'She's aging in reverse,’ one TikTok user commented on a ‘before and after’ video of Lindsay Lohan. ‘I will pay any amount of money to have this done to my face – she looks STUNNING,’ said another.
The actor’s Hollywood comeback has been making waves over the past few months – but it’s not just her return to screen that has people talking. The internet has gone wild for her fresh-faced, seemingly ageless appearance, and speculation about which cosmetic procedures she might have had done recently reached fever pitch.
It’s become the norm to see flawlessly symmetrical faces with lifted eyes, high cheekbones, taut, glowing skin and perfectly plump lips on our TV and phone screens. It’s an aesthetic that’s so perfect that it looks like it’s generated by artificial intelligence – let’s call it ‘AI face’.
But as these flawless faces flood our screens, they inevitably shape our subconscious understanding of beauty. Just as so many of us have been brainwashed into thinking a woman’s desirability depends on her dress size, it seems a new narrative is emerging: a ‘beautiful’ face is ageless, symmetrical and free from individuality. And it is concerning to imagine where it is going to lead us: if we’re learning that this is how a face needs to look now, will we all succumb to the pressure and slowly morph into one homogenised ideal of beauty?
The concept of a shared blueprint for beauty isn’t new, of course. Over the past decade we’ve seen trends in facial aesthetics evolve: we had ‘Instagram face’ in the late ’00s – think chiselled nose, overlined lips, tight, high brows and contoured cheekbones – and we’ve witnessed the effect of Love Island on the demand for cosmetic enhancements, specifically filler.
I was never really tempted to try filler or influenced by Instagram face. But AI face? It’s got its claws in me. I suspect it’s largely due to the vast amount of praise we’re collectively heaping on these stars for looking both younger and just perfect. I’ve never previously considered it but… is my face symmetrical? Do my eyes droop a bit?
Judging by the thousands of comments underneath stars’ viral ‘transformation’ videos and the often intense speculation in my WhatsApp chats with female friends, I’m not the only one who’s feeling the pressure to conform.
While it’s too soon to establish the impact of AI face on cosmetic surgery, the industry is undeniably booming. The number of procedures performed in the UK has jumped by over 10% each year of the 2020s, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). That figure doesn’t even account for cosmetic tourism, which sees Brits travel abroad for more affordable treatment. Meanwhile, Botox and fillers are now the most common non-surgical cosmetic procedures worldwide and the market for these injectables is anticipated to grow 15.4% by 2030.
'Even our faces have become a feminist issue'
These numbers served to highlight how normalised ‘tweakments’ have become – it’s a phenomenon we’ve gradually accepted as part of modern beauty culture. But when the standard of beauty becomes unattainable, as I would argue AI face is proving to be, we start chasing a mirage and that’s a dangerous game.
Professor Phillippa Diedrichs, a body image expert at the Centre for Appearance Research, UWE Bristol, says, ‘When women see celebrities being praised for defying ageing or “ageing well”, it can reinforce feelings of inadequacy and heighten body image concerns. This can lead to harmful behaviours, such as excessive spending on beauty products and cosmetic surgery, or disordered eating, and fosters a culture where ageing is stigmatised and women’s bodies are scrutinised.’
I want to tread carefully here because, for many, surgery and cosmetic treatments are an empowering decision that can improve self-esteem and confidence. And even if they don’t – even if they stem simply from a desire to conform – they don’t deserve judgement. The pressure to conform in an increasingly appearance-focused world is immense. If youth and perfection are seen as the ultimate goals, then signs of ageing become something we need to hide; it’s a perfectly normal reaction.
Women are simply trying to exist in a world where beauty is the primary social currency and shame only serves to worsen and perpetuate the issue. We’ve seen this play out in the media time and again, where female celebrities who have dared to ‘age naturally’ are cruelly criticised. Sarah Jessica Parker, who has said she doesn’t ‘do Botox’ and who often embraces her naturally grey hair, is often picked apart for looking ‘old’ or ‘haggard’. Meanwhile, men tend to be allowed to show signs of age and individuality, showing even our faces have become a feminist issue.
That being said, how do we work to escape the trap of impossible beauty ideals and block out the deafening noise? The solution lies partly in rewriting our own narratives around ageing.
‘Accepting different life stages with compassion and gratitude is key,’ says psychologist Joanna Konstantopoulou, founder of the Harley Street Health Psychology Clinic. ‘The shift to focus on self-acceptance and the shared experience of ageing can help women foster a more empathetic relationship with themselves.’
Another important step is to assess our attitudes towards beauty and challenge the notion that it should fit one narrow definition. We need to celebrate faces that tell stories – lines that show laughter, features that reflect heritage and expressions that convey emotions.
We need to challenge the idea that ageing is a flaw. Ageing is the ultimate privilege – something not everyone gets to experience. Beauty lies in diversity – let’s not erase it.