More and more people today are spending large amounts of money on their appearance in order to look younger. Why do people want to look younger? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
Growing older is
inevitable, and one of the many downsides of it is
a deterioration in our looks. In order to combat the effects of
the ageing process, increasingly more people are purchasing products that claim to reverse this action or having plastic surgery such as a face-lift or brow-lift to make them look younger. Although I can
empathise with anyone who feels the need to invest in their appearance, I feel that this development is largely negative and the reasons for this will be discussed in this essay.
The first point worth making is that many products that state that skin will be rejuvenated after use or that wrinkles will disappear do not actually work. Those who are concerned about their ageing appearance are lured into buying them because of such claims and yet there is often little proof that they will actually work. In addition to this, these creams, lotions and scrubs are frequently astronomically expensive and purchasers are, therefore, being conned out of their money.
A further argument against this is that many cosmetic procedures result in the person looking worse than before. Many surgeons offering treatments are not qualified and some who have undergone surgery look disfigured after this surgery. The victims of these botched operations are then forced into having further procedures. Unfortunately, there is little regulation of these cosmetic clinics and treatments are carried out leaving people scarred for life.
The beauty industry is thriving and this is largely because it is playing on people’s insecurities about growing older. It needs to be regulated more closely though, as we are being fooled into believing that a jar of cream can turn the clock back twenty years and this is evidently not the case.
- inevitable = certain to happen; unavoidable
- a deterioration = the process of becoming progressively worse
- the ageing process = the action of growing older
- to empathise with = understand and share the feelings of another person
- rejuvenated = make (someone or something) look or feel better, younger, or more vital
- wrinkles = a slight line or fold in something, especially fabric or the skin of the face
- to be lured into = to persuade someone to do something or go somewhere by offering them something exciting
- conned = tricked
- disfigured = the appearance of something or someone, especially their face, is completely spoiled
- botched = carried out badly or carelessly
- scarred for life = to leave a permanent physical mark on someone's body
- thriving = prosperous and growing; flourishing
- to play on people’s insecurities = manipulating people using their negative feelings about themselves
- we are being fooled into believing = we are being tricked into believing
- to turn the clock back = to make things the same as they were at an earlier time
In American English, they use 'aging', whereas in British English we use 'ageing'. It doesn't matter which you use, just be consistent. For this topic, the ageing process is a useful collocation.
