Botox & frozen faces

Expressionless · 2025-09-27T18:55:37+00:00

If you have Botox to the parts of your face that mean you’ve rendered yourself unable to move large part of your face or have very little movement in your eyebrows / around your eyes, does it not bother you that you essentially look frozen and expressionless? At the end of the day, most of us, would like to reduce fine lines and wrinkles - we live in a world that holds women to ridiculous youth standards - basically we all feel we shouldn’t age and that an ageing face is the worst possible outcome. But at what cost does this come? Watching almost all TV / films now means any woman over about 25, maybe 30 at a push essentially has a frozen face and quite literally can’t show emotions properly. Most men don’t do it, so it’s definitely a sexist standard. Women saying they ‘do it for themselves’ - well okay, but only because you’ve been conditioned to find ageing abhorrent. Why can’t we just be left the fuck alone, to age and have faces that move and show our expressions and feelings. Like we have for 1,000’s of years.

KimberleyClark · 18/10/2025 16:43

TheRealGoose · 18/10/2025 16:40

That’s quite rude, she has something wrong with her eyes she discussed in an interview, where the hoodedness causes an issue,

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Ok did not know that. I’d never noticed it before though.

TheRealGoose · 18/10/2025 16:40

KimberleyClark · 18/10/2025 16:16

I watched Bridget Jones - Mad About the Boy recently and think Renee Zellweger looks seriously weird these days. Her eyes become slits when she smiles.

That’s quite rude, she has something wrong with her eyes she discussed in an interview, where the hoodedness causes an issue,

KimberleyClark · 18/10/2025 16:16

I watched Bridget Jones - Mad About the Boy recently and think Renee Zellweger looks seriously weird these days. Her eyes become slits when she smiles.

CoffeeCantata · 18/10/2025 13:10

Jackiepumpkinhead · 27/09/2025 20:11

What women (and men) do to their faces is of no concern to you. Mind your own business.

There’s always one….🙄

User372849 · 18/10/2025 12:39

Nope! It doesnt bother me at all, I LOVE my face with botox.

In fact, its made me feel much less anxious because I can go around looking much more calm (I have typical frown/anxiety lines on my face) which has had the effect of making me feel calm inside, so its also helped my actual mood.

The fact its a toxin doesnt bother me one bit- I see it as no different to drinking alcohol and noone judges that despite the fact that alcohol is a group 1 carcinogen, in fact, alcohol is positively encouraged in our society despite the fact it causes cancer.

ThatCyanCat · 30/09/2025 16:00

FreezerSpace · 30/09/2025 15:54

You are very animated, defensive and reactive with your responses. I am sure you have your reasons but I do think it’s possible to have a discussion about this topic without the directed personal digs at the OP.

FWIW I am not a fan of modern treatments like this but have never once said that people look fake, plastic, weird etc. I think it’s possible to discuss cosmetic procedures without making critical comments about the appearance of women using them.

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You are very animated, defensive and reactive with your responses

You should see my face!

FreezerSpace · 30/09/2025 15:54

ThatCyanCat · 30/09/2025 14:13

You are free to think it, but it is plainly true.

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You are very animated, defensive and reactive with your responses. I am sure you have your reasons but I do think it’s possible to have a discussion about this topic without the directed personal digs at the OP.

FWIW I am not a fan of modern treatments like this but have never once said that people look fake, plastic, weird etc. I think it’s possible to discuss cosmetic procedures without making critical comments about the appearance of women using them.

ThatCyanCat · 30/09/2025 14:45

Didshejustsaythatoutloud · 30/09/2025 14:38

I tried botox about 6yrs ago and ended up looking like a neanderthal 😂my eyebrows were sitting just above my eyes. I was told they had injected too much but it put me right off. I desperately need some now, so may try again with a decent practitioner .
There's a really pretty young girl who I see at the school gates who has her lips done, she obviously has really thin lips naturally but she has so much filler in them that from her profile she literally looks like a duck, it just makes me feel a bit sad for her because she looks ridiculous.

