Grace: Just ‘grow old gracefully’ is a sentence many of our patients have relayed back to us. Their friends, spouse, or children have thrown that comment in their direction because they have discovered they’re having aesthetic treatments. It causes a constant battle for patients, should I grow old gracefully to end the judgement I will receive if I don’t? Even if it’s against what I want to do? We often discuss how aesthetic medicine shouldn’t alter our natural anatomy, but our natural anatomy is constantly changing with ageing. So, the question is – do we accept that our anatomy is changing with the ageing process or do we augment our natural appearance to help prevent those visible signs? Or, do we alter our natural anatomy purely because we don’t find it aesthetically pleasing? Who holds the moral compass to decide what is right or wrong? Ultimately, we are all responsible for our own actions and thoughts. If we want to alter something or prevent ageing then we are within our rights to do so. No one can make us feel what we do not identify with – for example, we cannot be shamed if we are not feeling ashamed. Resilience to today’s pressures or unkind words is what we all strive for, and nobody should be judged for what or how they decide to manage this. As for ‘growing old gracefully’, surely it is about confidence? If we are confident within our appearance – regardless of wrinkles or age – no one should judge that. However, if we want to correct what nature or time has altered (which in turn helps restore our inner/outer confidence) then this should be celebrated as a decision we are empowered to make. #growingoldgracefully @nursesStnGrace
Kate: Growing old gracefully is one of those statements we could talk about forever! I mean isn’t it just subjective? What is graceful to one isn’t necessarily the same to someone else. Every decision we make comes with context and that is exactly what makes it subjective. I think times are definitely changing and without a doubt there is so much pressure on us to look a certain way but there will always be trends.. but there isn’t always longevity in trends. I think good Aesthetic treatments should never be noticeable, they should always just enhance and maintain, not change or distort, and I think in that sentence lies the problem…ageing can cause massive anxiety and vulnerability, so treating those individuals comes with a great responsibility and a need for candid communication and transparency over what can be achieved…BUT also a need to look at the patient holistically! Health and aesthetics run in correlation, so as clinicians surely we need to approach our patients in a much more considered way and provide support across all areas where possible…nutrition, hormones, weight, supplements. How can we ever address ageing when we are not truly supporting the person as a whole? As nurses we have so much to offer. Be inspired to provide your patients with the service they deserve and be the practitioner you are qualified to be 🙌🏼 @nursesStnKate
Megan: So I often get messages ‘I’ve decided I’m going to grow old gracefully’. As if having treatments or tweakments to make you feel and look better makes you disgraceful? Now don’t get me wrong, if you don’t wish to have a treatment or don’t believe in aesthetic enhancements that’s fine but it does not make you disgraceful if you do. My older clients wish to look like they used to, without looking ‘done’ they are always so worried of what their friends will think if they knew they’d had work done. There is a societal pressure on ageing men and women that is never discussed. We focus on the pressures of ‘heroine chic’ facing younger women or the ‘kylie Jenner lips’ that everybody pines for, but these women are clients who come and have their lips done and want to post it all over social media, like the icing on their beautiful face cake. I often find my older clients hiding in the dark and want to feel good but not tell anyone about it. They move in the shadows to their local clinic but leave feeling naturally enhanced and beautiful. Why is it they feel the need to hide? Why are we so afraid of ageing that we don’t want to tell anyone we are doing something to stop it? Is that disgraceful? #gracefullyenhanced @nursesStnMegan
