Page 22 | What are people doing to their faces?!

Mania89 · 2025-01-03T23:27:56+00:00

I am mid 30s. Colour my hair, wear makeup, thread my eyebrows etc so not completely natural but my goodness what are people doing to their faces?! Young women who are beautiful now have so much injected into their faces that they cannot move them at all. I was looking back at photos in my mid 20s and was wondering why on earth did I worry about my looks at all. Hindsight is wonderful! And I am despairing that girls younger than this have already started to inject Botox and fillers. The world is going mad and don’t even get me started on weight loss injections for those who are not clinically obese! I have two daughters and really feel so worried for them up.

HotelDuVine · 05/01/2025 18:39

arcticpandas · 04/01/2025 07:12

Some posters have talked about "a certain group" of women doing it. In my (not statistically valid) experience the lower your income/education bracket the more visible and extreme your fillers/botox/operations.

The young adults I know are very into their degrees and career plans as well as socialising. They are not remotely tempted by this cosmetic stuff, and actually many think it looks dreadful.

We are all heavily influenced by peers. If those around us are doing something, it normalises it and then becomes aspirational. Presumably Love Island contestants think they look great.

My friends and I are in our fifties and only one has forehead Botox. None of us have fillers and wouldn’t touch our lips. We are all still looking great though I think ;-)

HotelDuVine · 05/01/2025 18:41

EddyF · 04/01/2025 07:39

Times have changed. Tattoos were a widely discussed topic on here too with many posters horrified by them.

The world is a global village now and some people will see others from cultures with naturally large lips and want it for themselves. Thin lips for example aren’t very attractive. People may overdo it but that is due to not going to correct places to get them done.

Also mumsnet is an older crowd so everything here is a big deal. I’m not saying the posters here are frumpy/end of life; they just appear really cautious and quite limited in fashion/trends. It may not be to your mature taste but it is popular for a reason. People think they look good and get the attention they want from it. It is not going to go away so how many times do threads like this need to appear?

Many younger people don’t like it though. My kids are all uni age and they and their peers dislike the trend too.

I am glad it is discussed. My daughter hates fillers but said she wonders what it’s going to be like when she is my age. Will cosmetic procedures be the norm for her generation? It’s a valid discussion point.

Flatulence · 05/01/2025 18:42

I'm in my 40s and DO have Botox and a tiny bit of filler (in my forehead, to fill a dent caused by my 11s).

My aesthetics doctor doesn't inject anyone under 35 - that's her policy. And she also will not do giant trout pouts etc. or "three areas for £100" nonsense.

I'm all for people doing whatever they want to their faces. But what I find alarming - and what I believe is partly driving the trend for extreme work - is random people with no medical training offering fillers and Botox, frequently in unsanitary environment and for very little money.
IMO we in the UK need to follow the lead of countries such as the US where only medical professionals (doctors, nurse practitioners etc.) with specific training in aesthetics can inject. That not only makes it massively safer it also makes it more expensive - making more people think twice about what they're having done.

RSSN · 05/01/2025 18:44

@Anotherparkingthread your post is quite hillarious. Just for the record, I think women who inject fillers and have super heavy eyebrows & make-up etc look ridiculous and awful. And I will say it because I think it. Or should we all just shut up and say nothing about anything? 🤔 hmmm. Exciting life you must live

RSSN · 05/01/2025 18:47

Well said

Evan456 · 05/01/2025 18:49

Anotherparkingthread · 04/01/2025 00:42

Speak out? Lol. Speak out against people looking how they want to look?

And op is clearly upset. Enough so to make an entire thread. What other words would you prefer? Perturbed? Distressed? Hysterical? Traumatized? All rather hyperbolic in comparison but not necessarily inaccurate either.