Sorry to hear that about your experience. Unfortunately, it can go wrong, but it's most unlikely with a good practitioner. I don't know where you went, but I'd really advise going to a proper cosmetic clinic that does other procedures too and where all the staff are doctors or nurses. It's really important to have someone very competent and who you trust. Start with minimum dose.

Didshejustsaythatoutloud · 30/09/2025 14:38

I tried botox about 6yrs ago and ended up looking like a neanderthal 😂my eyebrows were sitting just above my eyes. I was told they had injected too much but it put me right off. I desperately need some now, so may try again with a decent practitioner .
There's a really pretty young girl who I see at the school gates who has her lips done, she obviously has really thin lips naturally but she has so much filler in them that from her profile she literally looks like a duck, it just makes me feel a bit sad for her because she looks ridiculous.

ThatCyanCat · 30/09/2025 14:37

Expressionless · 30/09/2025 14:20

Why you keep trying to put words in my mouth and seem hell bent on twisting what I’ve said in each response is beyond me at this point🤷🏻‍♀️

And saying I used my own siblings suicide in some sort of a ‘competition’ is really sick.

Please just leave the thread if you can’t add to the debate and just want to keep slinging mud.

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You started a thread in which you have accused women who have Botox of being everything from snobs to bad mothers. And when I mentioned that my decision to have it was prompted by my face falling in after a tragedy - because it was a scenario you had clearly not considered - you responded with, "Well I have tragedy too, this!"

What reaction did you expect?

Original poster

Expressionless · 30/09/2025 14:20

ThatCyanCat · 30/09/2025 11:15

No, your post about snobbery was you imagining that since I mentioned I'm not an idiot who went to see a total charlatan, I am a snob boasting about "the best injectors", a phrase you made up. It's just one example.

I mentioned the premature lines I got after my tragedy to counter the silly narrative, from you and others, that we all have Botox in a deranged, Snow White evil queen way to try to look 21 forever (good luck if you think Botox will do that). You mentioned yours, which obviously I am sorry to hear and wish had not happened, because you took it as some kind of competition.

I don't think you're the devil incarnate. I think you're a woman who wants Botox, can't resolve that with all the negative stuff you've heard about it and therefore have placed a moral value on it that it doesn't have and want women who get it to feel bad so you can feel better about not doing it. It isn't going to work.

Why you keep trying to put words in my mouth and seem hell bent on twisting what I’ve said in each response is beyond me at this point🤷🏻‍♀️

And saying I used my own siblings suicide in some sort of a ‘competition’ is really sick.

Please just leave the thread if you can’t add to the debate and just want to keep slinging mud.

OP posts:

ThatCyanCat · 30/09/2025 14:13

FreezerSpace · 30/09/2025 14:06

You very, very clearly would like to get it done

That is a bit of a silly stretch I think.

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You are free to think it, but it is plainly true.

Original poster

Expressionless · 30/09/2025 14:12

FreezerSpace · 30/09/2025 14:08

My 21y daughter said she was worried that by the time she reaches my age, mid-50s, that botox will become the norm and she might feel pressured to have these procedures. So whilst she is not wanting to look like a 55y woman, she is conscious of older women injecting their faces, and what that might mean for her generation growing up.

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This is exactly the sentiment I’m worried about for my own DC.

OP posts:

FreezerSpace · 30/09/2025 14:08

Expressionless · 30/09/2025 07:43

Young women are also influenced by their mothers, sisters, aunts and all the other women in their lives - not just socials and influencers.
To say otherwise is disingenuous, regardless of the topic at hand.

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My 21y daughter said she was worried that by the time she reaches my age, mid-50s, that botox will become the norm and she might feel pressured to have these procedures. So whilst she is not wanting to look like a 55y woman, she is conscious of older women injecting their faces, and what that might mean for her generation growing up.

FreezerSpace · 30/09/2025 14:06

ThatCyanCat · 30/09/2025 09:03

I can tell you that - I type fast and I'm naturally sarcastic. I do appreciate it can be a bit overwhelming to read, but I assure you it takes very little out of me. And I thought it was obvious, but it's not about you not agreeing with me, it's about you placing a moral value on something that has no moral value and therefore declaring everyone who doesn't agree with you as morally dubious. You've called me and other women vain, shallow, unattractive, snobs, bad female relations and so on because we get a small, very common procedure done that you can't bring yourself to do. Obviously it's not true, so it doesn't hurt my feelings, but yes it is irritating to be moralised at by someone who's wrong and has no place to be doing it, and if I feel like giving my response then I will.

