Survey suggests patients have inaccurate memory of ageing appearance

A recent US survey has indicated that the majority of participants carry a ‘memory photo’ of themselves that is younger than they currently are.

The survey, conducted by US medical aesthetic clinic Skin by Lovely, involved 350 women aged 30-70 who were asked to close their eyes and disclose what age they thought they looked like.

The results showed that 90% of women surveyed had a memory age that was younger than their actual age and of this group, 25% said they thought they looked 1-5 years younger and 37% said they thought they looked 6-10 years younger.

"The results of our Memory Age survey revealed a number of insights about individual self-image and how we perceive our aging selves,” said Lovely Laban, nurse prescriber and co-founder of Skin by Lovely. 

She added, “While nearly all respondents reported their Memory Age to be younger than their current age, 40% were surprised by this. This proved to me that our mind is playing a bit of a trick on us when it comes to ageing, and it’s something I think we can use as professionals when talking with our patients about their aesthetic goals. It’s not about our idea of turning back the clock, they very likely already have a picture in their mind.”