Face It

A fellow I know pointed out a line in a Bruce Springsteen song that he thought captured the issues we discuss in Face It. “You’ll be fine long as your pretty face holds out. Then it’s gonna get pretty cold out.” It was interesting that it was a guy who pointed the lyric out to me. It made me think how often this message is embedded in popular culture –in songs, fiction, media. I’ve copied the lyrics  below and wondered if anyone had noticed those particular lines before. The man who sent it to me reminded me that this is not just an issue for women, but for men as well, especially men in the entertainment business. and that although Springsteen seemed to be writing about a woman in this song, he could have been thinking about himself. “They’ll use you up and spit you out,” another line in “You’ll Be Coming Down” could reflect the sentiment of aging musicians, male or female. Dealing with “coming down,” and an aging appearance strikes us all; celebs, musicians and everyday people.

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This poem was emailed to me by a fellow named Mike, who asked that men have an opportunity to share their views about aging on our blog as well. The poem is by Rod McKuen. I thought both men and women might like it. Dr. Vivian

Age is Better

I have been young,
a fresh faced sprout,
with agile legs, a muscled arm and smile
to charm the world I went through
in a rush to get a little older, sooner.
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Seventy two year old actress, Jane Fonda, wrote on her blog after her last round of plastic surgery, “I got tired of not looking like how I feel”. She went on to admit, “I wish I’d been brave enough not to do anything.” Just a couple of years ago, Fonda had sworn off doing more plastic surgery after having several rounds earlier in her life. But clearly her resolve wore down and, as she calls it, she reentered the race toward appearing younger than she is, full speed ahead. She called it “Jowels Away!” Continue reading »

1. Show Confidence and Pride Inside and Out

Decide one aspect of yourself that you feel is attractive and project it. Feel it on the inside and then show it on the outside. When we were modeling, we knew that models who walked into auditions with an air of confidence tended to get the jobs! It wasn’t about being the prettiest—everyone was. Or about being perfect—no one was. It was about how you carried yourself into the casting room.  Some models were known for their great legs, thick lashes, or long necks and used these assets to feel beautiful. Sometimes only a model’s hands or feet were considered model material. Instead of focusing on features you don’t like…..

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Today we will be adding a new feature to our blog. It’s called “Tips for the Modern Woman.” These include tips that once were useful to us as models that we have found even more so now as our looks are changing. They were designed to help all women feel more confident that beauty emanates from the inside out and if you work the six steps in our book, Face It, we are certain you will find them useful too. Remember, these are not quick fixes. They require internal change. But, unlike short-term beauty tips that instruct women on how not to look old, these can be applied throughout life and are for all women.  –Dr. Vivian

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Something bothers me about the new craze for ‘thicker’ eyelashes and I’m not sure why. Women are now using a drug allergen, originally intended for glaucoma, to increase the thickness of eyelashes, much the way botox is now used to relax wrinkles when it’s original use was for treatment of various medical disorders. ……. Continue reading »

I visited my 93 year old mother-in-law today with my husband today. She lives in an assisted living facility with my 97 year old father in law. We try to see them on weekends whenever possible. It was not any special occasion, but my mother-in-law looked dressed for one. She wore a beautiful cream colored sweater and an elegant pair of pants. Her bright white, curly hair was held back by a head band so that it was easy to see her white pearl earrings. She looked beautiful. I asked her what she thought of when she looked in the mirror when she woke up in the morning and she said ” I can’t see myself that well, but what I see looks happy.” I thought that was a great answer. She sees happiness. –Dr. Vivian