What other women look like, wether that be filler, hair dye, peircings, tattoos, fat, thin, boob job, short skirts or other clothing choices, doesn't matter a dot to me. So I'm not starting threads about it, desperately trying to find other judgey mares to snort at other women with. I don't feel the need to have my opinions validated by others. I don't need to put other women down. I don't need to busy body in something which, frankly, is optional. Nobody is expecting you to get filler or Botox if you don't like it. I don't go around saying 'urgh, look at that woman with wissened little prune lips! She desperately needs some filler to look normal!' because it would be a twatty thing to say. The same can't be said for those who are sanctimonious about women doing anything to xosmetically alter their appearance, they can't resist sticking their opinion in when it has no effect on their life and no effect on them. These thoughts about others are often also rooted in deep misogyny, these threads reinforce the notion that women's bodies are open to critique and criticism. Posters will often express disgust and say how terrible it looks but then go on to suggest that it makes them or other women feel inadequate. These two statements are contradictory, which means neither argument against is is a particularly good one. Often these type of argument only masquerade as concern, when in reality they come from a place of hatred for other women for simply existing and making choices that do not have any bearing on your life, but do not affirm or align with your own set of beliefs. This is prejudice.

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How do you know some of these people don’t say look at that woman with wizened little prune lip, ooh I must get some Botox so I don’t look like her?
if they don’t feel inadequate with what they’re doing to look different (I might add at a very young age) why do they feel the need to do it? I don’t think op is hating these woman, I too am curious as to why they want to look like clones, why are they not happy with the way they look naturally? Please tell me

Pliudev · 05/01/2025 18:51

ElizabethTaylorsEyebrow · 04/01/2025 00:56

No woman who sports this look grew up in a beautiful victorian house in islington or hampstead, had a dad who was a history of art lecturer and a mum who was a psychologist, read politics at oxford etc.

It is a look closely associated with the group of women who have always been sneered at for their vulgar aesthetic preferences, whether that’s overfilled lips, orange tans, revealing clothes or grey crushed velvet sofas.

So on that level I’m a bit wary of the amount of “concern” directed at these women, on here and elsewhere. Some of it comes across as cloaked snobbery (not the OP, to be clear!).

At the same time… I can’t deny I find this trend utterly disheartening from a feminist perspective.

Absolutely. So the question is why these influences are so prevalent among those who do not grow up in privileged surroundings? If it's about insecurity, about the need to be seen in certain ways dictated by social media etc. then the argument that this is a matter of choice is erroneous surely? It seems to me, and I realise I'll be shot down for saying this, that it's part of the sexualisation of young women, pressured by the media and others, to fit the stereotype of sex objects and though it's camouflaged as 'choice', is nothing of the sort.

Bbq1 · 05/01/2025 18:51

Dcbjgfdh · 04/01/2025 00:39

I think the young women these days are going to look back on photos of themselves in years to come and cringe far more than previous generations have done at past photos of themselves.
They are often making permanent changes to their face and are absolutely wasting their youthful looks. A lot of the girls in their 20s look like they are women in their 50s with overdone plastic surgery.

Agreed. How they think they look better is beyond me. The lips are the worst, often resembling sausages or they can't close their mouths properly. Sad.

Pliudev · 05/01/2025 18:51

ElizabethTaylorsEyebrow · 04/01/2025 00:56

No woman who sports this look grew up in a beautiful victorian house in islington or hampstead, had a dad who was a history of art lecturer and a mum who was a psychologist, read politics at oxford etc.

It is a look closely associated with the group of women who have always been sneered at for their vulgar aesthetic preferences, whether that’s overfilled lips, orange tans, revealing clothes or grey crushed velvet sofas.

So on that level I’m a bit wary of the amount of “concern” directed at these women, on here and elsewhere. Some of it comes across as cloaked snobbery (not the OP, to be clear!).

At the same time… I can’t deny I find this trend utterly disheartening from a feminist perspective.

Absolutely. So the question is why these influences are so prevalent among those who do not grow up in privileged surroundings? If it's about insecurity, about the need to be seen in certain ways dictated by social media etc. then the argument that this is a matter of choice is erroneous surely? It seems to me, and I realise I'll be shot down for saying this, that it's part of the sexualisation of young women, pressured by the media and others, to fit the stereotype of sex objects and though it's camouflaged as 'choice', is nothing of the sort.

stuckinthemiddlewithyou1 · 05/01/2025 18:57

Anotherparkingthread · 04/01/2025 00:42

Speak out? Lol. Speak out against people looking how they want to look?

And op is clearly upset. Enough so to make an entire thread. What other words would you prefer? Perturbed? Distressed? Hysterical? Traumatized? All rather hyperbolic in comparison but not necessarily inaccurate either.