And I say it's obvious that you want Botox because it is obvious that you do. You think women who get it haven't seen the overdone frozen faces and heard all the cruel jibes and moralistic rebukes like yours? You think we weren't ever concerned? I was worried but after a while my 11s following my horrible tragedy were so deep and horrid, I decided I'd look into it. The practitioner was a doctor whom I trusted (because I'm a snob, remember) and I was honest about my concerns. He talked me through it, made it clear how you get that effect and that he would not do wrong by his patients, explained he had it done himself, and I decided to go for it. I am totally happy with it and you'd be amazed, and very disappointed, if you saw how totally ordinary I look.

Nobody goes at it like you are out of altruistic concern for the younger generation or whatever. You very, very clearly would like to get it done but you think it's beneath you. That's up to you but stop blaming those of us who don't buy the rubbish you're selling.

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You very, very clearly would like to get it done

That is a bit of a silly stretch I think.

lavendermilkshake · 30/09/2025 12:25

ThatCyanCat · 30/09/2025 07:55

You're right, women who have Botox NEVER check out the effect by talking or moving in the mirror. Or asking people they trust what it looks like. Because as well as bring vain, vapid, ugly, terrible mothers, snobs and all that, we're also totally disinterested in the effect we paid to get and whether it's doing what we want! We are whatever you need us to be!

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Crikey!

wfhwfh · 30/09/2025 11:28

hydriotaphia · 30/09/2025 11:10

How rude to comment on other people's faces. People don't have to arrange their faces to please you.

To me - this post hits the very crux of the issue with this thread.

There has been a lot of talk on this thread about the importance of open debate and discussion on Botox. I’m all for this. I don’t get Botox currently but know a lot of people who do and I’m always interested in hearing about the pros and cons (side effects, risks, etc). Other people might not be interested in this as they are 100% sure it’s not for them - totally fine.

However, this thread is personally attacking those who choose to get Botox. I’ve read words like “weird” and “expressionless”. You cannot use disparaging terms like this to describe a group of individuals (women who get Botox) and then be surprised when they respond emotively and defensively.

As I read it, posters are not getting upset with OP because she disagrees with them - they are getting upset because their appearance is being criticised (with a bit of moral judgement thrown in for good measure).

ThatCyanCat · 30/09/2025 11:15

No, your post about snobbery was you imagining that since I mentioned I'm not an idiot who went to see a total charlatan, I am a snob boasting about "the best injectors", a phrase you made up. It's just one example.

I mentioned the premature lines I got after my tragedy to counter the silly narrative, from you and others, that we all have Botox in a deranged, Snow White evil queen way to try to look 21 forever (good luck if you think Botox will do that). You mentioned yours, which obviously I am sorry to hear and wish had not happened, because you took it as some kind of competition.

I don't think you're the devil incarnate. I think you're a woman who wants Botox, can't resolve that with all the negative stuff you've heard about it and therefore have placed a moral value on it that it doesn't have and want women who get it to feel bad so you can feel better about not doing it. It isn't going to work.

hydriotaphia · 30/09/2025 11:10

How rude to comment on other people's faces. People don't have to arrange their faces to please you.

Itiswhysofew · 30/09/2025 11:08

Caught myself in the mirror the other day and was horrified. I've hit a very ugly stage and its only gonna get worse. Wrinkles, lines, blemishes, thin lips...😭
Would love a bit of botox, but not sure who to go to.

Original poster

Expressionless · 30/09/2025 10:59

Also - emotional blackmail - fgs. You’ve mentioned your personal tragedy - I was trying to meet you there, because, well, we’re all humans behind the keyboard!

OP posts:

Original poster

Expressionless · 30/09/2025 10:57

Expressionless · 28/09/2025 16:14

You’re not wrong - which is why there is also a type of snobbery on here from some posters about how they’ve got the ‘best injector’ and only used highly qualified dr’s for their tweaks.

