You haven’t aged! – Here’s why that’s not really a compliment

She does not age!

How did this become a compliment? We see these well-meaning declarations made across our news feeds every day:

Jennifer Garner doesn’t age! (she’s 47).
Sandra Bullock doesn’t age! (she’s 54).
Even Paul Rudd made headlines on his recent 50th birthday because he… doesn’t age!

The compliment, while well-intentioned, is ultimately a damaging one. Proclaiming that a woman has “not aged!” is so commonly accepted that we’ve internalized the sentiment as both an aspirational accolade and yet another impossible beauty standard: the best way to age is to look as if you have not aged at all.

Let’s rethink that.

Happy 56th Birthday - you have not aged grown or evolved as a human being a day past 35! Who wants cake?

How long has it been, 10 years? You look positively stagnant, dahling!

Let’s celebrate aging, not “ageless”. Aging is accomplishment. Aging is self-worth. Aging is family, friendships, career milestones, and personal growth. Aging is Diane Lane in “Under The Tuscan Sun.” Aging is not a bad word. On the other hand, “ageless” and, worse, “anti-aging” are the microaggressions of ageism peddled in tagline after tagline. And we don’t need to buy in.

We choose to get Better, Not Younger

When you believe, as we do, that beauty is not defined by age, you can more easily celebrate your age. Better Not Younger creates hair care products for the accomplished woman past her forties who gets better every day, but isn’t seeing her needs met in the hair care aisle. Much like we change and evolve our skin care routines, we also need to switch up our hair care routines as we age. That’s why our female Founder & CEO created this holistic program based on years of scientific work in hair biology and hair products. Check out our hair care program, created by and for women over 40, here.

Yes, things change when we age, and it’s not all power flats and business class. Hot flashes creep in and, thanks to hormonal changes, your ponytail will probably shrink. The good news is that we’re in this together. We got you. Well, the hair part at least.

Comment & share with us your biggest beyond 40 hair concerns and we’ll recommend to you a specific Better Not Younger hair care solution, tailored just for you.

—

By Vanessa Scull