Aging Hurts – The Psychology of Facial Aging

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Did you know that millions suffer from a mental illness stemming from skin disease or poor skin-health?

Did you know that thousands of people right at this very moment are on the verge of suicide due to a skin disease?

Did you know that millions of people have a reduced quality of life due to a skin disease?

Let’s not talk of skin disease for a moment. Let’s talk of physical looks or just feeling that you don’t look good enough. Believe it or not (despite what the naysayers say), aging, especially facial aging, results in a high rate of depression, often severe enough to cause suicidal thoughts and social anxiety.

I don’t judge, I present facts. Now, many will tell you that they don’t care about their looks, it’s just so vain and they are beyond physical beauty. Trust me, they are not. Even the most carefree person will feel a deep hurt when they see their first white hair or first wrinkle. They will deny it or hide it, but only they know what they feel inside.

Hey, it’s not about vanity, it’s about science. Let’s see what science and human evolution tells us. If you’ve read my Beauty Code, you will find this piece a little more on the edgy side, as I did want to address the more psychosocial aspects of facial aging that is also a trending topic on many social media platforms.

The science is that we are coded for beauty. This is not vanity; this is our DNA. In order for the human race to procreate, there needed to be some primal code in place that would dictate the continuation of our species. Appreciating beauty was that code.

The mind is highly receptive to certain images. Numerous psychological studies have shown us that the brain perceives certain things as pleasing and other things as not. The mind is calm or relaxed when a butterfly or flower is presented to the subject, and when a displeasing image is presented, the mind is immediately thrown into a negative state.

My point is because we are coded for pleasing things, then physical aging is bound to cause some kind of hurt on a primal level, buried deep in our subconscious mind. However much we fight it or deny it, facts state otherwise. Why do you think the beauty industry is a trillion-dollar one? Pure psychology. It’s a primal code. It’s not an easy one to fight.

The TRUTH is that AGING HURTS. It’s heart-breaking. It brings us closer to our last chapter. But most importantly, it’s not vanity but a human right to look and feel good. It’s your birth right to keep your mind and body happy, which ever method you select is your choice.

Let’s face it, seeing your loved one’s age both physically and mindfully is painful. It’s not about staying young or pretty or beautiful; it’s about a deep primal raw human emotion to feel good.

Aging is heart-breaking, so without going overboard, whatever path you select, to maintain inner and outer harmony is your birthright.

Mother Nature & humans along with all other animal life is coded for beauty.

On the other hand, going to extreme measures to attain youth is also not constructive because then you enter into body dysmorphic syndromes. Hence, balanced life, balanced beauty, balance your thoughts. Accept the aging process as a part of life but don’t deny yourself physical joy. If looking your best provides you with mental joy – just do it!

Don’t shy away from trying to look your best. Remember, when we look good, we feel good, right? It’s called the look-good feel-good philosophy. Why deny it? Why deny the fact that inside each and every one of us lives a child that wants to jump out again?

We each have our own philosophy when it comes to aging, but it’s a scientific fact that aging, especially facial aging does cause significant mental morbidity in thousands of individuals. They may not say it, but they are hurting inside.

The truth is aging that is heart-breaking so one must do all they can to stay young proactively. Our lifestyle, loves, passions, work, skincare (your largest tactile and emotional organ), living life to the fullest will all reflect on our mind-body-skin axis.

Experiencing joy in both physical and spiritual worlds is an optimal balance. Be proud of caring for yourself any which you chose. Don’t allow people to judge you for your choices. Aging gracefully means aging in way that pleases you, not the world.

These were my more derm-philosophical thoughts, I judge no one, or no lifestyle. I just believe we must do all we can to keep our spiritual-physiological worlds happy. We all know aging is inevitable but trying to maintain your looks will boost morale and raise self-confidence and may even ward off depression. It can be transformative and rewarding, and it’s most certainly NOT vanity.

You don’t need to set glossy magazine images of beauty as your ideal standard. That is NOT real, and it’s not healthy. Set your own standards of aging gracefully but don’t deny yourself of the pleasures that self-care can bring. It’s not vanity, it’s your skin-mind axis and it’s your primal birth right.

Don’t forget to look after the inner and outer sanctum, after all, your body is the temple of your soul where your mind and skin are the mirrors that reflect the inner processes externally. We need to strike a balance between all realms and learn to live life productively as long as we are living on earth.