title: The paradox of impossible beauty: body changes and beauty practices in aging women.
abstract: The aim of this article is to describe and understand the experience of aesthetic body changes in women between 65 and 75 years old. To approach the issue, 29 in-depth interviews were conducted in Marseille in 2011. Following a brief review of contemporary Western aesthetics, we will examine the marks of time women perceive as stigmatizing and analyze beauty practices that aim to conceal or repair them. The last part of this article will be devoted to the experience of the aesthetic body and in particular show how aging can paradoxically have a beneficial effect on some women.
authors.affiliation: a UMI 3189 Environnement, Santé , Sociétés (CNRS/Université Cheikh Anta Diop/Université de Bamako/CNRST Burkina Faso) - Dakar , Senegal.
authors.forename: Enguerran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Macia
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duboz
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chevé
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001504:Beauty; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036301:Qualitative Research; D015595:Skin Aging; D057545:Social Stigma
keywords: France; aging body; anthropology; phenomenology