I’m 56 and had mini Botox for a couple of years as I hate the two deep lines between my eyebrows and outgrew my fringe. But now I’ve given up , I’ve past caring ! It is what it is and I am who I am. Lately if I’m honest I can’t even notice much difference from when I did have it and now that I don’t.
Thanks for sharing, Francis! Those are the two lines that bother me the most (or that have appeared so far on my face!), but I think I'm with you on not really caring (or at least trying not to!). Otherwise, I feel like it would be never-ending! And for all the other reasons I mentioned above. ☝️ Thanks for sharing your thoughts, feelings, and experience!
I’ve got used to them now and yours always encouraged to go one step further, do an extra tweak here and there, which I always resisted. But before you know it you look so different!!! Best to stay away. I use Weleda now and swear by it.
I often find myself categorizing my face (and body) as before & after baby. I have never experienced such rapid aging as when I was sleep deprived for the first three years of my daughter’s life. It hit me hard.
That said, I’ll be 43 in September (birthday twins??) and don’t plan on ever getting Botox. Sleep is slowing coming back to me now…but also, perimenopause!? Someone please give me a break.
Yeah, I can't imagine going day after day without enough sleep... Well, actually I can! I struggle with sleep even without a little one to take care of. And I am wondering if it is peri-related! I could use a break too! 🙃
Interesting to read these perspectives, and I align with your thinking on this. I also don't love needles, heh, and its a key reason why I never got a tattoo. Have not gotten Botox and don't think I will. There was a time, several years ago, when I ate a very clean (pristine) diet.... vegan, no processed foods, oils, sugar, etc and I was AMAZED at the impact. I looked younger, skin way better etc. So I can attest to the impact of that.
Also my reasoning for not getting tattoos! Haha. I’ve heard that about eating very clean, but I imagine it’s hard to keep up, or at least it would be for (foodie) me! Why’d you stop?
"People should do whatever they want to their faces and bodies, as long as they’re doing it for themselves and because it genuinely makes them happy, not because they feel pressured into it."
- of course. I just wonder if this is EVER the reason why anyone gets Botox?
If there was no societal pressure to do so, if no one cared about looking younger, if there were no advantages in society for looking a certain way - would people still be doing it "because it genuinely makes them happy?" I think most people who get these procedures do so because in one way or another, we are all pressured to do it. People do it because society tells us that looking a certain way is "good" and "right", and we want to feel good and right about ourselves. So it is "for your own happiness", of course, but the fact that your happiness requires it stems from societal pressure.
And the uncomfortable truth is that for the pressure to end, we must stop conforming. When we talk about "pressure from society", we must remember that WE are society. I know, this is frustrating and exhausting and really we have better things to do with our lives than stand up to some beauty standard. But if we don't collectively refuse, this BS will be allowed to continue.
And getting Botox is wildly different from using creams. A moisturiser and an SPF both serve a lot of functions that have nothing to do with smoothing wrinkles (in fact they cannot do so!). SPF can literally protect against skin cancer, whereas Botox is...a toxin. It can have potentially dangerous effects, including some really crazy ones - I read that it can actually make you less happy, as the way we express emotions with our faces sends signals to our brain that we are happy, sad, angry, surprised etc. So if we aren't emoting with our faces, it can affect our actual feelings and make us feel more numb and "flat". If that isn't depressing, I don't know what is.
That is extremely depressing! Fuck. I didn’t even think about how it can affect your feelings bc your expressions are flattened.
I appreciate your thoughtful comment here. I agree that we collectively need to stop submitting to societal pressures, but I’m also cognizant that it’s easier said than done. Baby steps is my motto. The fact that I even explored this topic shows that I feel the pressure, but I am staying strong!💪🏼 Again, thanks for reading and for your thoughtful comment! Keep ‘em coming.
Oh, 100%! It is very difficult to resist. Following the standard can be gratifying, while resisting is unpleasant and hard, and makes you "different", which not everyone wants to take on. I completely understand why people decide that they have other priorities and choose the path that puts less strain on them. Thank you for this post, it was so thoughtful and well researched.
Botox, never. I just had dental work where novacaine numbed half my face. My left side was drooping and I looked like a stroke victim or had Bell's Palsey. I don't know how Botox feels, but I'll tell you I didn't like this feeling.
Very interesting experiment! At mid 50s, I'm starting to notice signs of aging and wondering what to do about it. I'm not interested in anything surgical or chemically injected. I'm okay to have nature take it's course but I don't want to hasten it. I have a good moisturizer (Phosis!) that's helped a lot and we'll see how things go. I have a red light wand that has done nothing I've noticed but I find using it relaxing.
I would hope Botox doesn't feel like Novocain, although I have no idea! :) Hope you've recovered! Thanks for the moisturizer rec. I'll check that out! I sometimes use a Gua Sha stone on my face, which feels good, but I'm also not sure it does much! I guess we just need to surrender! ;)
I was awaiting this read!! <3 Beautifully written. Also, at 43... I feel 28 so I think that I'm allowed to look however I want to align with my mental age!
I’m 56 and had mini Botox for a couple of years as I hate the two deep lines between my eyebrows and outgrew my fringe. But now I’ve given up , I’ve past caring ! It is what it is and I am who I am. Lately if I’m honest I can’t even notice much difference from when I did have it and now that I don’t.
