Sep 29, 2011

Aging Schmaging



Thank you, NY Times

A doctor I go to for the most basic of facials tells me I am looking old.  He says age is quickly catching up on me and with a quick botox fix on my forehead, fillers under my eyes and a collagen shot on my upper lip,  I should look better.  I will try not to begrudge him.  He has a trained eye to spot imperfections and to point them out.  It is his job after all.  He also tells me that beauty is now down to a calculated science.  That the distance between your eyes to your nose and something about the size of one's mouth (it is easy to lose your comprehension skills after being told you look ancient) can now determine the  perfect face. Calculated beauty,  I guess. I personally think it's a whole crock of  crap but I don't have the heart to tell him.  Ooh wait... if he reads this,  I just did.  Whooops. 

He doesn't need to tell me I am growing old.  I already know it.  Every couple of weeks,  grey hairs pop in to say hello  reminding me that they need to be hidden again in a camouflage of brown.  Those granny panties I used to laugh about are slowly looking like the perfect fallback plan to tuck in that stubborn flab that no workout on the treadmill or barre class can seem to fix. It is hard not to notice when the make-up artist I've been going to for over a decade seems to be dabbing way more concealer under my eyes than I remember him ever using.   While I used to do everything possible to tame my full head of wavy hair, I just brought home a pack of rollers.  My hair is suddenly limp and lacks bounce.  A sure sign it is growing old along with me too.  

I want to tell  the doctor that,  as crazy as it sounds,  the sight of those wrinkles is a sign of personal victory.  That, though it's such a pain in the ass they've arrived when I'm not even forty, I secretly rejoice at the sight of grey hair.  When you secretly suspect at 26 you aren't going to live past 30,  seeing a face slowly losing signs of youth isn't a bad thing altogether. They say each wrinkle is a battle scar for every trial we've faced. The lines on our face are stripes earned for the sacrifices we've made. Amen to that and that.   Yes, the sudden sprouting of cellulite on your thighs is annoying and so are those new fine lines at the corner of my eyes.  But at the end of the day  - some of which involves being stuck  under  the sun with absolutely no sunblock because the boys decided on an impromptu football game at the park  - reverse aging and a flawless complexion just isn't top of my list.  I can go on and on about beauty being more than skin deep but we've all heard that before.  Not to say either that I'm not getting suckered to keep applying that eye contour balm at night or that  Bobbi Brown's peach corrector isn't  a godsend.  

Age is catching up on me.  I'm leaving youth behind.  But I can totally live with that.  


With that, I'm off in a few hours.  Balm, sunblock, moisturizer, night cream.  Check.  



11 comments:

Unknown said...

The nerve!!!

Unknown said...

Seriously, Nana? I guess he wanted to sell you that Botox shot. Pwede ba?

I usually bemoan the fact that I now have to dye my roots every month, but like you said, there is so much more each grey hair represents in our lives.

Here's to aging with grace and serenity. (I going to need to remind myself of that.)

Nana said...

Haha. Rone, da resbak!

Agree Mieke and cheers to aging! But as your blog (that I miss!) reminded us - we don't have to be "LOSYANG" in the process.

P.S. Can someone help translate losyang? I can't seem to find the perfect translation. I know dear Cely from Switzerland will be wondering soon enough.

Nona said...

Nana dear, you are aging gracefully... more than the beauty points (which you have excuse me lang ha, doc!!!) what's important is you are gaining Wisdom and Grace.

BTW, I was told such things when I was in my early 30's by an aging woman who had just undergone a slew of medical enhancement procedures herself. She said I should go to her doctor and have my eyes lifted, cheeks whatever, plus this and that, etc. etc.... I forget the details because I was tuning out (like you) after being told a litany of my facial flaws. What do I call such people? SHALLOW. That's all.

Unknown said...

Losyang can be translated into "old hag" or "old witch." Figuratively, it can be used to describe a person who is unkempt and untidy in their appearance.

Even if I don't write that blog anymore, "Don't be losyang" will always be my motto.

ChichaJo said...

You bought curlers??!! Madre mia...wow. Ok, in all this that is the thing that jumped out at me the most, haha!

But yes, the nerve! When Dr's and people in general start going in that direction all I wish for is a ctrl+alt+del for real time conversations! Ugh. I have been caught in conversations like this...a good cocktail comes in handy.

I have always thought age is something to be proud of. Each year we gain is like a giant point on our side in life's scoreboard. It should be up in lights, like in American football, celebrated not hidden :)

Ana said...

Well said! I cringe when people go on and on about artificial beauty. I have more important things to worry about and to spend time and money on.

Cely said...

Oh my! I'm quite shocked and can't believe what I'm reading! How can a doctor say things like that to his patient? I personally see a dermatologist once a year for a full-body check to prevent skin cancer and I swear I will punch him in the nose if one day he dares to tell me I look old!

Nana, my dear, you are gorgeous! The most beautiful woman I've ever seen and even if I didn't know you when you were 20, I know that you are this kind of woman who gets even more beautiful with age. I kid you not. Furthermore, I'm sure I look older than you, hahaha!
See, I'll turn 31 in December and Emma already found a grey hair on my head the other day! A part of me is still in denial : She had a paint brush in her hand so I still hope she was kidding and using my head as a painting surface, hahaha

More seriously, I always thought that getting old is a blessing from God so yes, I can totally live with wrinkles, grey hair and all, too!

Anyway, thank you so much for you concern about "losyang", my dear. I'm touched ♥
And thank you Mieke for the translation! I can add a new word to my vocabulary now :-)

marga said...

Nana, I think you're very beautiful! And I think you're one of those who will age well.

Barni said...

Losyang...dowdy? Frumpy? None of which you are and most certainly not in need of botox. He sounds like he was hard selling you. Don't trust him.

Wrinkles, lines, and scars are stories. This post makes me think of this adorable song by Beautiful South called Prettiest Eyes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR9LYrCR_4I

Nana said...

Jo: Yes. Curlers! Imagine that?!

Thanks Cely, Marga & Barni. I want the new generation to know it is perfectly natural to age and look it. Especially the young girls. There is so much pressure to defy the aging process these days.

Will check out that song now!