Botox & frozen faces

I have never heard from a botox user that they feel superior to someone who’s got wrinkles. The bashing only comes from women who don’t use it and is usually cloaked in faux concern about beauty standards. I stand by the term bashing. It’s the same vibe as “I’m not a girly girl” or “I’m not like other girls” - often attention seeking and doing nothing actually helpful for women. And no, it’s not aggressive defence. We’re just tired of hearing about it and eventually bite.
But we’ll have to agree to disagree on this, there is no middle ground. You can gracefully frown with judgement, I can’t and I’m quite happy about it.

‘Frozen puffed up face’, ‘Alien like’ ‘weird’… just a few comments on this thread that ‘isn’t a woman bashing thread’ 🤔

Perhaps women are just conditioned to judge one another continuously.

Live and let live I say. Botox isn’t compulsory, it’s a choice. Like colouring your hair, having a tattoo or multiple piercings. It’s a look some like yet others wouldn’t choose… what’s the problem!

Be secure in who you are, if you embrace your fine lines, good for you! If you don’t- no problem. Don’t waste your time bashing each other in threads over it.

54 & most emphatically doing it for ME! Along with a little lip filler (no trout pout)& weight loss jabs (did the first 20 kilos without. The next 10 with).
Healthy & really fucking happy with it.

Love (LOVE!) my frozen forehead!! My body, my choice!

Do we get better treatment from others or have a better life if we look fresher? Probably.

And there you go

I’m 43 and have been getting Botox for the past 6 years, the first time just before my wedding.

Some back story if you’ll permit me:

After never having any skin issues, including as a teen, I came off the pill in my early 30s to try to conceive. Cue awful spots, hyperpigmentation and ultimately melasma in a number of areas on my face. Sadly after a number of years with no success, I was back on the pill and focused on improving my skin so I could feel confident again, especially with my upcoming wedding in mind.

I spent a fortune on various skincare products (including prescription strength tretinoin) as well as chemical peels to reduce the discoloured areas and improve the general texture and tone of my skin.

Whilst this did hugely improve things, I was still very conscious of the remaining flaws / problem areas and this included a long, deep frown line across the middle of my forehead in which any foundation I wore in order to cover blemishes / even out the dark patches would gather and look awful - both in real life and in pictures.

After some thought, discussion with my DH and lots of research on the right, properly qualified and experienced practitioner, I decided to get Botox so I wouldn’t end up looking back on my wedding photos and fixating on my big frown line.

I was so pleased with the results I’ve continued with Botox every 4-5 months or so (excluding height of COVID lockdowns of course). Why? Because of how much better it makes me feel about myself and how I look. So, for me it’s worth every penny.

I don’t have Botox to the extent my face is ‘frozen’. In fact, if you were to interact with me in real life you’d likely consider me naturally, demonstrably expressive - whether with facial expressions or my energetic hand gestures!! I may not be able to frown but believe me, people know when I’m unhappy, disgruntled, confused etc.

I appreciate it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and don’t think any less of others who choose not to have any procedures done. I certainly don’t consider natural faces to be less beautiful than tweaked ones. I just think it comes down to personal choice and respecting everyone’s right to make theirs, ideally without any judgement.

Nope not frozen at all, personally my make up looks a lot better than a ton of line marks on my forehead. Can’t wait for my next top up of Botox

At what age are we allowed to actually look old and it’s okay?

What ever age you want, you just need to have the ability to ignore the noise,

You’re completely wrong that celebrity men don’t get botox - of course they do. Increasingly fillers and face lifts, too (see Brad Pitt, John Travolta, Tom Cruise).

I’ve had Botox in my forehead a couple of times now. I’m 60. I can still frown and wiggle my brows expressively so there’s nothing frozen about my appearance. I just don’t have a permanent frowny, slightly worried expression, which bears no relation to what my thoughts and mood actually are. I don’t think my friends and family are mistaking me for anyone else, so I have no concerns about looking identical to all the other millions of women having the same procedure.

I don’t see it as wildly different from keeping fit, at the right weight, getting a good haircut (I’m grey and I like it), wearing makeup and nice clothes. I don’t feel especially oppressed by these preferences, but some might argue this is’false consciousness’ and that I have so deeply ingested these horrific standards of beauty that I cannot tell the difference between my own inner prompting and external pressures. Oh well.

Why can’t we just be left the fuck alone, to age and have faces that move and show our expressions and feelings

No one is forcing you to do it…..what are you really so angry about?

The older I get the more I enjoy doing skincare and putting lots and lots of makeup on - it makes me feel good. I’d never do Botox! Skincare and makeup over Botox any day (if you want to).

You can either look old or you can look weird. You’ve already looked young because you were young. You can look old because you are old - and it’s completely normal to look older as you get older, or you can look weird. You can erase some lines, plump some cheeks, and lipo some chunks, but really, you just look a bit weird. It looks fine on the television but in real life I’m seeing tired skin with porn star lips, permanently startled expressions, tired eyes, and weird eyebrows.

Ever? Will you be pushing 80 with a frozen, puffed up face?

Because then nobody could stealth-brag about how ageing 'naturally' isn't a problem for them because they're so happy and confident in their own skin ☺️

I saw a silly video on FB and the woman (mid 20s maybe) was laughing so hard she could barely breathe... But her face didn't move. I just thought it was such a shame and she was so young. Don't get me wrong, I've considered it and may still one day but people are starting younger and younger. It makes me feel like it's just expected now, which then makes me feel even worse about my wrinkles 😂

I’m not terrified of it 🙄

I just kinda prefer not to, and it’s perfectly possible for me not to.

OP is entitled to her opinion.

It's funny that as soon as anyone expresses concern about the trend for women to have botox those that use it get really unpleasant and actually down right nasty.

The pressure placed on women by society to look young and not commit the sin of aging is of concern to all women.
And those of us that want to preserve our individuality and not cave into societal pressure have a right to express our views.

Each to their own OP. You’ve made it clear that you’re not interested in Botox but so what if others are?

Everyone who chooses Botox has made this choice for themselves..their reasons are nobody’s business but their own. A general sweeping statement of all of these women have been conditioned to get Botox is demeaning..no, these women have made this decision to do this. You might not understand it and that’s ok because it’s none of your concern.