The Mother Load

Posted: Thursday 24 February 2011 11:26am

The average age of the Australian woman is getting older (38.1 years at last count) and her life expectancy longer (83.67 years). Yet, like so many of her Western counterparts, she is looking younger than ever before.

Then of course we have celebrities such as Demi Moore, 48, and Madonna, 52, who surreally could be mistaken for sisters of their own teenage daughters, Tallulah Belle, 16, and Lourdes, 14,  respectively. Very spooky indeed, as fabulous as they both (all!) look.

Over the past five years a quiet revolution has occurred in Australia, an industry boom that has defied world economic trends: aesthetic anti-ageing. Once a province of the rich, famous and infamous and which involved dramatic procedures followed by lengthy recuperations at exclusive hideaways, today a woman from any walk of life can walk into a cosmedical clinic and emerge a veritable lunchtime later, leaving unwanted years behind.

Faces can be re-volumised to their youthful contours and wrinkles and furrows smoothed with dermal fillers such as Esthelis and Fortelis, Juvederm, Restalyne and Sculptra. Frown lines and crows feet are reduced, even erased with muscle-relaxant injections like Botox. Sagging faces are firmed with skin and muscle tightening systems like Thermage and Ulthera, or (relatively) non-invasive lifts with Promoitalia Threads that can be performed in a doctor’s surgery in little more than an hour. Sun-damaged or otherwise flawed skin may be restored to itsr youthful radiance, a smoother, more even and pleasing texture with new generation fractional lasers with brand names Fraxel and Cutera, among others.

These rejuvenative procedures are now largely considered mainstream, they are affordable – perhaps the cost of a new outfit, or a few dinners out, a weekend away and the like – and very accessible.

But as mothers get older yet younger, where does this leave their daughters? Does it set a glowing example for young women to aspire to, or does it engender insecurities and even unhealthy competition (on both sides)?

Demi and her mini-Moore (pictured top left) caused a stir earlier this year when they sat side by side front row at a Brazilian fashion show looking like near identical twins despite the 32-year age gap; not just the same long, glossy, dark manes, lean figures and shapely bronzed limbs but the flawless, unlined faces (well, Tallulah looked cranky – whether at all the attention or that her Mum looked arguably younger than she did). Click here for our  photo gallery of celebs and their daughters doing a sister act.

In a recent column in Sydney’s Sunday Telegraph newspaper, radio broadcaster and Sky TV newsreader cum social commentator Tracey Spicer remarked: “Firstly [Tallulah Belle] has to put up with that ridiculous name. Secondly, her mother Demi is `larking around with Ashton Kutcher like a scene from a bad MILF porno’, according to a particularly nasty website. [For those of you who, like this editor only months ago, don’t know what a MILF is, go Google as it doesn’t bear polite translation].

“If you look really closely, you can see the thought bubble over the 48-year-old’s head: `I look SO HOT right now. I mean, I could be Tallulah’s big sister, right??!’ Let’s just say it wouldn’t have done anything for the poor girl’s self-esteem.”

Tracey continues: “These days [Madonna] wears the same ’80s flashback clothes as her 14-year-old daughter Lourdes. Madonna’s mini-me has even performed with her on stage wearing an identical black mini-dress.

“It makes me wonder whether Madonna has a Dorian Gray-style picture in her attic that becomes older and creepier as she sells her soul for eternal youth.

“But it just looks wrong. Deep down, we know it. And, importantly, our daughters know it.

“In a cruel paradox, we spend the first quarter of our lives trying to look older, then the next three-quarters trying to look younger.

“Like hamsters on a treadmill we run, pluck, Botox and moisturise like our lives depend on it when we should be spending that time telling our daughters they’re beautiful on the inside and that physical beauty is not the measure of a woman’s worth.”

Fine sentiments indeed, but are they too harsh? Don’t women have a right also to feel empowered, not ashamed of wanting to remain as youthful and “visible” as possible for as long as possible? Isn’t this also a creating an example for their daughters to be heartened by?

Dr Gabrielle Caswell, cosmetic physician and president of the Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia (CPSA) thinks so.

“Young women should not be threatened by an older woman looking well and perhaps younger than her chronological age” Dr Caswell says. “Fundamentally if a young woman is feeling threatened by her mother then I would suggest some relationship counselling.

“Young women should feel a sense of relief rather than pressure, as I predict that with the new technology and advances in sunscreen when they are 40 they will probably look 20!

