To return to aging at a holistic level, we are forced to ask is aging ugly? Most of us probably don’t think so. We can look into the wrinkles of our parents or older loved ones and see tremendous beauty in their smile lines and features. The question of ugliness, or maybe more specifically unattractiveness and undesirability is a complicated one and full examination probably requires thinking in part about the role of evolution and the biological imperative, but at least anecdotally, most of my patient’s don’t want to necessarily look younger, they want to grow old gracefully.
Here it may be worth diving a little deeper. Grace is a reflection of being unburdened and to be unburdened typically we have to have resources or wealth. Put another way, it may be that rejuvenation is often less about beauty or youth and more about class. Through this lens, the sequelae of rejuvenative treatments may be better thought of as class indicators. From this perspective, it then sometimes makes sense why someone would prefer to look “done” then either younger or more attractive as it satisfies a specific function. This thereby creates a third aesthetic all to its own.
Finally we come to the question, should we do anything about aging? This, of course, is a personal question but despite the perhaps overly-critical social lens above, my personal opinion is not so rigid. I think that grace is something we can all understand wanting a little more of in our lives. And if a patient is at a point where ridding themselves of a reminder of a burden is achievable and a priority, then I think that is a decision most of us can empathize with choosing.
