Paulina Porizkova slams critics commenting on her appearance: 'Age is just a number'
Paulina Porizkova is speaking out about getting older.
On Monday, the 57-year-old took to Instagram to share an open and honest message about aging, as well as responding to critics who have said rude things about her appearance.
In the post, the Swedish supermodel shared a photo of herself leaning her head on her hand against a red background. Her long, grey locks were pulled into a ponytail and she wore minimal makeup. In the caption, Porizkova got real about social expectations of women as they age.
"In my last post, I mostly got a lot of wonderful compliments on how good I look. Thank you all. But that wasn’t the point of it (I thought I looked pretty good in that photo as well). We can all look good in a well-lit selfie lying down," she began. "What I was trying to convey was that even a great photo of an older woman in which she looks 'younger,' society has decided her face or body are somehow wrong — not good enough."
The star went on to explain that as she's aged, she's "gained character" — even though society doesn't always agree.
"So here, with the sharp focus of a professional lens, my age is on full display. This is the face of 57-year-old woman. All the so-called 'imperfections' of age clearly visible. It makes me simultaneously insecure and proud. I have lost the smooth glow and prettiness of youth, but I have gained character," Porizkova wrote. I look at my girlfriends and loved one, and what I love the most about them is exactly that, their 'They-ness.' The unique imprints of their lives on their physical appearance, their uniqueness, their recognizability as them."
"...Prettiness or character? As a society, we celebrate one far more than the other — so it’s no wonder the balance is off. And despite my philosophizing - I’m still battling with it myself. If only I could fully see myself the way I see you," she concluded.
In the comments, fans quickly ran to the model's side to show support against the haters.
"So many things about you make you beautiful, Paulina. Most importantly is your humanity," a fan commented.
"I look at all the beautiful women I’ve known in my life (quit a few and you know some of them as well). They all have that one thing in common. They are all beautiful for their entire lives, no matter what they look like," shared another.
"Age is just a number! Don't listen to the negativity!" wrote someone else.
Late last week, the model spoke out about what it's like to be "an older woman in the public eye." In the caption, Porizkova explained that she was feeling pressured to fight signs of aging with cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery, which she paired with a makeup-free selfie.
"I found this photo, which I have posted here before, (and thought I looked great in) reposted here on IG by a cosmetic surgeon, and discussing in detail what I needed done," she penned. "Those pesky hollows under my cheeks could be gotten rid of with fillers, Botox for my forehead, those wrinkles on the side of my mouth, and the chords in my neck, and a whole bunch of lasers to tighten and smooth and tighten everything (It has since been deleted — I was looking for it this morning to post the repost)."
She explained that as a model, she is no stranger to unsolicited criticism about her appearance.
"This is what an older woman in the public eye gets to deal with. I’m told my face needs 'fixing.' It has somehow gone 'wrong' by aging. Is it any wonder that most of us who have the means will resort to some form of fixing what we’re told is broken?" she wrote. "...But telling a woman what she 'needs' to do herself in order to be seen as attractive, whether it’s hair color, makeup, skin creams or clothing — or the more invasive options - is shaming her," Porizkova added. "Every time you catch yourself thinking or saying, 'You know, you should…' to a friend, stop for a moment. If she doesn’t ask for help, are you really helping?"
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