Over 2.4 million botox procedures were performed in US women in 2007, according to statistical data from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 25% of these injections were performed in women between the ages of 51 and 64, while 47% were perfomed in women between the ages of 30 and 50.
What these stats imply is that menopausal women are getting a lot of botox done.
In the youth-obsessed culture in which we live, cutting, reshaping, lifting and plumping has become the norm, not the exception. Yet, I do wonder whether or not too much of a good thing is well, is too much of a good thing. When I see photos of celebrities like Nicole Kidman or Cher, I just cringe. And isn’t it ironic that one of the most potent poisons we know of is used to create the illusion of youth?
I’m not going to stand on a high moral ground judging women’s decisions to inject toxin into their faces to smooth the wrinkles and recapture a few fleeting moments of youth. (Okay, well, that sounds a bit judgmental!) Truly though, the drive to steal a youthful appearance, if only for a few weeks or months, is perfectly understandable; I can’t tell you how many mornings I look in the mirror, and ask myself “what happened?”
But the real challenge is to understand how the external changes that we can see relate to the internal changes that we can’t. I believe that this knowledge can help us to define effective longer-term strategies that ultimately result in a better balance between the two.
Afterall, botox is only skin-deep, isn’t it?
What do you think?
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I don’t really want botox. I DO want an eye lift and a neck lift, ASAP!
A little nip, a little tuck, and voila! Too funny Mary! I think you look mahvalous!
I think it’s a personal choice. (Not mine, I don’t think!) But there are some who take it TOO FAR and yikes.
i think that my dog needs botox before me.
when it first came on the market for use with bell’s palsy and facial ticks i worked on a pitch for a client. at the end it said something to the effect of future cosmetic uses. i turned to my biz partner and said, “who the hell will ever inject toxins in the their face?”
that’s me, always on top of the latest trend!
This post is really relevant for me because I am a botox junkie due for a touch-up and asking myself these same questions. I was curious to see what all the hype was about a few years ago and tried it on my forehead and it’s like magic–my forehead was so smooth it was practically poreless! My eyebrows still moved–granted, in a more limited fashion–I just didn’t have any lines.
The problem starts when it wears off and the lines return–that and it feels very weird once your forehead is once again moving–it’s like the muscles have atrophied so it’s uncomfortable and gives you a headache just from the work those muscles are doing going up and down again. It’s like any drug–first you get hooked on the feeling/look of your line-less skin then, at least in my opinion, there is some degree of physical discomfort when it wears off which makes you crave it. It’s like trying to quit smoking to resist the urge to get more!
I’m trying to resist the urge–mostly because of the cost–but can’t say I will give it up forever.
Amy – too funny!
Wendy -I agree; it’s definitely a personal choice and definitely often overdone.
Maggie – interesting how addicting it is.