Associations Between Makeup Use and Physical, Cognitive, and Psychological Functions in Community-Dwelling Older Women

TL;DR

Older women who regularly wear makeup show better mood, balance, and quality of life compared to those who don't.

Contribution

This study identifies associations between makeup use and improved psychological and physical functioning in older women.

Findings

Makeup users had better grip strength, balance, and mood compared to non-users.

Lipstick and eyebrow product users showed lower depression and better mobility scores.

Adjusted analyses confirmed improved quality of life and mood in makeup users.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Older women who habitually wear makeup exhibit better cognitive and psychological functioning. However, physical characteristics associated with habitual makeup use in this population remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate physical, cognitive, and psychological characteristics of community-dwelling older women who habitually use makeup. Methods: This health survey included 295 community-dwelling women aged ≥65 years. Weekly makeup use frequency; cosmetic types used; grip strength; sit-and-reach distance; one-leg standing time; maximum walking speed; and scores on timed up-and-go (TUG) test, Mini-Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale-5 (GDS-5), and EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L, Japanese version) were statistically analyzed and compared between makeup and non-makeup groups. Further, the following four groups, based on lipstick and eyebrow product use, were compared: lipstick users, eyebrow products users, both-users, and neither-users. Results: The make-up group had lower age (p = 0.001), lower TUG scores (p = 0.011), lower fastest walking speed (p = 0.022), and lower GDS-5 scores (p = 0.009) and higher grip strength (p = 0.011), one leg standing time (p = 0.008), and EQ-5D-5L scores (p = 0.049). After adjusting for age, the make-up group showed significantly lower GDS-5 scores (p = 0.008) and higher EQ-5D-5L scores (p = 0.038). Comparison by cosmetic types revealed significantly lower age (p = 0.004) and TUG (p = 0.007), GDS-5 (p = 0.002), and EQ-5D-5L (p = 0.034) scores and higher EQ-5D-5L scores in users than in non-users. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association with TUG (odds ratio [OR], 0.653; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.448–0.952) and GDS-5 (OR, 0.592; 95% CI, 0.415–0.843) in both-users. Conclusions: Habitual lipstick and eyebrow cosmetic use may be associated with improved mood, quality of life, and dynamic balance in older women.

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