Michelle Pfeiffer On Aging In Hollywood: 'It Can Wreak Havoc On Your Psyche'

Michelle Pfeiffer might not have always been immune to the pressures Hollywood puts on women, but these days she is no longer worried about aging in the limelight.

The 55-year-old has been referred to as one of the world's most beautiful women over the course of her career. Now that she is getting older, Pfeiffer told Ladies Home Journal ^[1] she has gotten past the pressures she used to feel.

"Having to watch yourself age on a giant movie screen is simply not natural," the "Family" star told the magazine for the October 2013 issue. "It can wreak havoc on your psyche. My dermatologist said to me once, 'You know that 10X magnifying mirror that you have in the bathroom? Throw it away.' It was the best advice anybody ever gave me. Of course, now my eyes are weaker and I can't see to put my makeup on without that mirror!"

"But once you get over a certain hump there actually is less pressure," Pfeiffer added ^[2] . "You can begin to look great for your age. You don't have to look young anymore. I've moved over to that other side -- I'm 55, which is a little too close to 60, but looking great for my age is okay now."

Thirty years ago, Pfeiffer used to treat her body differently. When she was in her 20s, she lived on Coca Cola and Marlboro Lights cigarettes. Today, she leads a vegan lifestyle and works out five days a week, running and doing free weights.

Last year, Pfeiffer told SheKnows that her secrets to ageless beauty ^[3] are eating well, managing her stress levels and good lighting.

Pfeiffer is not the only actress to open up about aging ^[4] in the limelight recently. Last month, Melanie Griffith took a swipe at Hollywood's youth obsession ^[5] .

“It is what I never thought would happen when I was in my 20s and 30s, hearing actresses bitch about not getting any work when they turned 50. Now I understand it, it is just different. In a lot of ways, [Hollywood] a very superficial place,” she told Fox News ^[6] . “It is all about youth and beauty, for women anyway. You just have to keep biting and pushing your way through, doing theater. I believe in just being really good and working on my craft which is how I started in the first place. I really like that as opposed to the fame part of it.”

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