The Pro-Aging Movement: Why the Anti-Aging Industry is Harmful

One of our favorite “trends” that we’ve been seeing over the past couple of years is the abandonment of the term “anti-aging,” and embracing (or re-embracing) of the pro-aging movement. People have simply had enough with trying to look young forever with fad diets, painful procedures, and unrealistic (and unhealthy) beauty standards. The idea behind it is that if you’re not aging then you’re not living–literally!

The anti-aging movement has become a multi-billion dollar industry, which is great for “Big Cosmetics” and the pharmaceutical companies and doctors behind expensive (and invasive) cosmetic procedures. However, it’s not so great for people (mostly women) who are being made to feel like they have to look 25 forever to be attractive, desirable, or worthy in society.

We, at The Nutritional Aesthetics® Alliance, are all for the pro-aging movement.

We don’t use the term “anti-aging” to market our membership program or CNAP Training Program, and we also encourage our members and students to also stop using the term.

Pro-aging doesn’t mean that people should be in a rush to age faster than with the natural passing of time. It certainly doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t care for our skin or be healthy with good food, hygiene, lifestyle, mindset, movement, and topical skincare choices.

On the contrary! The skin is our largest organ, and we firmly believe that skincare–inside and out–IS a key component of healthcare. It also doesn’t mean don’t wear makeup or color your hair if you enjoy doing so.

What the pro-aging movement means is that people no longer feel like the pressure of looking young forever is worthwhile. It means celebrating and embracing the natural passage of time, which includes aging. It means normalizing looking your age and not having any sort of negative stigma attached to looking your age.

About judgment and choice…

We don’t pass judgment on people who choose to undergo cosmetic procedures such as Botox. While we encourage people to shift their perception of signs of aging like dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles from negative to positive, we recognize that that’s not for everyone. Sometimes lines or wrinkles earned from trauma, sadness, or a very hard life ARE something that people would rather not see in the mirror every single day. And we acknowledge that.

Everyone has the right to choice–but choices made under duress (which is what societal pressure is) are not really true choices. No one should feel pressured to use harsh products or get potentially dangerous and painful procedures for the sake of fitting into outdated, sexist standards. Especially since there are so many wonderful holistic and integrative methods to promote your glow healthfully and joyfully.

Choice and non-judgment must be part of the pro-aging movement.

One of our favorite holistic, pro-aging techniques is facial massage.

There are so many different facial massage techniques available now:

• The standard European-style facial massage
• Gua sha
• Facial cupping
• Facial exercise
• Face yoga
• Abhyanga
• Lymphatic drainage
• Or any combination of the above!

Learn our favorite facial massage techniques

We were so excited to host Holistic Beauty Educator and Entrepreneur, Uma Ghosh, in a webinar on Wednesday, January 19 at 10am EST called “Holistic Facelift with Face Massage and Face Yoga!”

This webinar will be recorded and made available to NAA members and CNAP students in our Webinar Library after the 48-hour replay expires.

We are also excited to share with you that Uma’s Pro-Age Aesthetics Academy now offers an accredited professional training on this modality, called Neolifting®. We love their holistic, non-invasive, and EFFECTIVE approach!

In the end, you’ve got one life to live and it should be lived fully and joyfully–with or without perfect skin. So let’s embrace the pro-aging movement, ditch the anti-aging industry, and live life to the fullest!

What are your thoughts on the pro-aging movement?

Please tell us in the comments below!