In the world of aesthetics, anti-aging is what every single skincare company and device brand market to. They market to a demographic of women who have been programmed to think that fine lines and wrinkles are a problem to be erased, or that their value decreases as their age becomes more visible.
Wanting to appear more youthful and radiant is not the concern, it's the motive behind it. This fear-based beauty rhetoric has got to stop. Addressing visible signs of aging is not only normal, but wise. Visible signs of aging are usually caused by something very easy to address within the skin, so staying on top of it makes perfect sense.
I've stopped using the term "anti-aging" in my skincare practice long ago. I may use it in harmony with a company that already uses it; but pertaining to my treatments or skincare products, I've trained my clients to use the term "age management".
Age management refers to the sophisticated and intelligent approach to governing the aging process with empowerment, not helplessness. Using products that support the structures of the skin, supporting the cellular functions of the skin, giving your body what it needs to produce ideal quality of collagen, supporting your body internally and externally as it experiences hormonal fluctuations. That's age management, a calm and considered approach to skincare. Not the urgency the internet would like you to feel.
Growing up, my great-aunt babysat me. She and her friends were the most fun, sophisticated women I knew. They all belonged to fabulous social clubs, organizations, and recreational groups. They were busy, popular, and brilliant. Growing older to me never seemed like a bad thing. In fact, it was something I looked forward to, because these women seemed to have it all figured out. Being a woman was celebrated. Getting older was celebrated. I couldn't understand, when I entered the world of beauty, why women were so insecure within themselves. I couldn't understand why they couldn't see their own beauty. That there were young girls looking up to them, that admired them simply for who they were, not because of how they looked.
I recognize not everyone had the same experience as me growing up, and I also recognize the privilege it was to grow up with such excellent role models. But, I have a duty also. As a trusted advisor to many, I make it a goal to gently remind the women that step foot into my studio that this is a safe space from the urgent, predatory nature of the beauty industry. Here you are free to live fully in your brilliance, just for being who you are.
And by the way, if you choose to get procedures done or utilize injectables, there's no judgment here.
This message is just to remind you to never lose your brilliance chasing the unattainable ceiling set by the beauty industry.