FACE or FIGURE?
Curves and a youthful face or a trim physique and pinch ed features? After 50, do you really have to pick
THE received wisdom is that after the menopause women have to choose between a slim figure or a youthful-looking face. It’s not just an old wives’ tale — hormones do make it more likely weight will rise, while collagen reduces as we age, causing sagging after weight loss. So would you prioritise face or figure? SAMANTHA BRICK spoke to women on either side. Mandy St John davey, 57, is single, a property developer and mentor. She lives near the Brecon Beacons, Wales. She’s a size 14. When I was younger it bothered me that my girlfriends were a size 10-12 whereas I was stuck looking at the size 14 rails. But today, having a larger frame has paid off.
As I have entered my mid-50s I’ve escaped looking gaunt, and a lot of people comment that my face still looks youthful for my age.
That’s not to say I don’t keep an eye on the scales. I played a lot of sport in my 20s and 30s, but for the past two decades health problems have meant that I can no longer do so. As a result it is so easy to pile on the pounds. But I’m much more protective of my face than I am of my figure. Skincare has always been important to me. I would never go to bed with my face, neck or decolletage uncleansed.
Long before I became a property developer, I qualified as an aromatherapist and I appreciate the importance of natural ingredients. I use eye creams and serums alongside day and night face creams, and always add a neck and decolletage product.
People do compliment me on my skin and I get told that I look younger than my 57 years — so I guess I have got something right! PriMary school Pa Carol May, 57, is married to Peter, 61, a chemical engineer. they have a 20-year-old daughter and live in Liverpool. Carol is a size 12-14. I’M 5ft 10in so being a size 12-14 is healthy for my height, yet other women with my dress size might be tempted to lose weight. But I don’t think it is a good idea to be super-thin when you are older. The neck and chest are the areas of a woman’s body most likely to give her age away and it’s the first place I lose weight if I diet. I think it makes me look much older when I get too thin — I look more saggy and scrawny. Much as I would love to fit into a size 10, I don’t look as youthful as I do if I’m slightly heavier. Another reason why my face looks relatively young and almost line-free is that I don’t sunbathe after a skin cancer scare 15 years ago. I had a nasty mole removed and now I always wear factor 50 sunscreen and drink lots of water, which I’m convinced helps hydrate my skin. I’m 57 and people often think I’m in my mid-40s! MuM-of-five Suzannah hicks, 55, is a size 12-14. She is a mature model, married and lives in Berkshire. OVER the past decade, the face or figure dilemma has definitely been on my mind. I’ve noticed that if I lose too much weight, it shows on my face and neck so I’ve had to make a choice. Until my 40s I hovered around a size 12. But everything changed when I went through the menopause — and my dress size went up to a 14. It felt like I was losing control of my body so, in my late 40s, I worked hard to lose nearly a stone. However, while I liked having my figure back I noticed a loss in elasticity in the face and neck area that hadn’t been there before. Everything just looked saggier. I realised that deliberately carrying a few extra pounds in body weight would help keep my skin filled out. My skin looks smoother and I look healthier — and more youthful — as a result. So I’ve made my peace with my changing body shape. While I take time to look after my skin by cleansing, toning and moisturising, cosmetic procedures are not something I would consider at the moment. I try to eat a healthy diet and sometimes take iron supplements if I’m feeling tired. I’ve recently started using HRT which helps with the severity of my hot flushes and aching joints. It hasn’t changed my physical shape and I’ve not noticed a change in my skin, but it is helping my symptoms.
ANDREA SYMONS, 52, is married and an ashtanga yoga teacher. She lives in Bushey, Hertfordshire and is a size 8. IN mY view, being slim is what equates most with looking youthful.
If a fiftysomething woman puts on weight around her middle, she will look and be perceived to be older. That is why I’d rather focus on my figure than on my face.
While I won’t make an effort to look younger facially, it is important to me that my figure has a youthful shape.
I feel I am in the best shape I have ever been in and it makes me feel good — and young — to know I can still fit into clothes in my wardrobe that are more than 20 years old.
my job as a yoga teacher means I have no choice but to focus meticulously on what my shape is like. If it means my face suffers a little — is a little less plump — so be it.
I recently posted on Facebook a picture of myself in a bikini and received a lot of positive feedback about my body.
And the truth is anyone can look like me — but you have to work at it. my body is the culmination of a lot of hard work through teaching yoga and leading a healthy lifestyle.
While I know my body looks fantastic, from the neck up I am unremarkable. I have a simple routine: I use olay on my face and coconut oil to moisturise. I also apply under-eye cream.
While I don’t want to look like I’m 25 any more I can’t stand the thought of ageing! I want to preserve what I have for as long as possible. I intend to keep my blonde hair long.
Davina mcCall, who’s 50, looks incredible. It’s obvious she works hard to maintain her figure. People have said that her face looks older because she has such a sinewy body, but I don’t agree. When it comes to a choice between face and figure, I’m on the side of figure every time. KAY QUILLAN, 50, is a freelance marketing consultant. She lives in Milngavie, Glasgow, with her two teenage children. She is a size 10. HAVING a good figure is great for my self-esteem and it is definitely my priority over my face. Today, my body is in better shape than in my 20s, before I had children. Partly I put that down to a better diet and the fact I don’t drink as much as I did when I was younger. But I’m often asked if I go to the gym a lot — and the answer is yes! I usually go at least four times a week. I cycle, do yoga, and other classes including body pump (active weightlifting). Since hitting my late 40s, and the onset of the menopause, I’ve noticed I have to put more effort into keeping my figure trim, and being slim makes me feel more youthful. I’m less worried about how my face ages. You can always cheat with your face. Some friends have had Botox and fillers tastefully used, and in the future it isn’t something I would dismiss out of hand. But it’s my belief that doing exercise, and the satisfaction that comes with it, keeps you looking and feeling younger and happier. FOSTER carer Christine Taylor, 57, is married and lives in Bolton. Christine has a son Marc, 34, and two grandchildren. She’s a size 8. I Am one of those women who has always been slim — I’ve been a size 8 and 8 stone for most of my adult life — so it’s definitely figure first, face second for me.
I have noticed some wrinkles. But I think I would look my age, if not older, if I was bigger because people would assume I had ‘let myself go’.
I walk the dog for anything up to three hours a day. I also attend yoga sessions and have practised karate for the past 25 years.
I am very supple as a result and can still do the splits at 57, which helps me stay feeling young.
In my late 40s I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. But even when I was unwell I kept an eye on my figure. It is the one thing I had control over.
Sometimes I get annoyed about ageing. But then I remind myself that not everyone is lucky enough to get to 57 and it helps keep things in perspective.