Anti-Aging: A Billion Dollar Business

Beauty 4 10 anti-aging

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No matter how bad the economy, people will shell out the money to look younger. It seems more and more people (both women and men) are looking for the fountain of youth. Yes, they’ve been doing this for ages and ages. It just seems that it’s more prevalent then ever.

Whether it’s creams, gels, serums, or magic potions, to more in depth and costly fillers, injections, and surgeries, we spend billions of dollars a year trying to reverse the aging process. I’m not saying that I haven’t thought about having a little done here and there… or that I haven’t spent my share on products promising to lessen or remove fine lines and wrinkles, but I can be honest and say that I wish I could be happy with the way I look.

I’m guilty of buying into what society (or TV and magazines) tells me I should look like. And quite frankly, I’m tired of it. Don’t get me wrong… there is nothing wrong with wanting to look your best. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be healthy. But there is something wrong with thinking that women have to be unrealistically skinny. Or being sixty, but having a wrinkle-free flawless face — that only plastic surgery can give.

On Facebook yesterday, Erin Ryan shared an article from The Daily Beast by Ashley Judd, that put this in perspective far better than I ever could. I agree 100% with Ashley Judd. You should check it out, it’s a great read. And thank you Erin for bringing it to my attention.

I repeat what I said on Erin’s timeline… I want to be judged for what is in my heart and my head, not by my physical appearance. And the fact that women are the biggest judges against other women saddens me deeply. We women need to support and lift each other up. Not tear each other down. Women will make comments about a women saying she needs plastic surgery. And if a women does have plastic surgery, then women will knock her down for having it.

We can’t win. Seriously, like my mother always says, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

It’s no wonder that the anti-aging business is a billion dollar a year industry. Check out the infographic below to see what and how much we’re spending our money on:

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