Sadly, you’re also right about these procedures being mass marketed for profit, preying on insecurities.

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@ThatCyanCat

You’ve taken this out of context multiple times now.

I’m talking about a general snobbery between wealthy people being able to afford the best / highly skilled practitioners and those who can’t (and subsequently looking worse for it).

Obviously it’s your prerogative to step away, but trying to continually misrepresent what I’ve said is just another example really.

OP posts:

ThatCyanCat · 30/09/2025 10:26

Expressionless · 30/09/2025 10:17

Another reply with more of the same doubling down and accusations of personal insults and projection. It’s not moralising to care about how beauty standards might affect future women and girls and your relentless reframing of me as some faux altruistic moraliser is tedious as fuck.

Drawing attention to snobbery around practitioners, or to how certain behaviours affect future generations of women (and men now) is not the same as personally insulting you and calling you a snob (or the many other names you keep throwing about) however much you try to frame it as such.

I’m sorry you’ve experienced a horrible tragedy in your life, life is fucking hard, I lost my sibling to suicide a few years ago, so I have been down the rabbit hole of misery myself.

If you want to have a debate, then great, but the continual doubling down and painting me as the devil incarnate isn’t really helping change minds or providing much of any sort of discussion is it.

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This is a completely empty post full of nothing but argument by assertion, misrepresentation of your previous posts (you absolutely did call it snobbery to mention that I use a reputable place, which is exactly the same as calling me a snob, as just one example) and emotional blackmail. It is not worth the time I took to respond to it but now I've done it I might as well hit post.

Original poster

Expressionless · 30/09/2025 10:17

ThatCyanCat · 30/09/2025 09:03

I can tell you that - I type fast and I'm naturally sarcastic. I do appreciate it can be a bit overwhelming to read, but I assure you it takes very little out of me. And I thought it was obvious, but it's not about you not agreeing with me, it's about you placing a moral value on something that has no moral value and therefore declaring everyone who doesn't agree with you as morally dubious. You've called me and other women vain, shallow, unattractive, snobs, bad female relations and so on because we get a small, very common procedure done that you can't bring yourself to do. Obviously it's not true, so it doesn't hurt my feelings, but yes it is irritating to be moralised at by someone who's wrong and has no place to be doing it, and if I feel like giving my response then I will.

And I say it's obvious that you want Botox because it is obvious that you do. You think women who get it haven't seen the overdone frozen faces and heard all the cruel jibes and moralistic rebukes like yours? You think we weren't ever concerned? I was worried but after a while my 11s following my horrible tragedy were so deep and horrid, I decided I'd look into it. The practitioner was a doctor whom I trusted (because I'm a snob, remember) and I was honest about my concerns. He talked me through it, made it clear how you get that effect and that he would not do wrong by his patients, explained he had it done himself, and I decided to go for it. I am totally happy with it and you'd be amazed, and very disappointed, if you saw how totally ordinary I look.

Nobody goes at it like you are out of altruistic concern for the younger generation or whatever. You very, very clearly would like to get it done but you think it's beneath you. That's up to you but stop blaming those of us who don't buy the rubbish you're selling.

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Another reply with more of the same doubling down and accusations of personal insults and projection. It’s not moralising to care about how beauty standards might affect future women and girls and your relentless reframing of me as some faux altruistic moraliser is tedious as fuck.

Drawing attention to snobbery around practitioners, or to how certain behaviours affect future generations of women (and men now) is not the same as personally insulting you and calling you a snob (or the many other names you keep throwing about) however much you try to frame it as such.

I’m sorry you’ve experienced a horrible tragedy in your life, life is fucking hard, I lost my sibling to suicide a few years ago, so I have been down the rabbit hole of misery myself.

If you want to have a debate, then great, but the continual doubling down and painting me as the devil incarnate isn’t really helping change minds or providing much of any sort of discussion is it.

OP posts:

NoSoupForU · 30/09/2025 09:50

It isn't a look I like personally, I find it a bit unsettling how everyone seems to have the same face because these procedures go against the natural contours of their own human face.

But my real issue is with so many women feeling so much pressure to look this certain way. Its incredibly sad!