Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Unnecessary cosmetic surgery and treatments

146 replies

justawoman76 · 12/05/2021 18:24

At work today, one of my younger colleagues, (23), was telling us how she is about to get her face 'filled' and botox.
She literally has perfect skin. I asked why she was getting botox and she wrinkled up her forehead by raising her brows and pointed to the area and said ' that's why'.
I tried to explain that everyone has forehead wrinkles when they intentionally raise their brows, but she was adamant she wants rid of them and her face 'filled'.
It just made me so sad that such a young woman thinks normal facial movement is abnormal. She's getting her lips 'done' when she's there.

Today I also me my new neighbour, and I could barely understand (or stop looking at) her as she was talking, as her lips were so pumped up she couldn't talk properly. The side profile was incredible, not just the lips but the whole margin around the lips was so swollen. And black tattooed eyebrows (when will that fashion go away?). Such a shame because she is obviously actually a nice looking woman under that.

WHY do women feel they have to do this to themselves? I know it's all up to the individual and whatever makes them happy yadda yadda, but I wonder if they seriously know how weird it looks, and that everyone can see what they've had done? Or is that the intention?

23 years old seem ridiculous to be thinking about getting fillers and botox!

OP posts:
Sackofspuds · 12/05/2021 20:26

I've had stuff done. I'm open about it. I'm a very low maintenance person. No make up or anything. I don't dye my hair. Others do. Looks horrible and artificial imho. Each to their own.

Neonprint · 12/05/2021 20:27

I do think it's a shame when women don't want normal movements in their face or normal features. But I do understand why women might get filler or botox to help with ageing. Really the society we live in puts so much on women's looks can we blame them?

However I also get how you feel about massively overfilled lips. They do look stupid and very porny. I don't feel people should be allowed to deform their clients to1 the point they can't speak properly.

Equally they are loads of surgeries, particularly nose jobs which reduces function. All of which shoulf not be legal.

Serpenta · 12/05/2021 20:35

I agree with you, OP, that it's a bit baffling that people in their early 20s are having botox and fillers to fix problems that don't exist. Capitalism and ridiculous beauty standards means there will always be a new 'imperfection' to be fixed. Hip dips anyone? Who the heck worried about hip dips 10 years ago, or even knew the term.

Everyone saying 'oh it's just a fashion thing', well yeah it's clearly fashionable but once this kind of thing becomes mainstream it's hard to put it back in the box.

It's depressing.

clarepetal · 12/05/2021 20:35

Totally agree with you OP. Think people get addicted to these procedures and keep having more when they are usually very pretty and don't need it.

Aloethere · 12/05/2021 20:36

I'm with you OP. I think it is sad that young people want to paralyse their faces and be expressionless. I also think over-inflated lips like the ones you describe on your neighbour look ridiculous. Of course it is everyones right to do what they want with their own faces but that doesn't mean that sometimes it doesn't look daft. Some people like the plastic look though and I presume they know that it is a marmite look when they get it done.

Neonprint · 12/05/2021 20:37

@TwinkleToeMatilda

So I am 24 and have had my lips done 5 times in total and recently had fillers in my nose. Getting my nose and lips done were purely because I was insecure about those two features on my face. I can safely say that I regret having them done SO much. I am so desperate to get them dissolved so I can go back to being natural again. I don’t think anything about your post was mean or bitchy by the way.
Do you mind if I ask why? As pp's said I think with lips the amount makes a huge difference eg. 0.5 ml can just give a bit of plumpness. But 1ml or more can look redic. Especially when done badly. I have quite thin lips and have thought about a small amount of filler. So I'd love to know why you regret them.
PuddingJacker · 12/05/2021 20:39

Stop telling other women what to do with their bodies and telling them they look weird for making different choices from you. You don't have a right to be "so sad" that women choose to have different bodies from you - if you don't like these treatments then don't get them. Honestly, your comments are nasty.

lanatolater2 · 12/05/2021 20:41

I had 0.5 then 1ml and neither were enough for me. I don't think it's the amount of filler as much as the technique and the original shape that make them look good or bad

Spaceprincess · 12/05/2021 20:43

Like other posters say , its fashionable.
I have fillers to restore volume, the guy that does them told me some young girls literally ask to look like blow up dolls.
It will pass and something else will take its place.

SmallPrawnEnergy · 12/05/2021 20:47

I knew a couple of threads in someone would make a nasty comment.

Such a shame because she is obviously actually a nice looking woman under that.

I know it's all up to the individual and whatever makes them happy yadda yadda
I wonder if they seriously know how weird it looks

You’re not very nice yourself OP. You say you understand it’s a personal choice but you’re refusing to accept that while mocking how they look. It may not be to your taste but it’s nothing to do with you. Stope telling women what to do with their bodies, it’s not a hard concept.

