Since a young age, it has been engraved in the minds of many that this is a question that is not to be asked, as it is often considered a bit rude and may even be offensive. However, this idea preserves a negative connotation of insult, not the question itself. To presume that the question “how old are you?” is a bad-intentioned phrase reconfirms the view surrounding aging, a concept which should be seen as negative and almost shameful. Despite multiple varieties of media endorsing this harmful conception, this idea has been actively present much longer than recent years. However, a simple change in perception can lead societies to believe that to age is not an inevitable curse, but instead a great privilege.
When given the combination of societal expectations and the unrealistic standards of beauty, many people of all ages and genders believe that their aging bodies are simply wrong, despite its natural inevitability. This is very much evident through Botox and fillers, anti-wrinkle treatments, hair dye for gray coverage, and the countless other products and practices attempting to convince individuals that aging is something that should be viewed as unattractive and undesirable—when in reality, that is not the case. In about every stage of life, unnecessary insecurities are pushed onto individuals, causing an increase in their consumerism and a decrease in their confidence. The concept of clear skin is a major example within this point. Acne and pimples are visual aspects of adolescence which display the beauty of growing up. They represent a quality of youth, almost like a time capsule of being a teenager, a time which will not last forever. Pimples and acne are not imperfections, but instead simple qualities of being human, despite what companies and media attempt to indoctrinate within the minds and bodies of individuals.
To profit off of one’s insecurities is a concept which companies and varieties of media have created. Often, brands within the beauty industry attempt to deceive and degrade consumers, while pitching their products as solutions. Have a pimple? Here is this cream which can immediately fix that, despite pimples and acne being nothing but normal qualities within puberty. Grey hairs? Not on my watch! This hair dye can easily cover those up, as if signs of aging should always be hidden. And wrinkles? Do not worry, there is an endless supply of serums which can fix this, as if wrinkles on humans is completely abnormal. This constant pressure to hide signs of aging is what creates the negative atmosphere surrounding it. Aging deserves to be celebrated, not masked with an unnecessary beauty product.
Many people will not live long enough to get wrinkles, experience grey hairs, or even pop a pimple. To age is a great opportunity, which should never be hidden or be taken for granted. Those who are privileged enough to be given this opportunity should celebrate and take pride in their growing features and qualities without their natural bodies being labeled as insecurities. Despite the amount of creams, serums, or hair dyes, all humans will naturally change overtime, which is not a negative thing and should never be advertised as one. There can be a world without anti-aging expectations and practices, a world where natural bodies simply exist without pressures to be changed or altered. If communities can adjust their way of speaking surrounding the subject, acknowledging the beauty within aging rather than being ashamed of it, then this type of world could become a reality—a reality where the question of “how old are you?” can be asked with admiration and answered without criticism.
