Botox, how mainstream is it and what do you think of those who use it?

[Notinvited85]

Hi,

I noticed another thread asking what people thought of people not wearing makeup. It was quite interesting to read the responses on there. (In case it’s relevant, I usually wear some make up, but not on a daily basis.).

But the thing it made me wonder, is your thoughts on Botox, more specially on those who have it. I’m in my mid- thirties, and have used low dose Botox a couple of times. I don’t think I look frozen, as the botoxed area still moves with my expressions- maybe just slightly less than before.

I suppose my question is how wide spread do people think Botox use is? And what do you think of people who use it?

I don’t think I’m overly vein on the whole ( maybe more self-conscious). Like I said I don’t wear make up on a daily basis. I have paid for membership to a slimming app for the last 4 years or so though, so I guess that also shows some degree of high effort/ similar!

Possibly we do look like leather handbags, though I think I look ok for my age.
If I looked half my age, as you claim to do, I would look like my DD. Nobody wants that, least of all her!

There is a certain peace to not trying so hard anymore and settling into a phase of life where you are valued more for your accomplishments than your looks. I see how my mum has aged, and I can think of no greater compliment than looking like her. I realise that is most people's nightmare but it isn't mine.

Im nearly 60, never smoked, never EVER sunbathed and drink lots of water. I also have botox to STOP lines forming. Im often mistaken for being in my late 30's

😀

When I was growing up I was heavily influenced by the feminist message that cosmetic surgery and placing such a high value on youthful looks were holding women back. I thought the pendulum would swing away from them, so it's certainly depressing to realise that the opposite has happened.

I don't think I know anyone in my close social circle who's had botox or tweakments (late 30s, early 40s). Possibly one or two I wouldn't be surprised by, but they haven't told me. I personally wouldn't consider it because I'm happy with my face and also I would think about all the other nice things I could be doing with that money instead.

I work with a lot of women in the public eye and it's thoroughly depressing to see fit, attractive 20-year-olds feel the need to inject shit into their face when they looked perfectly good already. And I'm aware that the pressure they feel is in part created by older women, our generation, who can't stand the idea of visible aging. So while on one level I do believe in your body, your choice, who will break the cycle if not for us? I'm not immune to vanity but I'd rather see us channel that into health and exercise (which have frankly done more for my looks than botox does for others).

My friends are around the 55 / 60 mark and have had the odd tweak
I'm thinking about it , but it's expensive and I could only afford one which seems a bit like trying to arrange the deckchairs on the Titanic on my own face.
My friends do look fresher for it though and it seems popular with my friends to get it done.

I have just turned 50 and feel like a lot of people around me have been doing Botox for some time now. It almost feels like I’ll be left behind as the only aging female 😅 Always had good skin and was lucky enough to have very few lines or show of age. I find the change in the last year though is sizeable! Skin feels looser, lines showing and jowls starting. I can afford Botox but too scared to try it, even though I’d only go to a recommend practitioner. Is it too late to start now?

I notice it a lot, more so in certain circles. I find it hard to connect with women who have it noticeably as it causes them to come across as cold and expressionless. The smile is odd and doesn't reach the eyes. The odd smile could also be from lip injections maybe. I am neurodiverse so I need expressions on faces, frozen faces make communication even harder.

I think reality TV and people with low self-esteem if I am asked

Normally I just think their face doesn't move and they have more money than sense

I'd like to get it. My number 11 is horrific and I've a really expressive face so loads of lines on forehead. The thing is if I started doing it, I think it would make the other bits of my face look so much worse in comparison. Like I have massive bags under by eyes and I know botox/filler isn't very good for that (and it's really sensitive). I also fear I might start going towards other procedures. I've very low self esteem, and I always wanted my nose fixed as it was broken by a man. I don't know anyone who looks obvious that they had it or admits to it. If it looks really overdone then I kind of slightly lose respect for the person. Like their foolish vanity got in the way of them looking like a normal person. This is only talking about strangers/ celebs as I don't know anyone like that. I can't afford it so it's never gonna happen anyway.

Its interesting how many of the posters arguing against botox from some degree of feminism are still using phrases such as 'don't NEED it' 'attractive young women' 'it LOOKS awful' etc. Because that language and thinking is part of the problem.
If I had a pound for everytime I see the word 'beautiful' prefacing 'young woman', 'glow of youth' 'gorgeous 20 something' etc it would keep me in botox for life.
Not all young women are beautiful. And from a feminist perspective whether they are or not should be the least important thing about them anyway. And whether they 'need' procedures, based on your view of how beautiful they already are, should be the very last argument that should spring to mind as a reason not to tweak their appearance.
I completely get some people don't like the look (they think) botox gives, which is fine. But once you start opining on the asthetic quality of a woman's face to support your argument, you've lost the feminist high ground right there.

I don't negatively judge those who have had it, I hope it makes them feel better and more confident. I would never have it though myself. It's tested on animals (which sometimes for medical interventions I can accept is sad but necessary, but not for cosmetic applications). Its also letting someone with very few qualifications literally inject a form of botulism into your face and hoping they know what they're doing and it won't cause future issues. For me, that is a risk far too high to be worth taking! I do also hate anything that feeds into the narrative that women looking their age is a bad thing.

It's very mainstream where I live. I'd say most of the women I know have Botox, filler and other minor procedures. Not because they all look like they've had anything done, just because they all look younger than their years, less lined and fresher than you'd expect for women around 50. The ones who don't have it look quite different.

