Quest for beauty is not just the preserve of the young

The article in the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend on older Bay people undergoing the surgeon's knife to make themselves younger is surprising.
For many years now, cosmetic surgery has largely been the domain of younger people seeking to change their appearance and potentially transform their life.
The topic is certainly a talking point and often fuelled by the number of celebrities and stars who have shelled out thousands to look youthful or achieve a certain look.
On page A3, Ellen Irvine reports that local people aged over 70 are turning to cosmetic surgery, with boob jobs, face lifts, tummy tucks, nose jobs and eyelifts some of the most popular procedures.
On page C3, she talks to one Bay woman, Cecile, who at 80 has had work done around her eyes and plans to have even more surgery. This trend is part of a wider controversy.
There is a powerful argument that it's on the inside that what counts and inner beauty is more important than looks.
This argument is often used when it comes to young people who face increasing pressure through various media to be attractive and thin and achieve a certain look.
There is merit in this viewpoint. Inner beauty is important and critical to self-esteem. In an ideal world, people should be judged on this, not on the way they look.
But we don't live in a perfect world. It's a natural, and some would say unfortunate, fact of life that people do judge others on what they look like. It is often a big factor in choosing a partner.
The way people look usually has a huge bearing on how they see themselves and how others see them. It can make the difference between having an outgoing, bubbly personality, or being withdrawn. It is critical we teach our children about inner beauty, but we need to be realistic.
There will be cases where it is appropriate for a younger person to go under the knife. It is the reason why they are doing it that matters. If adults want to have cosmetic surgery to look better, then that's their choice - no matter what their age or reason.
Good on Cecile for trying to regain some of her youthful looks.