Ooo I’m gonna look for them! I’m a CeraVe fan!
Thanks for sharing, Francis! Those are the two lines that bother me the most (or that have appeared so far on my face!), but I think I'm with you on not really caring (or at least trying not to!). Otherwise, I feel like it would be never-ending! And for all the other reasons I mentioned above. ☝️ Thanks for sharing your thoughts, feelings, and experience!
I’ve got used to them now and yours always encouraged to go one step further, do an extra tweak here and there, which I always resisted. But before you know it you look so different!!! Best to stay away. I use Weleda now and swear by it.
I can imagine that happens. What’s Weleda?? A cream?
Yes ! There are all different types. The face wash and the light face and body cream is heaven.
I often find myself categorizing my face (and body) as before & after baby. I have never experienced such rapid aging as when I was sleep deprived for the first three years of my daughter’s life. It hit me hard.
That said, I’ll be 43 in September (birthday twins??) and don’t plan on ever getting Botox. Sleep is slowing coming back to me now…but also, perimenopause!? Someone please give me a break.
Yeah, I can't imagine going day after day without enough sleep... Well, actually I can! I struggle with sleep even without a little one to take care of. And I am wondering if it is peri-related! I could use a break too! 🙃
Interesting to read these perspectives, and I align with your thinking on this. I also don't love needles, heh, and its a key reason why I never got a tattoo. Have not gotten Botox and don't think I will. There was a time, several years ago, when I ate a very clean (pristine) diet.... vegan, no processed foods, oils, sugar, etc and I was AMAZED at the impact. I looked younger, skin way better etc. So I can attest to the impact of that.
Also my reasoning for not getting tattoos! Haha. I’ve heard that about eating very clean, but I imagine it’s hard to keep up, or at least it would be for (foodie) me! Why’d you stop?
"People should do whatever they want to their faces and bodies, as long as they’re doing it for themselves and because it genuinely makes them happy, not because they feel pressured into it."
- of course. I just wonder if this is EVER the reason why anyone gets Botox?
If there was no societal pressure to do so, if no one cared about looking younger, if there were no advantages in society for looking a certain way - would people still be doing it "because it genuinely makes them happy?" I think most people who get these procedures do so because in one way or another, we are all pressured to do it. People do it because society tells us that looking a certain way is "good" and "right", and we want to feel good and right about ourselves. So it is "for your own happiness", of course, but the fact that your happiness requires it stems from societal pressure.
And the uncomfortable truth is that for the pressure to end, we must stop conforming. When we talk about "pressure from society", we must remember that WE are society. I know, this is frustrating and exhausting and really we have better things to do with our lives than stand up to some beauty standard. But if we don't collectively refuse, this BS will be allowed to continue.
And getting Botox is wildly different from using creams. A moisturiser and an SPF both serve a lot of functions that have nothing to do with smoothing wrinkles (in fact they cannot do so!). SPF can literally protect against skin cancer, whereas Botox is...a toxin. It can have potentially dangerous effects, including some really crazy ones - I read that it can actually make you less happy, as the way we express emotions with our faces sends signals to our brain that we are happy, sad, angry, surprised etc. So if we aren't emoting with our faces, it can affect our actual feelings and make us feel more numb and "flat". If that isn't depressing, I don't know what is.
That is extremely depressing! Fuck. I didn’t even think about how it can affect your feelings bc your expressions are flattened.
I appreciate your thoughtful comment here. I agree that we collectively need to stop submitting to societal pressures, but I’m also cognizant that it’s easier said than done. Baby steps is my motto. The fact that I even explored this topic shows that I feel the pressure, but I am staying strong!💪🏼 Again, thanks for reading and for your thoughtful comment! Keep ‘em coming.
Oh, 100%! It is very difficult to resist. Following the standard can be gratifying, while resisting is unpleasant and hard, and makes you "different", which not everyone wants to take on. I completely understand why people decide that they have other priorities and choose the path that puts less strain on them. Thank you for this post, it was so thoughtful and well researched.
Botox, never. I just had dental work where novacaine numbed half my face. My left side was drooping and I looked like a stroke victim or had Bell's Palsey. I don't know how Botox feels, but I'll tell you I didn't like this feeling.
Very interesting experiment! At mid 50s, I'm starting to notice signs of aging and wondering what to do about it. I'm not interested in anything surgical or chemically injected. I'm okay to have nature take it's course but I don't want to hasten it. I have a good moisturizer (Phosis!) that's helped a lot and we'll see how things go. I have a red light wand that has done nothing I've noticed but I find using it relaxing.
I would hope Botox doesn't feel like Novocain, although I have no idea! :) Hope you've recovered! Thanks for the moisturizer rec. I'll check that out! I sometimes use a Gua Sha stone on my face, which feels good, but I'm also not sure it does much! I guess we just need to surrender! ;)
I was awaiting this read!! <3 Beautifully written. Also, at 43... I feel 28 so I think that I'm allowed to look however I want to align with my mental age!
Yessss. Do as you please, whatever that might be! 💜 Thanks for your contribution and for reading!!
No.
No. No.