Facing Up to Aging: Mid-Life Women's Attitudes toward Cosmetic Procedures

Abstract

Despite the fact that mid-life and older women are a major consumer group for cosmetic procedures (e.g., botox, face lifts), few studies have been done on their attitudes toward these procedures and their willingness to undergo them. The purpose of the present study was to gather information about the popularity of these procedures among a group of 57 mid-life American women, examine whether some personality and attitudinal measures might predict attitudes toward these procedures, and consider the ramifications of the data for the treatment of women in feminist therapy. About one third (38.5%) of our sample had had one or more cosmetic procedures, and 81% said that they would have a procedure if cost were not an issue. Positive attitudes toward cosmetic surgery and preoccupation with being over-weight best predicted women's interest in cosmetic procedures. The popularity of these procedures is discussed in light of the double standard of aging and age discrimination, weight as a “normative discontent,” and the ubiquity of advertisements for, and normalization of, these procedures in the popular media.

KEYWORDS:

• aging
• body image
• cosmetic surgery
• feminist therapy
• mid-life women

Notes

Note. There were no significant differences on any of the measures (p > 0.05) between women who have had and those who have not had a CP.

Three men, a 30-year-old woman, and four statistical outliers were excluded from the data analysis, which left the N of 57.

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the symposium on Women, Power, & Aging, at Pace University in New York City, September 2010.