In his new book “Admirable. “The Story of the Last Wrinkled Woman on Earth” author Sophie Fontanel questions the place of aging women in our society. Conclusion: “They are invisible while we highlight a population filtered through photo retouching or aesthetic medicine.”
In this story, at once funny, tender and profound, the heroine is unaware that a drug can now eliminate all traces of aging, until one day she meets a young man who is amazed and then fascinated by his face.
Then a relationship develops between them in the style of “Harold and Maude”, an important film by Hal Ashby, in which the paths of a depressed teenager cross with those of a lively octogenarian.
Small signs that change the norm of youth
What if, in order to live happily, you first had to be in harmony with yourself? A postulate that seems to be on the way to a new paradigm: between the emergence of the body positive movement, which encourages us to accept ourselves in order to love ourselves better, the resurgence of powerful quinquas and genders in the Series and fashion shows that some silver models are now appropriate, the tide of the norm seems to be turning.
Isabelle Rossellini on the cover of Vogue. ©DR
Of course, the imperatives of youth are still strong and very present. But when I look at a “Vogue” cover that shows an unretouched Isabella Rossellini or a Pamela Anderson, who now looks natural in the middle of Fashion Week, wrinkles included: “I couldn’t have imagined being without makeup.” up to go to a Fashion Week show, But suddenly I saw myself in a sublime dress and realized that I no longer wanted to be the most beautiful girl. […] I felt an immense liberation,” she confessed to Vogue.fr in a video. We feel the beginning of a change.
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In addition, demand is also developing in cosmetic medicine and surgery practices: “The vast majority of patients are looking for an imperceptible result.” Their goal is no longer to completely eliminate the signs of aging, but rather to achieve one to gradually achieve improved versions of themselves, explains Dr. Koutsomanis, plastic surgeon. You want to smooth frown lines, nasolabial folds or bitter wrinkles that are hardening, but no longer address the imperfections that give personality to the face. »
When we are confronted with movie or song stars literally disfigured by excessive injections, do we reconnect with those little peculiarities that make us so charming? At least this is the opinion of Dr. Texier, anti-aging doctor and founder of Maison Magnifisens: “If some people obsessed with wrinkles continue to detect the slightest furrow, most women want to enjoy the morning in the mirror” and reflect an image of health and freshness, with beautiful quality and charisma. »
Pamela Anderson appeared makeup-free during Paris Fashion Week in September 2023. And claimed it. Best picture / © Tiziano Da Silva – Pierre Perusseau
Good wrinkles and bad wrinkles
In short: be better yourself. To achieve this we can certainly reduce the wrinkles that make us tired or deepen, but above all it is about reconciling ourselves with others who reflect life and experience. On the honorary list of “good” wrinkles “that do not particularly change the face and remain in line with its general aging,” we note, first of all, the crow’s feet (all the fine lines of the lower eyelid) and the cheek furrows on the lower cheekbones, which we acquire through laughter and smiling and which give the face its identity and expression.
One of the “bad” wrinkles is Dr. Texier “the wrinkles of anger (the frown line between the eyebrows), sadness (the famous nasolabial folds that frame the nose) and smoking (the sun wrinkles on the upper lip). ), which we can straighten without ironing to maintain the mobility of the face.
But for those who do not want to interfere with their face, there is a middle ground, which is to divert attention from the wrinkle, focusing it on their fresh eyes or their radiant complexion, by adopting the cosmetics of “Well Aging “ turns to. , or even “happy aging” or pro-aging, which supports mature skin in its development in order to gently preserve its beauty capital.
“The Admirable Ones”, Sophie Fontanel, Ed. Seghers, 208 pages. ©DR