 50 no one seemed to be shocked by her age. Does something happen when we hit 50? Seems to be the magic age of aging!

[catherine]

Damn, vanity sucks :-)! My sister, who is 50, is also going thru this now. All thru her 40's she looked 20-something - even getting carded occasionally. But once she hit 50 no one seemed to be shocked by her age. Does something happen when we hit 50? Seems to be the magic age of aging!

Here's my very favorite article on THAT topic.

"Valerie Monroe was used to being seen—and appreciated. Until she reached an age when the glances stopped. Then what? An invisible woman begins her search for a new identity."


Read more: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-D...#ixzz1TWmFDCl3

ETA: My personal thought on that is it probably has a lot more to do with evolution and biology than we think--in other words, pheromones that may disappear around menopause. Just a theory.

[pinkytoe]

The thing is wouldn't pretending that you're not aging by having surgery be sort of an endless project? I am not loving the aging process but I am slowly convincing myself that being young, trim and gorgeous is a season. I have had my opportunity to be young. I would love to go back but I can't so I am going to spend my later years working on other stuff. I figure as long as I look healthy, no matter my age, then tI'm OK with leaving things alone. And another thing...being done with monthly periods is worth every wrinkle.

[julia]

Regarding suddenly looking older, with me I think it was the double bereavement of losing my mother and brother within seven months that did it for me. Whereas a year ago people would gasp in surprise that I had a 22 year old son (I was 46), now people never, ever do that (I'm a language teacher so meet new people on a daily basis and exchange family-type information as part of the teaching). I don't feel I've changed that much, but I must have. I'm not sure I care too much, but it's yet another reason why bereavement sucks.