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.
Friday, November 21, 2008
5 Biggest Misconceptions About Ethnic Aging
Monday, June 9, 2008
Does ethnicity play a role in aging?
Project Runway Canada’s host, Iman, has been very vocal in her statement that: “black don’t crack”. If this is the first time you’ve heard of this saying it refers to the fact that many black women don’t show any signs of aging such as deep wrinkles and sagging skin simply because they are genetically blessed.
Well, study after study has proven that aging is 80-90 per cent related to lifestyle and not genes. On the subject of blacks never aging, I’ve seen my fair share of blacks who had deep wrinkles and sagging skin. If you smoke, drink heavily, worship the sun … you will age and it will show … regardless of your ethnic makeup.
That said, different ethnicities will show different signs of aging. Iman is not entirely wrong in her assessment. If you are black and if you take care of your skin, exercise, eat well, stay away from fast foods, don’t smoke, don’t drink heavily and if you don’t partake in recreational drugs, you should be able to hit your 70s and still fool people around you in thinking that you are 20 years younger.
Black beauties (as I like to call them) are born with an integrated anti-aging and protective photo-protective shield called melanin.
Melanin (the substance that gives skin its colour), plays a huge part in how different ethnicities show the signs of aging. Lighter and fairer complexions are very much susceptible to aging faster because harmful UV rays from the sun can penetrate their skin more easily and deeply. As a result, their skin loses moisture more quickly, and collagen breaks down more rapidly than in a thicker, darker skin.
Just in case you were wondering, melanin is found at the bottom of the epidermis. It acts as barrier against the rays that damage the dermis, acting as a built-in sun filter and considerably slowing down the signs of aging.
That said, although darker-skin beauties might not have to worry as much about photo-aging, they still have concerns about skin cancer, as melanin does NOT protect the skin against skin cancer.
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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Why Aging is Like Parenting
Cindy Ball, Principal
Smart Ass
During the past few weeks I’ve had a bit of a revelation; aging is a lot like parenting. I know all you young gals out there are thinking what the heck is she talking about? I’m 42 (not exactly old given 40 is the new 30 – right!) and my oldest daughter (I have three in total) is 9 years old. I’ve been parenting and, as luck would have it, aging for 10 years (including my pregnancy of course). I look back at the pictures when I was pregnant with # 1 and I looked so YOUNG. My aging definitely kicked into high gear after babies started popping out!
So back to my revelation. When you first become a parent you REALLY believe your parenting is shaping your child and that they’re perfectly behaved because of all your wonderful parenting. It’s the old nurture vs. nature argument. If you were blessed with an easy going first child you think you’re God’s gift to parenting. Then whamo, # 2 or 3 arrives, you do the same things and the outcome is different! It’s a bit like when you’re young with perfect, wrinkle free skin. You think it’s something you’re doing and then whamo, those wrinkles start to roll in and then one day you look down and instead of your hands typing on your laptop – your mother’s hands are tapping away!
I’m coming to believe that much of how we age and how our kids behave hinges on our genes. Of course, there are some basics on the aging side; don’t fry yourself in the sun, wear sunscreen, don’t smoke – we all know them. And on the parenting side; talk to your kids, feed them well, read to them, plug those nasty outlets with little white plastic things so the kids don’t fry themselves! Yes, there are things we can do as parents and as aging women to help things turn out okay BUT don’t be too hard on yourself sometimes it’s just the way it is! Accept it - temper tantrum throwing children, laugh lines, wrinkly hands – all of it.
The main reason I think parenting is like aging is because you should NEVER judge a parent with children older than yours or a woman with skin older than yours – NEVER! Parents-to-be need to learn this in pre-natal class. It’s as important as learning when to push. I remember when #1 was still a blob of a baby visiting with friends who had older children and thinking “I will never let my children eat French Fries, run around by themselves, stay up late” you fill in your own list of “nevers”. Fast forward a few years and my girls are doing all this and much worse. The same goes for being young and fresh faced. Please don’t criticize those aging blazers ahead of you. If they decide that microdermabrasion, lasers or injections is the path they need to follow, so be it. Please don’t judge them until you’ve walked a mile in their wrinkles!
So there you have it, my thoughts on parenting and aging – good luck on both fronts!
Cindy Ball and her business partner Alix Cameron own Smart Ass Lingerie. Between them they have five children and their fair share of wrinkles. Check out their fabulous lingerie at http://www.smartassgals.com/ .
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