Wrinkles Make Us Sad, Depressed - Survey

Press release Feb 20, 2012

Wrinkles Make Us Sad, Depressed - Survey

Forget work stress, its wrinkles that make us sad and depressed according to a new study.

The findings were released today as part of the Olay Regenerist Survey* – an independent study which investigated Kiwi women’s attitudes towards cosmetic surgery.

Nearly a fifth (19%) of New Zealand women said having wrinkles appear made them feel sad or depressed and more than half (51%) said this was the most obvious sign of ageing. This was followed by sore joints (24%); grey hair (21%), hair loss (7%) and weight gain (6%).

The survey also found that despite our dislike of wrinkles more than three quarters of us (77%) thought we should age naturally instead of having a cosmetic procedure and one in five (20%) thought that Kiwi celebrities had too much work done.

More than one in three (42%) Kiwi women know someone who has had a cosmetic procedure with females more likely to know someone than males (34%).

Our dislike of cosmetic procedures was further evidenced with more than eight out of 10 (82%) of respondents saying they would not recommend a cosmetic procedure to a friend. More than a quarter of us (28%) even said we’d be offended if someone asked if we’d undergone a cosmetic procedure.

Overwhelmingly Kiwi women preferred the option of using a face cream to give a desired cosmetic result - with nine out of 10 (89%) saying they would elect to use a face cream rather than have a cosmetic procedure.

Top Auckland appearance medicine expert Dr Garsing Wong says the survey confirms what we all believe to be the quintessential Kiwi attitude regarding modesty and simplicity.

“Ageing gracefully does not mean neglecting yourself. It means choosing simple, non-surgical interventions to keep your skin looking healthy. Good clinically proven topical skincare products are an important and integral part of your healthy skin regime, which ultimately leads to better cosmetic results,” says Dr Wong.

“The survey highlights how appearance can affect a significant proportion of people, which is often unsaid. A majority of women want to age naturally, and having effective face creams is an acceptable method,” he says.

Psychologist Sara Chatwin says New Zealand women may prefer to take a more holistic approach to health and beauty before contemplating surgery or other beauty procedures.

“Perhaps we are a little more relaxed and happy about the way we look. It makes sense to also investigate more simple options for beauty like creams, before women think about invasive procedures involved with surgeries,” says Chatwin.

While the majority of Kiwi women would prefer to age naturally more than one third (38%) said if money wasn't an issue they would consider having a cosmetic procedure, compared to just over one quarter (26%) of Kiwi men.

The survey was carried out in conjunction with the launch of new Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex. The cream uses innovative light manipulation technology to smooth skin, relaxing the appearance of lines and wrinkles in minutes.

The cream also boasts a unique penta-peptide formulation, proven to be an effective anti-ageing cocktail that provides hydration to the skin to deliver anti-ageing results.

-Ends-

Notes to editors
* The Olay Regenerist Survey – was conducted by Perceptive Research in December 2011 surveying 1,000 New Zealanders online using a nationwide sampling framework, the results were then weighted to Statistics New Zealand census gender, age and location data.

For more information visit the Olay Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/olay

Dr Garsing Wong: MBChB, BHB, Dip.Comm.Em.Med. Advanced Cert PP Radiochemistry, FAMPA, MRNZCGP, Fellow of the New Zealand College of Appearance Medicine.

Present Positions: Secretary and Treasurer of the New Zealand College of Appearance Medicine, Scientific Committee Member of the New Zealand College of Appearance Medicine, Executive Member and Former Chairman of the Accident and Medical Practitioners Association, Member of the Primary Care Advisory Group - Ministry of Social Development New Zealand, Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Professional Member of the International Association for Organotherapy and StemCell Transplantation, Switzerland. Laser Training Course, University of Queensland 2005. General Medical Council (UK) and New Zealand Medical Council Registration.

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