This names something rarely said outright: in a culture where female worth has long been tied to desirability, ageing rarely reads as purely physical, it reads as a loss of status, of place in others' eyes. What strikes me most is how it's become framed as personal responsibility! Injectables and "preventive" routines aren't corrections anymore as you noticed, they're maintenance you're expected to anticipate. Which quietly implies an ageing face is a failure of vigilance.

Thank you for these profound reflections, as we find ourselves (more than ever) in the era of longevity.