Guide to Life: Love Your Face - Whatever Your Age

We’re seeing our faces more than ever — on Zoom, in selfies, on social feeds — and it’s quietly changing how we feel about ourselves. And as we get older, many of us are finding the pressure to 'fix', 'tweak' or excuse our faces creeping in.

In this episode of The Woman’s Hour Guide to Life, Nuala McGovern looks at how you can step back from all of that pressure and love your face, whatever your age.

Journalist Rose Stokes, approaching 40, speaks honestly about comparison, ageing, cosmetic 'tweakments' among her peers, and the small ways self‑scrutiny can take over.

She’s joined by Phillippa Diedrichs, a Professor of Psychology and body image and mental health expert, and beauty journalist Anita Bhagwandas, who has spent years reporting on the beauty and aesthetics industries, as well as thinking about how beauty standards shape the way we see ourselves. She's also the author of Ugly: Giving Us Back Our Beauty Standards.

Together, they explore why we’re looking at our faces more than ever, how filters have shifted our standards, why cosmetic 'tweakments' have become so normalised, and how ageing still carries a double standard. They also unpack the “template face”, the influence of the male gaze — and why “I do it for me” is rarely the full story.

Most importantly, they share practical ways to feel more at home in your own reflection — with less pressure, and more joy.

Key takeaways:
- Catch comparison in the moment. When you start scanning for flaws — yours or someone else’s — pause and ask: 'Is this helping me?'

- Curate your influences. Mute feeds, unfollow triggers and surround yourself with real, diverse faces.

- Interrupt the inner critic. Notice the negative loop and refocus on what your face and body do, not just how they look.

- Ageing isn’t a failure — it’s a privilege. Your face carries your history, your resilience and the life you’ve lived.

GET IN TOUCH with your dilemmas and questions for The Woman’s Hour Guide to Life:
WhatsApp: 03700 100 444
Social media: @bbcwomanshour
Email: womanshour.yourviews@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of The Woman’s Hour Guide to Life are available exclusively on BBC Sounds. You can also watch videos from the recordings on social media @bbcwomanshour.

The Woman’s Hour Guide to Life is presented by Nuala McGovern. The series is produced by Simon Richardson. Digital and audio production is by Erin Downes. The Content Editor is Olivia Bolton. The Executive Editor is Karen Dalziel.