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The phenomenon is a less extreme, but still chilling, version of what happened to Ursula Andress at the end of the old movie She (...who most be obeyed...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjka34_l6QA
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What has happened is that hair dying technology is now able to take a 60 year old woman's hair, and make it look almost identical to that of a 30 year old woman - so that from a few yards away and if you are not paying much attention, from behind an old woman may look like a young women.
But when she turns around, a visceral shock is experienced on observing the ancient face framed by the young hair as if the woman has aged thirty years in five seconds.
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A similar phenomenon can be seen with plastic surgery, which can take about 15 years off a face, but the hands show the real age.
When 'the gloves come off' there is another instant-ageing She-shock from the contrast between a smooth, shiny, wide-eyed face and the hands of a crone.
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The irony is that those who are the most concerned by their own appearance, are utterly blind to the actual effect of their appearance on others - like those vain men who hate being bald but react by wearing an obvious wig, or ludicrous 'comb-over' hairstyle.
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I liked the joke I saw from a GP: "Statins put 15 years onto your life i.e. they make you feel 15 years older."
ReplyDeleteRay Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" comes to mind. For those of you who haven't read it, it's a fantasy/horror story, a main thread is about young people wanting to be older and older people wanting to be younger, and people wanting to live forever
ReplyDeleteMy wife is a wonder!
ReplyDeleteAt sixty-nine, her hair is long and golden.
She has never used hair colour.
I saw a young black guy, one day, notice her, from behind, and sidle up to her, all smiles and bravado.
I will never forget the incredulous shock and disorientation, when he realized she was probably forty-five years his senior :)
I was discussing with a friend the friend the tendency of women (particularly American women from the Northeast and Midwest) to cut their hair in a short and somewhat masculine manner once they reach a certain age. I had a theory that this was a defense againt the shocked and repulsed looks from younger men who had mistaken them for young women.
ReplyDeleteSeems implausible to me - just letting yourself naturally go grey would achieve the same effect. Yet all women dye/ bleach (etc) their hair now, from their late teens.
ReplyDelete