Face It

Our baby boomer generation has received such mixed messages about the importance of beauty.

Growing up, we all expect to get married. Generations ago, your family’s wealth determined whether or not you were marriageable—think Jane Austen novels. But in our childhood, the currency was looks. The prettiest girls got the best guys. Once you’d found your mate and had your children, though, your looks were more or less irrelevant. True, women might mourn the loss of their youthful beauty and the power it gave them. They might faithfully and optimistically use makeup and moisturizers—and some of the more daring might even have colored their hair—but there wasn’t much in their arsenal. What’s more, aging—and looking as if you had aged—was a fact of life. There certainly wasn’t any shame connected with it…….

Then the women’s movement ushered in a wealth of new options. We were told that our worth derived not from being Mrs. Someone, but from using our intellect and our drive to make something of ourselves. Beauty wouldn’t determine our prospects. In fact, we were told to downplay our looks. To “dress for success” was to wear a man-tailored suit

Yet today, things have shifted once more. Successful women are expected to have the knowledge and wisdom that comes largely from experience, which requires aging…but you’re not supposed to look old. A magazines that celebrates and supports successful women over 40 features in its pages only women who look younger than they are. So we’re back to square one: Losing your beauty diminishes your power. Experience is good, but showing the signs of experience is bad. And, the implicit message is, you have to use all the tools available (including surgery) to erase those signs.

What’s a woman to do? How did we get on this ride, and how do we get off? Let us know your thoughts. –Dr. Vivian and Dr. Jill