We talk a lot about how social media impacts teenagers’ self-esteem, but what about women in midlife?

Reduce hips,’ ‘Remove blemish,’ ‘Fill in hair here.’ I was a 21-year-old intern at a glossy magazine when I saw an A3 print of supermodel Helena Christensen with these instructions dotted around her image. Arrows helpfully connected them to her ‘flaws’.

It made no sense and total sense. No sense in that here was one of the world’s most beautiful women and yet even she wasn’t deemed perfect enough for public consumption. And total sense in that I had mentally wrestled, since the purchase of my first magazine with how these models could be literally flawless.

That was the mid-90s and my first experience of retouching. Back then it was done by hand and only available to 0.001% of the genetically privileged to make them look even more so.

Rosie Green first encountered photo editing into the 90s

The accessibility of digital tools for enhancing our appearance has undoubtedly changed the way we perceive beauty. With filters, editing software, and Facetune, anyone can tweak their photos to achieve a desired look. Moreover, the ability to take numerous pictures until finding the perfect one has become the norm in the age of digital photography.

However, the constant exposure to idealized beauty standards can take a toll on self-esteem, especially among teenagers. Being bombarded with images of flawless faces, often digitally manipulated to appear even more perfect, can lead individuals to feel inadequate and dissatisfied with their own appearance.

It’s crucial to recognize the impact of these beauty ideals and take steps to promote body positivity and self-acceptance. Encouraging authenticity and embracing diverse representations of beauty can help counteract the negative effects of unrealistic standards portrayed in digital imagery.

There’s a slew of celebrities who seem to be preserved in aspic. JLo, Salma Hayek, Demi Moore, Jennifer Connelly, Sandra Bullock, to name but a few. But how does this make us grown-ups feel?

To quote a David Guetta song, “It’s complicated, it always is.”

The presence of older women confidently rocking the red carpet, exuding sexiness and style, sends a powerful message of empowerment. It challenges the notion that once you reach 40 and beyond, you’re relegated to a life of invisibility and conforming to stereotypical notions of aging, such as sensible haircuts and elasticated waistbands.

However, this empowerment can be overshadowed by feelings of disappointment and inadequacy when comparing oneself to these celebrities. The reality is that many of them maintain a youthful appearance with cinched waists, wrinkle-free skin, and sculpted jawlines, often enhanced further through digital editing on social media. The discrepancy between their seemingly flawless appearances and our own can feel daunting, especially considering their familiarity with posing techniques, knowledge of their best angles, and access to professional lighting.

It’s important to recognize that the images we see in the media are often carefully curated and may not reflect reality. Embracing our own unique beauty, regardless of age or appearance, is key to cultivating self-confidence and resilience in the face of societal beauty standards. Moreover, appreciating the diversity of beauty, including the natural signs of aging, can help foster a more inclusive and accepting mindset.

This means that sometimes there’s so much difference between a picture of a celeb that’s taken off guard and one that is posed, reality can make you gasp.

There’s a paparazzi picture of SJP doing the rounds where she looks, well, her age. It feels unsisterly to look, but when you do there’s a sense of relief that A-listers are not immune from the ravages of time.

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Ditto it’s good to see women who look their age and are both inspiring and content.

I’m thinking of Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Christy Turlington and Andie MacDowell, the latter resplendent with grey hair.

© Kristy Sparow
Rosie feels inspired by Andie MacDowell’s grey hair

It makes sense that seeing realistic images of older women will boost our self-esteem. We need to be conscious about which images we consume and ditch any toxic Instagram accounts.

 I say let’s get real people. We’ll be happier for it.