Anti-age Cosmetology in Older Age and Aging Scenarios of Russian Women in the Perspective of the Life Course

The article is devoted to studying aging scenarios for women in a modern Russian megapolis who regularly undergo anti-age cosmetology. Theoretically, the article focuses on developing a scenario approach and research debate on diversifying older women’s ways of living. Empirically, the article is based on thirteen biographical leitmotif interviews that were developed and conducted within the life course approach. The theme of care for appearance at different stages of life was chosen as a leitmotif of the interviews. The interviewees were women over 60 years old, living in Saint Petersburg and regularly undergoing anti-age cosmetic procedures. The current research perspective of the life course has made it possible to consider the story of women’s lives as a sequence of individual choices that determine life scenarios. Analysis of the data showed that the choice of aging scenarios is related to women’s attempts to control age-related changes in their appearance. During the analysis, three alternative aging scenarios were identified: ageless woman, active retiree, and professional granny. The identified scenarios are analytically described and compared with the new discourse of active longevity and the normative scenario of female aging.