Gabrielle Union has seemingly been aging backward before our eyes. But while plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures are common in Hollywood, the actress says the secret to an impressively snatched face is a hairstyle.
During a promotional event for Union and her longtime stylist, Larry Sims, Simstyled x JCPenney Salon Experience, the actress and bestselling author shut down online speculation that she’d gotten a facelift.
“A high pony for a lady of a certain age is like a facelift,” the actress told People magazine. “As much as what happens or doesn’t happen with my face is speculated, if you can’t be missing for six months to get a facelift — which I’ve never been missing for six months; get it right.”
Union, who is known to rock an updo on and off the red carpet, explained how super high and super low ponytails can offer various face-snatching effects.
A high snatched pony is all you need — [and it] don’t cost you a thing,” she added, sharing her appreciation for the hairstyle’s timelessness.
Throughout her career, Union has embraced bold authenticity. In October, the “Being Mary Jane” star celebrated her 52nd birthday with a sexy montage of photos. In an Instagram post honoring the new milestone, Union emphasized the self-love that comes with age.
“This is 52. This is grown woman sh*t,” she captioned a carousel post of photos. “This is being accountable for mess ups … being gracious when others mess up … being open to being wrong and being proud and confident when you are right. This is loving passionately and unapologetically. This is clear and firm boundaries. This is sexy. This is audacious. This is fun and full of wild adventures. This is calling a thing a thing and not falling for the Okey Doke and demanding better. This is being alone without being lonely. This is enjoying nature. This is fierce and compassionate motherhood. This is fighting for my people and yours. This is me at 52, loving ALL of me.”
Though she has not had a face-lift, Union has previously opened up about trying out cosmetic procedures like Botox and PRP facials, where a blood sample is extracted and re-applied onto the skin. As she told Harper’s Bazaar, she is an advocate for doing whatever makes one feel best.
“Baby, what someone else does, does not impact the price of my bills. So, I think everyone should do what they want to do — if you like it, I love it. For myself, I’ve tried all kinds of shit. Some things don’t work — like, my body absorbs Botox like Skittles, so that’s not really an option for me, because it doesn’t last. But it’s such a personal thing—it’s your face. However you feel best, you should go for that,” said Union about plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures. “I’m the last person to be judging anybody for what they do for their bodies, and how they live their lives. Again, if you like it, I love it… I used to want to look like other people when I was young, but now I want to look like myself.”