Aloethere · 12/05/2021 20:47

@PuddingJacker

Stop telling other women what to do with their bodies and telling them they look weird for making different choices from you. You don't have a right to be "so sad" that women choose to have different bodies from you - if you don't like these treatments then don't get them. Honestly, your comments are nasty.
It can look weird though, I'm sure they know themselves when they ask for the plastic look that it doesn't look natural, I think that is the point? She also isn't telling people what to do with their bodies. I don't think you have 'the right' to tell people how to feel about certain things, honestly why are you being so nasty to the OP?
TwinkleToeMatilda · 12/05/2021 20:48

@Neonprint yeah of course. I’ve had 0.5ml 5 times over the course of about 4 or 5 years. The filler has now migrated above my lip line. If you google it you’ll understand more what I mean. I also regret my nose filler just as much. I really really can’t emphasise enough how being natural looks much more beautiful. Wish I listened to people when they told me not to have it. But of course it’s your face and your choice! Smile

Bourbonic · 12/05/2021 20:49

I think its all horrible. The clone look is bad enough, but the fact that people are so desperate to conform to a glossy Instagram image, or feel that their face isn't good enough or socially acceptable or whatever is tragic. It's such a shame for young people.

nickynackynoopants · 12/05/2021 20:51

Not a fan of this saying but "you do you"

Serpenta · 12/05/2021 20:52

'It may not be to your taste but it’s nothing to do with you.'

I don't really agree with this. In the broader sense. This kind of stuff being mainstream effects us all. 20 year olds feeling their looks are inadequate unless their forehead is botoxed and their lips are filled is a pretty sad indictment of modern beauty standards.

MargosKaftan · 12/05/2021 20:55

Op - you said your neighbour was hard to understand and her lips looked very stuck out - are you sure she's just not had the invisible braces ? They make speech slightly slurred /hard to understand for the first few weeks while you get used to them and do push out the lips, making them look more plump.

(Of course, unnecessary teeth straightening is an acceptable vanity treatment for most people, not negatively judged like other cosmetic changes to your face.)

PufferFishGoneWrong · 12/05/2021 20:58

They can do what they want, it's their choice.
But my choice / opinion it It looks awful, the fake lips, lashes and good god the eyebrows.

I would never say anything, but can't help mentally saying something to myself and if that's mean, so be it.

I can understand Botox for permanent deep lines.

Siameasy · 12/05/2021 21:00

I dislike it because young women are all starting to look the same. Plasticky.
My Nan didn’t need Botox or fillers, my mum doesn’t and I don’t. No one does.
It’s brainwashing and social conditioning and the sheep are lapping it up.

wingsnthat · 12/05/2021 21:06

Who the heck worried about hip dips 10 years ago, or even knew the term.

Errrr, you’re wrong. A significant amount of society knew about them. Kim Kardashian was at her peak back then, meaning she had major influence on beauty standards including the extreme hourglass figure. BBL to fill in hip dips was already a popular procedure. 2011 wasn’t too different from today.

To those of you that are older, you also had unrealistic standards of female beauty. Whether that was corsets, teeny feet in 6 inch heels, being super skinny/borderline unhealthy, having giant tits/influencing breast augmentation, veneers etc. This isn’t exclusive to my generation

Chachachachachachachachanges · 12/05/2021 21:11

Meh. I first had Botox at 28 (I’m almost 40 now). Have had it on and off and it does make my face look refreshed when I do.

To be fair the reality is - get it done young and you save yourself from wrinkles later (sadly I didn’t top up often enough for that to be the case for me).

Serpenta · 12/05/2021 21:11

Oh well there you go. Kim K was making some people paranoid about their hip dips in 2011. Thumbs up to Kim

Neonprint · 12/05/2021 21:13

[quote TwinkleToeMatilda]@Neonprint yeah of course. I’ve had 0.5ml 5 times over the course of about 4 or 5 years. The filler has now migrated above my lip line. If you google it you’ll understand more what I mean. I also regret my nose filler just as much. I really really can’t emphasise enough how being natural looks much more beautiful. Wish I listened to people when they told me not to have it. But of course it’s your face and your choice! Smile[/quote]
Yes I totally know what you mean about above the lip line thing. I thought that was something to do with where it was put in the lips?! I'll look into that thanks

Ohpulltheotherone · 12/05/2021 21:20

It’s weird to you but there are beauty trends all over the world that would look weird to you.

As much as you ask “why do this to your face?” We can also ask “why not” - why have we decided that women must be natural and “normal” (whatever that is).
Why have we decided that dark eyebrows are hideous? You don’t like them but plenty of people do.

Why have you decided that big fake lips is disgusting and not normal? Lots of people like the fake look. Fake lips are literally nothing new. Been around for 30 years, are just more financially viable to the general population now.

Loads of people love fake boobs, extreme piercings, facial tattoos, neon coloured hair and shaved heads.
Why does there have to be a thread denouncing the choices of other adults because they aren’t aligned with your own preferences.

What are we allowed to do according to you? What is the line? Blonde hair...but not too blonde? Make up but not too much make up? Fake tan....but only a subtle glow?

You don’t like Botox and filler and find it unnecessary? Well don’t YOU have it then. Sorted

Serpenta · 12/05/2021 21:24

So sweet to see all the people annoyed at the OP passionately defending society's right to make women feel shit about their natural appearance.

Really touching stuff.

Ohpulltheotherone · 12/05/2021 21:28

@TwinkleToeMatilda

So I am 24 and have had my lips done 5 times in total and recently had fillers in my nose. Getting my nose and lips done were purely because I was insecure about those two features on my face. I can safely say that I regret having them done SO much. I am so desperate to get them dissolved so I can go back to being natural again. I don’t think anything about your post was mean or bitchy by the way.
It sounds like you’ve had bad procedures to be honest.

Did you go to a beautician or a doctor / nurse aesthetician? Makes a HUGE difference.

Product choice, method and placement are crucial. A small tweak by a skilled aesthetician to make the best of your features should be almost unnoticeable to anyone but you.

If you’re filler is bunching and looking fake then you need it dissolved PROPERLY.