“I think that anyone who looks after themselves and is taking an active interest in life and activities sets a good example for younger people. Prevention is better than cure, but our current middle aged individuals did not have the advantage of the technology that our younger people have.”

If a daughter feels threatened by a youthful looking mother, Dr Caswell has this advice: “I think this says more about the relationship. Just because [a mother] looks good does not mean that she is  sexually competitive with her daughter.  If they have good communication and support in their relationship neither should feel threatened about the other. Talk and communicate, talk and communicate (theme here!) and support one another. Tthere is enough already to deal with in the world!”

Similarly, a mother shouldn’t insist on imposing her own “rules” if her daughter isn’t as interested in the pursuit of (clinical) beauty.

“Most individuals decide when they want to access cosmetic technology and their motivation is unique and different for everyone,” adds Dr Caswell. ” I think that mothers are a great source of comfort and advice during the teenage years, but eventually the child needs to become an adult and learn to make her own decisions.

“That said, [girls] may drift away from what they have been taught but Mum always knows best! And eventually those sunscreen reminders do get put into practice!”

Whatever ethical debate may rage over the clinical pursuit of youthful beauty is hasn’t dampened – indeed, only increased – Australians’ enthusiasm for anti-ageing procedures.

“The use of fillers has probably increased 300-400 per cent over the last five years and now rivals the frequency of muscle relaxing injections,” according to Associate Professor Greg Goodman,  of the Dermatology Institute of Victoria.

“Lasers have probably increased about 100 per cent over the same time period. The main shift in these is substitution of safer and faster-recovering equipment rather than the more severe treatments.”

The Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia estimates Australians spent $448.5 million on non-invasive and minimally-invasive treatments to the period ending March 2010, representing an increase of 30 per cent on the previous year.

“We believe that growth can be attributed in part to the increase in choice for dermal fillers and an evolutionary leap in laser technology,” says Dr Caswell.

“The most popular non-surgical treatments are proving to be medical grade skin care, dermal fillers (full facial sculpturing), anti-wrinkle treatments with Botox and laser resurfacing.

“Dermal fillers have grown enormously in popularity. For a long time there was only one brand of hyaluronic acid dermal filler. Now there are a number of competing brands that are gel-like and pain free as well as longer-lasting, with very low risk of adverse events.”

These new generation fillers – that come with names like Juvederm, Restalyne and Esthelis – allow doctors to choose different thicknesses according to what part of the face is being treated for more natural results.

“Australians have a large amount of sun-damage. The new laser technology delivers real results with little down time and now gives the doctor great tools to tackle deeper wrinkles and stubborn problems such as previously permanent pigmentation (melasma),” says Dr Caswell.

“I find that my patients are outcome-driven and therefore unlikely to spend money on ‘fluff and buff’ but prefer proven medical technology.  They are strategic in their spending and want outcomes not promises.”

Leading plastic and cosmetic surgeon Dr Warwick Nettle, of Sydney’s Silkwood Medical, says Australians’ uptake of cosmetic medicine has been “slowly increasing over the last 10 years with a discernable major increase over the last five years. Our business has more than doubled and that’s against a background of an explosion in providers of these services.

Dr Nettle attributes this boom to several factors. “Surgical and non-surgical rejuvenation is becoming more acceptable as Baby Boomers are ageing and have more disposable income,” he says.

“Baby Boomer women are increasingly in the workforce, especially in senior professional and management roles, which has never been seen before. These same women are often [working with] people many years junior to them, and so feel the need to look fit and well.

“The market for well-paying jobs is very competitive – people need to look good. More women are divorcing and feel they need to freshen up to be attractive for this next phase of their life – competition is tough.

“Plus the procedures are getting better and better. Compare today’s injectables (biocompatible hyaluronic acids lasting nine or more months) with yesterday’s offering (potentially allergy-causing collagen lasting three months with luck).

“There is an explosion in what can be done both surgically and non-surgically from lasers to injectables to minor and major surgery. And the internet has made this explosion immediately available to people.”

The phenomenon is not restricted to the capital cities, either. “When I first opened my practice [Eyra Medical, in country NSW] my colleagues thought I was quite mad and that country women ‘liked things natural’,” concludes Dr Caswell.

“As one of my patients once eloquently put it, `it’s about trust [in your doctor] and access. We may be in the country but we still use the internet and review the world’s media. We know what is available but don’t want to risk a bad job’. That just about says it all.”

We’d love to hear your comments!

by Jenni Gilbert

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