[Senior Trend] Wanting a Youthful Appearance and Longevity Without Illness

Anti Aging VS Well Aging

At the end of last year, the youthful appearance of Gachon University President Lee Gil-yeo became a hot topic. Although she is over 90 years old, she has almost no gray hair, thick hair volume, and radiant skin. Online communities even called her the "strongest youthful face on Earth." She remains actively engaged and recently published a memoir titled "Asking the Way." Previously, she shared her health secrets in an interview. She said she drinks plenty of water, manages stress well, and tries to think positively even when facing difficulties. She also stretches every morning and walks for more than an hour daily, like taking a stroll. Due to her personality that does not feel loneliness, she says she is happy every moment. She added that she plans to work actively until she dies. The secret to President Lee Gil-yeo’s youthful appearance seems both simple and challenging.

"Health" and "anti-aging" are hot topics. As experts discuss the possibility of living beyond 120 years, the focus shifts from how long one lives to how and how healthily one lives. In senior interviews, health is always the top concern after retirement. More seniors want not only to be free from illness but also to maintain a youthful appearance. The phrase "If you look your age, it’s presbyopia" reflects how popular "anti-aging" is in the consumer market of the 50s and 60s generation.

“Anti-aging” is a widely known term for us. Although various terms such as "Active Aging" or "Pro-Aging" have emerged instead of "anti," it still first comes to mind as a way to express the desire to manage aging somehow. With the rise of senior models and senior influencers, specialized plastic surgery clinics targeting the middle-aged and older population have appeared. This is not unique to Korea. In 2020, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) released a report emphasizing the global senior cosmetics market. According to the global research firm Statista, the second most sold type of skincare product in the U.S. focuses on anti-aging, and 35% of consumers over 60 wear makeup daily. The Nagoya Trade Center in Japan also reported that men and women over 55, who previously showed little interest in makeup, have become a new consumer group with increased interest in skin nutrition and wrinkle improvement. A survey by the Chinese research institute AgeClub showed similar results.

Regarding the question, "Can aging be stopped?" Samsung Seoul Hospital defined aging in a health column as "a process in which the structure and function of the body gradually decline with age, and susceptibility to disease and death rapidly increases, leading to frailty." They explain aging in two ways: "First, the natural progression of birth, aging, illness, and death according to our biological clock; second, the gradual loss of function due to wear and damage to organs or cells caused by environmental factors." Focusing on the latter, it seems that aging prevention is somewhat possible through personal effort and medical advances even as one grows older.

Although not as passionate as Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s quest for the elixir of life, the current senior generation tries to alleviate aging symptoms in any way possible. Rather than giving up as inevitable with old age, they actively seek treatment or prevention. They undergo artificial joint surgery, take health supplements, or get dental implants. In a survey by an advertising company, the 50s and 60s generation responded that they want to maintain a stylish youth that looks good in jeans. The "Modamoda" dye shampoo, which claims to turn gray hair black just by washing, sold out immediately after launch, and the wrinkle care multi-balm cosmetic "Gahi" has become a must-have for Korean women and gained fame in China and Southeast Asia.

In the 1800s, the average lifespan was in the early 40s, and wrinkles clearly reflected the passage of time and habits. U.S. President Lincoln said, "After age 40, you are responsible for your face. The repeated sadness, laughter, worries, and attitude toward life inevitably engrave themselves on a person’s face." However, modern society tends to view good "aging care" as a competitive advantage in work and relationships. The fact that today’s senior generation wants to maintain a youthful appearance reflects the times.

Recent trends show that seniors are pursuing a new path focusing on "improving quality of life." They aim to live true to themselves and youthful through proper rest and mindfulness in mental health. Maye Musk, a 75-year-old active model and nutritionist, is a senior who says she pursues beautiful maturity instead of eternal youth. She emphasizes that obsessing over aging can itself be distressing, so it is important to accept the aging process naturally and maintain good daily habits consistently. This well represents the era of well-aging that has come upon us beyond "anti-aging."

Lee Boram, CEO of Third Age