5 Biggest Misconceptions About Ethnic Aging

Krizia from www.myBeautyMatch.com

In an earlier post, I spoke about how ethnicity does play a role in aging. This is very true, some skin behaves and responds differently than others, which is why there are so many products out there for every combination of skin. But there are many stereotypes and misconceptions out there and I want to reveal where these ideas come from.

Many years ago when I was still working in the corporate world, I had dinner with a group of colleagues and ended up chatting with one (Caucasian) colleague who had turned the big 5-0 and who had so many concerns about aging. Her daughter, who at the time was my age, had just had a baby and she was now a grandmother, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to assume the role. I remember trying to comfort her by telling her that she looked amazing and that no one would believe she was over 41! She looked at me with a half smile and said “it’s easy for you to say because you’ll never have any wrinkles or sagging skin because black skin never ages!”

I know from experience that every time I go for a facial, visit a cosmetic dermatologist or interview beauty experts, they often comment on the condition of my skin. I always remind them that it’s not so much my ethnic makeup that allows me to age this well, but it’s the fact that I treat my body like a temple and I’m quite careful with my lifestyle choices.

The truth is that black skin does age and there are many black people walking around with wrinkled and sagging skin because their lifestyle was not conducive to aging well.

On that note, I’d like to sum up by looking at what I see as the 5 most prevalent stereotypes associated with ethnic aging:

1. Blacks never age: Most black women don’t have to deal with fine lines and wrinkles, but they do have to deal with droopiness and skin sagging.

2. East Indian women have no aging concerns: East Indian women deal with a lot of the same skincare issues as black women. Their major concerns deal with skin discolouration, patchiness and blotchiness. In some cases, East Indian women deal with severe dark circles around their eyes.

3. Asians always look so much younger than their age: A lot of people associate aging with body size and since many Asian women tend to be on the petite side, many people view them as “looking younger than their age”. That said, if you look at the face of Asian women you’ll notice that as they age they’ll have to contend with dropping eyelids, under eye puffiness and deep marionette lines around their mouth.

4. It’s inevitable, Caucasians will always look older than their age: A lifetime of excessive sun exposure WILL leave Caucasian skin subject to premature aging, severe discolouration and deep wrinkles. When Caucasian women stay out of the sun they significantly reduce their chances of looking much older than their age.

5. Blacks don’t have to worry about skin cancer or sun burns because they have dark skin: There are incidences of skin cancer among blacks and I know firsthand that black skin DOES burn when exposed too long to hot sun.

The Changing Face of Work for Women

Dale Brownlee

I am part of the early cohort of Canadian women that worked by choice in noticeable numbers. For us, the first noticeable change was that women’s jobs began to include a broadening range of opportunities that had formerly been closed to most women. In case I paint too rosy a picture, that broadening range of opportunities was horizontal, not vertical!

We got comments like “I think you are selfish to work – you should be having children”, or “It is too bad you HAVE to work.” The famous glass ceiling either did not exist then, or it was made of cement! And there was no shortage of unacceptable comments on our dress and appearance.

Today’s data shows increasing percentages of women in the workplace and in management, and decreasing wage gaps between men and women. And I think that women are now an accepted part of most Canadian workforces. But at the same time women face a huge new challenge that we did not – having to compete not only with men, but also with lots of other women.

Along with that, in the last 5 or so years before I retired, I couldn’t help but notice a disturbing change happening. My generation of women workers were able to depend on each other for support, workplace friendship, a helpful ear. Today’s women are as busy as men focusing on upward mobility. While this is a natural progression, I was distressed to see it accompanied by the formerly male territories of protecting turf, fighting off challengers, and neutralizing the influence of competent (mainly female) colleagues.

Maybe this is a temporary phenomenon and women will be able to return to the true skills of mentoring, supporting and promoting one another. Until that happens however, I have to admit to relief that I am now (happily) retired and out of the range of fire of those I used to consider supporters.

Canada vs the States: Cosmetic enhancements and vision of beauty and aging – the reactions

KaZ Brownlee
Creative Producer/Film and Television Consultant
Torfoot Inc.


So once I was having work done on my face for a while, I wanted to reflect on others saw me and how their reactions made me feel. First off, in Canada the emphasis on your age doesn't seem to be so crucial. I have never been asked my age by anyone in the biz and I work with fantastically talented and experienced women of all ages. Talent seems to win out more so than a size 2 body and a neatly pressed face.

I have become very proud of my fitness level and the shape I am in because I have worked tirelessly at obtaining it. OK, yes, I am a size 2 but I AM a little gal (5'4") and was always small. I only gained some weight after my later-in-life pregnancy and becoming more sedentary for a few years. I have gotten back into my working weight (I was a dancer, stunt woman, professional water skier and circus artist) and I am training clients now so I like to be a healthy example. However, I digress. 45, 46, 47, started to feel REALLY good to me and now at 49 I look in the mirror and think "You GO girl, the hard work has paid off".

I have become very comfortable in my skin and am not afraid to tell anyone who asks how old I am. Here's the rub...I was talking to a gal pal of mine in LA and the subject of age came up. I told her, 'Ya know, I am going to be 50 in January". And she said "Shut Up!" I said, "...no really, I am going to be 50". She said, "no, really, I mean you should shut up about it."

I guess the deer in headlights look I gave her said it all, so she explained - "When you look too good, you alienate people. They are insecure enough as it is so if you look too good, they just hate you." "Isn't that their problem?" I asked. Well, not if you are trying to work with them or get a project done, she told me.

So here's the dilemma, do I let myself go and not alienate these insecure, dysfunctional 'Hollywood' types or do I give them the one finger salute and carry on??? I think by now you can guess what my decision was. I wish I was a low maintenance gal but, alas, it was not meant to be. I have a friend who has had nary a thing done to her face and she can just slick some Vaseline on her lips, curl her eyelashes and step out into the world looking 30 at 56. Expletive deleted.

www.allthatkaz.com

My secret to looking rested and youthful

KaZ Brownlee
Creative Producer/Film and Television Consultant
Torfoot Inc.


So I touched on my last post on how I went from maintenance procedures to non-invasive injections. In this post I wanted to go into my experience with injections and how it made me feel. As mentioned before, injections became my new friend and BOY did they work.

Every 6 months or less without fail I was in my doctor's office telling him to "Load me up". Luckily for me, my Vancouver doctor is conservative and would tell me definitively when I did and DID NOT need a booster. I only go to "face" doctors in Vancouver AND if you are conservative - NO ONE KNOWS you are having it done.

I have had my lips injected, my neck, chin, forehead, temples and until now it has been my secret. I don't have that liver lipped, G-Force look on my face. I just look rested and youthful. LA doctors can be scary and although you may go in just for injections, you could end up with a laundry list of procedures from a forehead and eye lift to a boob job. Trust me, it happened to one of my best friends!

www.allthatkaz.com