Due to advances in medical and nutritional sciences, modern humans have the potential to live longer than ever. But while the human lifespan can now regularly stretch past the mid-80s, there are questions about the quality of life. What is the point of living longer if we can’t still enjoy life?
Fortunately, in addition to advances in lifespan, recent decades also revealed breakthroughs in the kind of life we live as we age. Today, symbolic images of our later life stages differ vastly from those of the 21st century. The stereotype of the grandmother in the rocking chair for example, has been replaced with vibrant, youthful-looking images of mature women. In many ways, fifty has become the new thirty.
Cosmetic Surgery
Even if only superficially, looking younger can often make you feel younger. Once reserved for celebrities, today everyday people are using cosmetic surgery and other medical techniques to look more vibrant.
Honigman and Castle in 2006 conducted an extensive review of the research around cosmetic surgery and aging. (Honigman & Castle. 2006) They found a variety of research demonstrating that as women get older they increasingly focus on aging face characteristics. Younger women, by contrast, are often focused on body characteristics.
Men, on the other hand, can feel as if a full head of hair is a sign of attractiveness. More than 50% of men over fifty can expect some baldness. This phenomenon is also known as Male Pattern Hair Loss.
Either way, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, 28,000 cosmetic procedures were carried out during 2018. There was also an increase of more than 9% in facelifts for women.
Sex Enhancement Tools
Assuming that plastic surgery works, many people around the fifty-year-old mark also need some assistance with sexual health. The many benefits of a healthy sex life do not end in middle age. Sexual intimacy has been proven to reduce stress and has been linked to a stronger immune system.
For many men, however, sexual performance medications are the best way to achieve the sexual potency of younger men. Medicines like Viagra and Cialis have become commonplace among men approaching or past their fifties. For mature women, on the other hand, personal lubricants can often make sex more enjoyable.
In a youth-obsessed society, living a sexual life can often be treated as the distinction between old and young. Fortunately, taking advantage of sexual aids can preserve the spry youthfulness that good sexual health can create.
No Magic Pill
Let us be honest. There is no magic pill for youth. Looking good, and maintaining good sexual health can go a long way to preserving the feeling of youth. Nothing makes us feel as vibrant and connected as intimacy. Perhaps until the fountain of youth exists, looking and feeling sexy is the best way to feel young.
