Antiaging causes wrinkles in health awareness

In a world where it seems everyone is fighting the effects of aging, and social media is filled with cosmetic solutions while providing photo filters to assist, early-onset cancer rates in people aged 18 to 49 are rising, according to an article published by Yale Medicine in March.

Riding on the cusp of turning 50, it is astounding and frightening to tick off the number of people I know in their 30s, 40s and 50s who have been diagnosed with and passed from various cancer diagnoses in the past decade. Yet most people seem to be distracted by how they can look younger rather than going to a physician to get health screenings.

Antiaging treatments worldwide are booming. Statista.com valued the antiaging market in 2021 at $62 billion with a forecasted increase to $93 billion by 2027. Weight loss drugs, injectable fillers, noninvasive liposuction and facelifts — it's no longer a stigma to publicly announce you've had these procedures. Videos of "influencers" fill social media showing the processes with before and after photos, sparking a desire in viewers to get more and more done to look younger.