What other women look like, wether that be filler, hair dye, peircings, tattoos, fat, thin, boob job, short skirts or other clothing choices, doesn't matter a dot to me. So I'm not starting threads about it, desperately trying to find other judgey mares to snort at other women with. I don't feel the need to have my opinions validated by others. I don't need to put other women down. I don't need to busy body in something which, frankly, is optional. Nobody is expecting you to get filler or Botox if you don't like it. I don't go around saying 'urgh, look at that woman with wissened little prune lips! She desperately needs some filler to look normal!' because it would be a twatty thing to say. The same can't be said for those who are sanctimonious about women doing anything to xosmetically alter their appearance, they can't resist sticking their opinion in when it has no effect on their life and no effect on them. These thoughts about others are often also rooted in deep misogyny, these threads reinforce the notion that women's bodies are open to critique and criticism. Posters will often express disgust and say how terrible it looks but then go on to suggest that it makes them or other women feel inadequate. These two statements are contradictory, which means neither argument against is is a particularly good one. Often these type of argument only masquerade as concern, when in reality they come from a place of hatred for other women for simply existing and making choices that do not have any bearing on your life, but do not affirm or align with your own set of beliefs. This is prejudice.

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She said speak about. Not speak out.

Like simply speaking about a topic and voicing their opinion on it. Get it?

ErniesGhostlyGoldTops · 05/01/2025 19:01

Ponoka7 · 05/01/2025 18:15

And you don't pull them up on being so derogatory? Do they come out with the shit about women smelling bad if they have sexual partners and wizards sleeves? It all comes from the same agenda of policing women's behaviour. While paying for only fans/chasing women who do have work done.

Let's face it! There's a classist element to putting down some chosen looks. Although I remember feeling sad when Marnie Simpson (Geordie Shore) had work done, she was naturally beautiful, just didn't have the sex doll look going on. It was after she went on Big Brother, alongside women who did have a lot of work done.

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Would you say it's a working class trait or a middle class trait?

DissidentDaughter · 05/01/2025 19:02

The identikit look seems quite a conservative approach for young people to take - following (and possibly believing) an imposed script that you’re not ‘good enough’ unless you conform with an external, artificial aesthetic and ‘get something done’.

It’s a deflection that ignores the crucial ‘lesson’ of developing an internal, concrete sense of self as a unique and interesting individual.

Noononoo · 05/01/2025 19:04

There are so many artistic creative ways one could enhance or decorate one’s face if you had a mind to. But the blown up lips and frozen faces just make women look like sex dolls and that’s offensive to all women. Reinforcing their status as sex objects. It’s embarrassing ugly and very sad.

StrikeForever · 05/01/2025 19:06

One if the interesting aspects of this is that the ‘alien face with blown-up lips’ look may be all over Instagram etc and this influences young (and depressingly, not so young) women to emulate it. Yet, these women ignore the fact that models and beautiful actresses they see in films and TV series don’t go for this luck at all 🤷‍♀️

Like a previous poster, I have found myself almost recoiling when suddenly seeing one of these faces simply because they don’t look human. To those saying we shouldn’t criticise this look because it demeans those women who choose to have it (there are men too), what about their daughters? Should they grow up with this as an example. More importantly, what about their infants who don’t have a normal, moving face to interact with?

SpringIscomingalso · 05/01/2025 19:07

They can get a bad allergic reaction or whatever, still end up used by men and divorced ...what is the point

SpringIscomingalso · 05/01/2025 19:09

Noononoo · 05/01/2025 19:04

There are so many artistic creative ways one could enhance or decorate one’s face if you had a mind to. But the blown up lips and frozen faces just make women look like sex dolls and that’s offensive to all women. Reinforcing their status as sex objects. It’s embarrassing ugly and very sad.

But I wonder why women always complain that they are taken for sex objects, yet this is what women always end up doing, always trying to outdo another in beauty and presentation and fetch the better guy

SlightlyJaded · 05/01/2025 19:14

I think a major factor is that people are judging their own faces based on a photo rather than a moving image. Madonna can still look good in a well lit/filtered instagram post, and then you see her talking and moving on a chat show, and it's grotesque. Ditto people like Nicole Kidman who look fabulous as a 2D still face, but in reality probably look mental.

