June 9th, 2015, YouGov
As cosmetic surgeries and anti-aging products become more accessible to the mass public and the obsession with aesthetic beauty increases, we surveyed residents about their opinions of youthfulness, aging and the steps they take to look younger.
The results reveal that 70% of residents in MENA, India and Pakistan consider looking young to be 'extremely' or 'very' important (men 69% and women 75%).
The study, conducted amongst 855 residents, reveals respondents in India and Pakistan (76%) and the GCC (74%) are the most preoccupied with looking young, followed by North Africa (68%) and the Levant (63%).
For the majority of respondents, when considering what ‘looking young’ means, being active and energetic springs to mind the most (75%), followed by being fit and strong (50%) and feeling youthful (37%) – all three were equally represented by men and women.
When asked about which measures they take to stay young, most favor a natural approach, with the greatest proportion claiming eating healthily helps (65%). This is more prevalent amongst women (73% v 62% of men). Staying positive is the next most popular method (54%), followed by regular exercise (50%) – favored more by men (52% v 47% of women).
Interestingly, aesthetic procedures (such as Botox, fillers) and cosmetic surgery are the least preferred options amongst respondents (3% and 2% respectively) and equally unpopular amongst men and women, showing a surprising aversion to these procedures.
Skincare and fitness regimes
Indeed, results suggest respondents prefer to steer clear of artificial methods when it comes to achieving younger-looking skin, with drinking lots of water and eating healthily the most popular tactics (both 61%).
Meanwhile, 43% of respondents favor washing their face with soap or face wash, just 11% use anti-aging creams. Botox and other skin procedures emerged again as the least popular options (1%).
Fitness regimes also play an important role in the quest to ‘stay young’, with half of respondents (51%) claiming they do regular cardio exercise such as running, jogging or dancing – equally favored by half of men and women. 34% also believe in dieting (more popular amongst women (41% v 31% of men), while 33% go to the gym.
Cosmetic surgeries and procedures
On the other hand, a surprising two-thirds (67%) of respondents claim they are against cosmetic surgery with men expressing this the most (71% v 56% of women).
Nevertheless, despite being the least popular skincare method, 23% of respondents believe aesthetic and over-the-counter procedures are acceptable and do help people to look younger – expressed the most amongst women (35% v 18% of men).
It’s safe to say while the majority think looking young is extremely important, they do not believe in anti-aging products, cosmetic surgery or aesthetic procedures. Therefore until these products can make ground-breaking advancements, good old-fashioned exercise and healthy eating will remain residents’ best bet to stay looking young.
Research for this study was conducted online by YouGov amongst 855 respondents in MENA, India and Pakistan between 27 April and 28 May 2015. Data is broadly representative of the online population in the MENA region, India and Pakistan.