10 Reasons "Anti-Aging" Is A Toxic Concept & 10 Strategies For Embracing It Instead
10 Reasons "Anti-Aging" Is A Toxic Concept & 10 Strategies For Embracing It Instead
Age Gracefully Or Deny, Deny, Deny?
In a world saturated with promises of eternal youth, the relentless pursuit of "anti-aging" has become more than just a beauty trend, but a societal expectation. Youth is equated to beauty and value, while any visible sign of aging is treated like a disease. However, aging is a natural part of life. Everyone goes through it, so why not embrace it? After all, there are many positive aspects of the passing of time, including wisdom, perspective, self-assuredness, and intelligence. Here are 10 reasons the "anti-aging" obsession is toxic and 10 strategies for embracing healthy aging instead.
1. Aging Is Inevitable
Aging is a natural part of life. Spending your energies in avoidance of it is living your life in denial. It's time to shift your mindset away from fighting it to accepting the inevitability and being proactive about your health.
2. Treatments Are Unnatural & Expensive
Anti-aging treatments like Botox cost upwards of $1,000 a session. These treatments do nothing for your health and are purely aesthetic. What's more, many people who try these treatments regret it, saying it makes their face look unnatural or not their own.
3. It Perpetuates A Fear Of Aging
The concept of "anti-aging" perpetuates a fear of the inevitable. The skincare industry thrives off of this fear, pushing the idea that age is something to be fought against as opposed to a natural stage of life.
4. Products Are Literally Toxic For Your Skin
Anti-aging products which many people spend a fortune on are either ineffective or downright toxic for your skin, disrupting your skin's natural balance and leading to long-term issues. They contain harsh active ingredients that can be irritating and compromise the skin barrier.
5. Aging Is Not A Disease
The anti-aging industry pathologizes a universal, natural part of life. The term itself implies that aging is something that requires treatment.
6. It Reinforces Ageism
"Anti-aging" marginalizes older adults and ties negative emotions to age. It reinforces the idea that older people are less valuable, less pretty, and less capable, contributing to discrimination.
7. It Erodes Self-Worth
Society tends to assign value to youth, making you feel worthless or inadequate as soon as you spot visible signs of aging on your face and body. This can lead to excessive self-monitoring and disordered habits rooted in the fear of being less valuable or desirable.
8. The Emphasis Is On Appearance Over Health
As opposed to emphasizing healthy aging, the anti-aging industry is focused on running away from it. This encourages people to become preoccupied with the superficial side of aging instead of being proactive about their health.
9. It Exploits Insecurity
The anti-aging industry is a $60 billion industry in the US. It rakes in so much wealth by perpetuating negativity around aging and preying on insecurities.
10. It Dismisses The Value Of Aging
Aging isn't all negative. Each year brings more wisdom, self-assuredness, resilience, and growth. The concept of anti-aging tends to dismiss all this and focus on aging as a death sentence.
Now that we've talked about the problematic nature of the concept of anti-aging, let's go over some strategies to help you embrace it and age gracefully.
1. Stay Physically Active
One of the best ways to empower yourself is to hit the gym, trail, field, or wherever it is you like to get active. It'll help you stay physically strong, and look, and feel your best.
2. Nourish Your Body
Eating right is important throughout your whole life, but it becomes even more crucial as your years advance. Having a protein-rich, nutrient-dense diet helps stave off osteoporosis, maintain strong muscles, and promote brain health.
3. Maintain Social Connections
Having a laugh with your friends not only takes you away from all that toxic aging nonsense, but it promotes well-being and longevity as well. People who socialize more have a reduced risk of depression and anxiety, and what's more, it stimulates the brain and enhances cognition.
4. Focus On Gratitude
Instead of focusing on what you're losing, focus on what you have. A daily gratitude practice has proven benefits for your physical and mental health including better sleep, more energy, and improved self-esteem.
Nashua Volquez-Young on Pexels
5. Set Boundaries
Set boundaries with yourself when it comes to toxic messaging. This can include unfollowing social media accounts or flagging ads that reinforce age-shaming or idolizing youth.
6. Stay Curious
Continuous learning stimulates your brain, makes life more fun, and keeps your heart open. Staying curious and culturally engaged also opens doors to new experiences and fuels personal growth while preventing you from feeling as though you've been left in the dust by new technology or new norms.
7. Redefine Beauty Standards
Mainstream media tends to equate youth and beauty, but age has a beauty in itself. Wrinkles are character marks that signify a life well lived, while your poise and grace often become more refined and captivating with age. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you are no longer beautiful just because you are no longer young.
8. Make Peace With Mortality
For literally every human and indeed every living being on the planet, each day is one day closer to death. Aging is feared because death is feared. Actively working on making peace with the inevitable whether it's through reading, therapy, or spirituality, will help you approach aging more healthily.
9. Live With Purpose
Devoting your time to a cause you believe in is one of the most powerful ways to embrace age because it shifts your focus away from what you're losing and toward what you're still building. With the added perspective of age, you have more clarity on what matters to you, and you can spend your energy fulfilling a purpose instead of obsessing over your appearance.
10. Plan & Prepare For The Future
Healthy aging is about controlling what you can, meaning forming healthy habits, taking good care of yourself, and getting regular check-ups. This proactive approach will help you stay on top of your health and take preventative measures when necessary.