Social media means that most celebrity exposure is via a still shot - so that is the yardstick for 'looking good'. It's almost like reality doesn't even matter any more as long as the gram is on point.

For young non-celebrities, the 'still' shot is their social currency and so they have brainwashed themselves into accepting the reality of the weirdness of the moving/talking version of their face.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 05/01/2025 19:15

Tbh, aesthetics seem to be getting more and more extreme now (especially for women). Body hair removal, fake tan, hair dye, lash and brow enhancing, gel nails, hair extensions, teeth whitening etc all seem bad enough - and are completely normalised now to the point it seems to actually be expected of almost every female who is past puberty but not yet in her dotage 😢 But at least all of those fade or can be removed.

I’m hoping that the rise of fillers and the normalisation of cosmetic surgery will soon be seen as a step too far for the next generation. I’d love to see a brave new generation of women who say no to all of it- even the hair removal, make up etc.

SuchiRolls · 05/01/2025 19:15

They’re doing whatever they want. I don’t even notice, not in a judgey way and I’m the last person to consider any kind of physical alteration. I barely ever even wear make-up. I’m not bothered what anyone else is doing as long as they aren’t harming anyone else. And I’m not being righteous here…I just don’t think it’s anyone else’s business.

Nanny0gg · 05/01/2025 19:17

Anotherparkingthread · 04/01/2025 00:42

Speak out? Lol. Speak out against people looking how they want to look?

And op is clearly upset. Enough so to make an entire thread. What other words would you prefer? Perturbed? Distressed? Hysterical? Traumatized? All rather hyperbolic in comparison but not necessarily inaccurate either.

What other women look like, wether that be filler, hair dye, peircings, tattoos, fat, thin, boob job, short skirts or other clothing choices, doesn't matter a dot to me. So I'm not starting threads about it, desperately trying to find other judgey mares to snort at other women with. I don't feel the need to have my opinions validated by others. I don't need to put other women down. I don't need to busy body in something which, frankly, is optional. Nobody is expecting you to get filler or Botox if you don't like it. I don't go around saying 'urgh, look at that woman with wissened little prune lips! She desperately needs some filler to look normal!' because it would be a twatty thing to say. The same can't be said for those who are sanctimonious about women doing anything to xosmetically alter their appearance, they can't resist sticking their opinion in when it has no effect on their life and no effect on them. These thoughts about others are often also rooted in deep misogyny, these threads reinforce the notion that women's bodies are open to critique and criticism. Posters will often express disgust and say how terrible it looks but then go on to suggest that it makes them or other women feel inadequate. These two statements are contradictory, which means neither argument against is is a particularly good one. Often these type of argument only masquerade as concern, when in reality they come from a place of hatred for other women for simply existing and making choices that do not have any bearing on your life, but do not affirm or align with your own set of beliefs. This is prejudice.

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Is it how they 'want' to look or think that's how they 'have' to look?

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 05/01/2025 19:21

If I’m honest I think it looks weird and I don’t know why people would choose to look like that. I just don’t get it.

but each to their own, if it makes them happy and it’s not doing any harm and all that.

still don’t understand how it became a trend, but there we go.

IsobelElsie123 · 05/01/2025 19:25

I complained to QVC as I was sick of seeing presenters ‘pushing’ face ‘revolutionary’ creams etc when they have obviously had fillers and it’s not the ‘effectiveness’ of the cream. Unsurprisingly I didn’t get a response

HotelDuVine · 05/01/2025 19:26

Donttellempike · 04/01/2025 09:01

The OP is entitled to post a thread on it. You’re not the arbiter

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That poster has quite a lot of work done I think, and posts regularly on these kinds of thread. So understandably defensive I guess.

Newusername3kidss · 05/01/2025 19:29

It’s just awful. And I say that as a 44 year old who has had Botox (not a fan) and filler (bloody love it). I go to a doctor and it’s very expensive and my husband didn’t even notice I had it done. It just slightly filled out sunken cheeks after I lost weight after having baby and I look like myself again and not as tired.

Thighdentitycrisis · 05/01/2025 19:29

I think when overdone it looks ugly but the people having it think they look great.