I think it's really sad. I hate that we live in a society where the most valuable achievement of a woman seems to be to not look her age. I have 2 DDs and I am constantly trying to counteract the messages they receive about themselves and their self-worth from society and social media. I would never, ever have any form of cosmetic 'enhancement'. I reject the idea that women should be judged by these standards. We already have more than enough patriarchal shit to be dealing with without injecting toxins and other crap into ourselves.

I turned 50 last year and who cares if I look 50? Ageing is a privilege that not everyone gets. It's interesting that the insult thrown at those of us who reject this kind of thing was 'you probably look like an old leather handbag' - as if having wrinkles was the worst thing ever. I have grey hair and wrinkles - again, so what?

There are medical professionals who do it in my town too, so all the posts saying that anyone who does aesthetics is unqualified are wrong.

I go to a medical doctor for mine. I think the clinic won an award for safety in the cosmetic industry.

I do agree that it’s sad that women ( including me) feel the need to get it done. Addressing that is probably quite hard… I don’t know if many people would disagree that women are still valued by society for their appearance, among other things, more than men are. And I think it’s also true that the scrutiny of women’s faces ( Botox or not) is something that just wouldn’t happen to a man.

I have one friend who tried it years ago but no one else. I'm 61 my friends are fairly affluent, but not a huge emphasis on looks, though all are healthy weight and do take time to dress well/hair done etc. Just don't think that Botox is worth it and would rather embrace their wrinkles!

I think a lot of people on here are overstating the effects of Botox too. Talking about Hollywood actresses and TV stars with weird faces, looking unrecognisable and alien-like and saying they’d “never get Botox” simply because Amanda Holden (for example) looks weird and she’s had it.

For these women, Botox is the absolute least of what they have had done. They’ll all have had extensive fillers, facial implants, brow lifts, and very possibly face lifts in those over 40. Just Botox on its own won’t make anyone look unrecognisable or give them that Uncanny Valley Hollywood look.

If you choose to get Botox for cosmetic reasons then I just feel sorry for you to be honest. I would hate to be that vain and insecure.

Botox is the gateway drug they started with 20-plus years ago. Because Botox paralyses and atrophies muscles, pver time volume is lost, and filler is then needed; brows droop, and brow lifts are needed; jowls sag, and a lower face lift is needed; weird lines appear in new places as the smaller muscles try to compensate for the muscles inhibited by Botox, and more filler is needed. Hollows need to be filled, sag needs to be lifted, and the fillers and implants aren't quite doing the trick, so a full face lift is now in order.

Just Botox on its own won’t make anyone look unrecognisable or give them that Uncanny Valley Hollywood look.

I would beg to differ on that, also.

Yes @Wherearewe2001 you are probably right there. I just don't want to get it on principle.

I am from a different culture where women are mostly allowed to get old and wrinkly. Lots of shitty things about my culture but in this one thing, they have got it right. It helps that no one in my family has got it.

I am 32, I get botox and have since I turned 30. I just love the smoothness it gives me and I want to prevent wrinkles.
It costs me 120 every 3 months (a relative does it for me) and people don't know I get it unless I tell them.

I've had it since I was 30. I'm 40 now... and I have found it to be preventative as well as correctional.

I work in a big media/entertainment company where people are very image concious. The level of shock that I've had from multiple people when a cake was brought out for my birthday recently and I said I was 40(!) has been hilarious. I've had several people tell me they thought I was about 28 (which to be fair is about the average age in the company). I have always been very petite and I supppose lucky in terms of genes (I can't honestly say it's been my healthy lifestyle), as well as quite fashion concious, and no kids by choice, so time to focus on myself - but I definitely owe botox some thanks!

I've never been particularly secretive about it, and always given my input when it's come up in conversation. At least 20 people over the last 10 years, including several of my managers at different companies, have started going to my doctor after we've chatted about it (which is great as I've been given a 10% referral discount off of my next treatment each time!). I also take it as a sign that they genuinely think it looks good and are not just being polite!

I've never had fillers, and while I'd never say never, I think that's generally the treatment where people get 'overexcited' and start looking alien.

Nobody should feel obliged to do it, but there's no question in my opinion that people that do - as well as wear make up, excercise, get their hair done, and dress stylishly - look better. It depends what your priorities are.

Edit: spelling

This is my forehead. I am nearly 52. Botoxed or not, since people can always tell? Just out of interest.

I had Botox in my 30s up until early 40s. I was really pleased with the effect as it just ironed out little wrinkles and made my already lovely, youthful complexion perfect.

In my mid 40s, I suddenly realised it was really obvious in women my age. Women with very smooth foreheads or no laughter lines, but the face showing ageing in other ways (loss of volume, sagging etc). I started to feel self conscious about it.

You start to look like someone who has had Botox rather than ‘fresh’, I think, and that isn’t a look I want to cultivate. At that point, you can start going down the filler and facelift route to plump up and lift your face to match the lack of lines…, or not. I decided not.

It took about a year for me to get used to having a few lines that I didn’t have before, but I’m glad I stopped before I got sucked in to the pointless battle against ageing.

Very common in my circles. It can, like everything else in life, be over-done. One friend said a friend of hers had had so much that her face was really different and she was sad because she missed her friend's warmth. Really a shame. In the same conversation, she was amazed to hear that I had had it, as she didn't see any of the same effects in me.

Absolutely! Well said