Madonna and Cher in a study about ageing

Women over 35 worry more about losing their looks as they grow older than having future financial security, a study showed today.

Half the women surveyed said they felt “dissatisfied” with how they look for their age while one in seven worried more about their beauty as they aged, rather than their bank balance.

While society regards older men as “distinguished”, according to the survey by anti-ageing expert RoC, women felt the pressure to look and feel young.

Despite the findings, British women still value their years of wisdom and experience over their looks.

Less than one-third of women, or 31%, aged over 35 would want to go back 10 years and do it all again to retain their youthful appearance, although nearly 60% would be happy to stay the age they are now without wrinkles.

Resorting to elective cosmetic surgery was not the answer for 88%, who said they would not chose to go under the knife to look less worn.

Only 7% looked at cosmetic surgery to keep them looking young and 36% preferred to use skincare products.

Madonna’s surgery-free approach to beauty was preferable for 31% of women and while more than 21% were “in awe” of Cher’s cosmetic surgery, they would not take such action themselves.

Only 5% of those surveyed approved of Kim Cattrall‘s Sex and the City character Samantha’s face peel and botox approach to looking good.

While women worry about their looks, only 12% would give up a current pleasure such as smoking, drinking or sunbathing in order to look younger.

One in 10 said the love of a younger man might do the trick and would take up a toy boy to feel younger.

Christine Webber, psychotherapist and life-coach, said: “Although most females hope to live to a ripe old age, they want to look great while they’re doing so or they won’t feel confident mentally.

There are huge demands on women socially and in the work place to stay youthful and it can be an enormous pressure to live up to society’s expectations”.

She added: “The solution can be drastic measures such as cosmetic surgery, but many realise that an operation may leave you looking like someone else, rather than simply ten years younger”.

Regionally, Welsh women were the most fearful about looking haggard with nearly one in five, or 17%, citing this as their main concern in old age.

In East Anglia and Wales, 16% of women would rather seek out a toy boy than visit the surgeon?s table.

Northerners and Londoners were the most confident about their looks with 58% believing they looked younger than their age.

Only 7% of Scottish women would consider giving up smoking, drinking or sunbathing compared to 20% in London.

One in 10 women admitted they looked older than their age in the east Midlands. But women in the same region were the only ones more worried about their careers than their looks with 21% citing career and 14% looks as their main concern.

Some 29% of women in the south west preferred Cher’s surgical approach to anti ageing compared with 15% preferring Madonna’s more natural ageing process.

Half of women surveyed in London were “happy” with how they looked for their age, and 12%, or one in eight, would give up a habit like smoking, drinking or sunbathing to improve their looks.

The research was carried out by ACCESS, the Omnibus Division at BMRB International, in January 2004 with a sample of 759 UK women aged 35 and over.

Article by Lesley Richardson
Source: The Scotsman