It can be argued that millennials are more concerned about aging than any other group. There are a lot of forces that drive the way millennials see aging and how this affects their fear of getting older. Proof of this increased interest in age on the part of millennials can be seen when you look at the increase in the number of millennials who are opting for surgical or non-surgical cosmetic procedures. There is a strong drive within the millennial community to maintain a youthful appearance for as long as possible.

A lot of this has to do with the way that the millennial community sees aging. They do not see aging as something that brings with it wisdom or that brings with it experience. Within the millennial community, aging is often seen as something that causes one to lose their skill and to lose their relevance. The idea of intelligence, creativity, and innovation being a thing associated with youth served millennials well for many years. But, now, since the oldest millennials are reaching in their mid-30’s, the same concepts they had of older individuals are starting to be applied to them. For many millennials, this is terrifying. To be thought of as irrelevant, to be thought of as unimportant, or to be thought of as not having as much to contribute to the group because of their age or their perceived age is a terrifying thing.

In addition to turning to cosmetic procedures, millennials are using makeup, anti-aging creams, and skin protecting lotions more than any other generation before them. The worldwide cosmetic industry is around $13 billion a year. Of those $13 billion, it is estimated that 47 percent of heavy buyers are millennial women. There is that strong of a focus on doing whatever is possible to maintain a youthful appearance for as long as possible.

Another driving force behind millennial’s desire to stay young forever is social media. While individuals of the baby boomer generation use social media, they did not grow up with social media. They did not grow up having their self-worth determined by the reactions that people on social media had toward them. They did not grow up with the bullying or the praise that a person receives via social media based on how they look. However, millennials did. And so this has strongly influenced the way they view appearance and age.

What’s interesting about social media is that it has a unique way of reminding you how much you have changed physically. Every year, you are provided updates or reminders of images you posted in years past. It can be shocking to see an image that you posted five or six years in the past and then compare that with the way you look now.

Clearly, millennials are concerned about aging and its effects on them. Thankfully, our team at Chase Lay MD performs both surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures to combat the signs of aging. Contact us today to schedule a consultation at our office in San Jose.