Today's Edition
AMEINAH ALZEYOUDI (ABU DHABI)
More than half of UAE residents consider preventing signs of ageing important, but only a small fraction of them actively pursue treatments to slow or reverse the process, according to a new YouGov survey.
The “Anti-ageing Report 2026”, conducted between December 2025 and January 2026, revealed that 57% of UAE residents believe it is important to prevent signs of ageing, yet only 12% said they are actively taking steps to slow down the process.
The survey segments UAE consumers into three distinct groups. The largest (57%) are “ageing preventers” - people who consider it important to hold back the clock. They are followed by “maintainers” at 24%, whose attitude sits somewhere between effort and acceptance, while 14% fell into an “indifferent” group that places little importance on preventing visible ageing.
When asked how they feel about ageing, 42% said they would like to age gracefully while maintaining their appearance, 33% said they want to age naturally, 12% said they actively try to slow or reverse signs of ageing, and 9% said they do not really think about it.
Gen Z and millennials split almost identically to Gen X and baby boomers across all three segments, while women were somewhat more likely to be preventers than men (63% vs 55%).
Lifestyle First, Treatments Second
When asked what they believe has the greatest impact on ageing, UAE residents across all segments point to the same trio: a healthy diet (54%), regular exercise (47%), and sleep and stress management (46%).
Among the overall UAE sample, the most common reasons for considering anti-ageing treatments or supplements were to maintain health and vitality (41%) and improve skin appearance (38%). Preventing signs of ageing itself ranked lower at 28%.
Products and treatments matter more at the margins, and mainly among those already inclined towards prevention. Supplements or vitamins were selected by 21% of respondents overall, while 20% pointed to skincare and topical treatments. Among preventers, those shares rose to 26% and 25%.
When it comes to shopping patterns, 80% respondents in the UAE said that they spend money each month on skincare, supplements or anti-ageing products or treatments.
Men were three times more likely than women to spend nothing at all - 15% compared with 5%. Preventers are the heaviest spenders, with 66% spending at least Dh100 a month and 44% spending more than Dh300. By contrast, 46% of maintainers and 35% of indifferent consumers spend at least Dh100 monthly.
Even among the indifferent group, 71% still spend something each month, suggesting that low emotional investment in ageing does not necessarily mean complete disengagement from the category.
Vitamin Injections Lead, AI Divides Opinion
According to the survey, future interest was strongest around vitamin injections and traditional anti-ageing skincare, both selected by 20% of respondents. Collagen boosters or bio-stimulator injections followed at 15%, while 25% said they would not try any of the options shown.
Among preventers, 26% said they would consider vitamin injections, 24% would try traditional anti-ageing skincare, and 20% would consider collagen boosters or bio-stimulator injections. That compares with 11%, 9% and 9% respectively among indifferent respondents.
Although most people have heard of options like Botox, vitamin injections, and traditional anti-ageing skincare, usage remains low (6%, 14% and 16%, respectively), while 40% haven’t tried any of the treatments listed.
The survey also probed attitudes towards AI-driven skincare tools. Among preventers, 64% find the idea of AI analysing their skin, ageing patterns, or biological age appealing, and 72% say they would trust AI-driven facial analysis to recommend personalised treatments.
Maintainers are far more hesitant, with only 32% finding the concept appealing. Indifferent consumers sit at 31% appeal and show the highest distrust, with 56% saying they would not trust AI recommendations.
Word of mouth remains the single most important channel for discovering new anti-ageing treatments, cited by 34% of respondents overall and 39% of preventers.
Dermatologists and aesthetic professionals come next (31%), followed closely by social media (30%) and search engines (25%).
