Can a feminist use botox

[LunaTheCat]

Ok, mid 50’s. Lifetime non smoker and high SPF sunscreen user (proper sunscreen, not added to moisturiser) . I have always been anti Botox. Want to age naturally, deplore the pressire on women to look a certain way. Think that women having Botox in their 20’s and early 30’s terrible insight endoghtment on how women are viewed in society BUT for the last 6 months seriously tempted. ... help ! Stay strong or give in? (Maybe this should be on feminism board) would love to hear from other women in my age group .

Sorry should be “lndightment on society”!

I'm most definitely a feminist. And I have botox, wear a full face of makeup every day and am rarely seen out without high heels.

I’m contemplating Botox and some fillers and I’m definitely a feminist. Go for it.

I would say no. People use BOTOX to look younger than they actually are. I thi k it feeds in to the patriarchy.

Do you want to have it because you want to look better to others, or do you want to do it for yourself?

Feminism is wanting equality, what has that got to do with Botox?

A feminist can use whatever she wants.

There are different types of feminism remember. I follow the Black Feminist Movement so my views are different from Liberal Feminism.

You can be a feminist and do un-feminist things from time to time. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

It’s an interesting question. I stopped colouring my hair for feminist reasons: I went to party where a bunch of men about 5 years younger than me were congratulating one another on looking like silver foxes and it suddenly occurred to me that the literally thousands of pounds I’d spent pretending my hair wasn’t grey was cash they’d have available to do nice stuff with. And then I realised I was totally buying into a notion that I was only worth something if I was 10 years younger than I am - whereas a man would feel he had earned 10 years more respect.
So I think Botox has everything to do with equality but we’re conditioned not to notice.

A woman can put whatever poison she likes into her face I wouldn't because it is a poison I think women with it don't look any younger they look their age but with a frozen smooth face.

"People use BOTOX to look younger than they actually are"

Erm, I don't. I am 41 and I don't care in the slightest about looking younger.

Botox stops me doing this worried thing with my eyebrows (similar to Lucy Benjamin off Eastenders) that my muscles default to.

I really like to be able to look in the mirror and not see an anxious face looking back at me irrespective of what mood I'm in. Botox does that. Yes it's subtle. No I don't look plastic.

I'm your classic Caitlin Moran strident feminist 🤷🏼‍♀️

Yes. I am a feminist and have used Botox. Do you colour you hair? Shave you legs? Shave under your arms?

I’d never do it (though I’m secretly quite vain) but more for safety reasons than feminist reasons.

I don’t think that being a feminist should hold you back from doing something that purely benefits you. I would research processes and practitioners and if you’re still certain then just have a teeny bit the first time.

What are your reasons for wanting BOTOX OP?

Hmm. I wouldn't. A little bit because I'm a feminist, but mostly because a) I'm pretty low maintenance grooming-wise and don't give enough of a monkey's what my forehead etc looks like and b) injecting chemicals into yourself doesn't sound like a good thing to do.

Consider myself a feminist. think it’s a shame that people and especially women are hung up on appearance, because I think that is partly a learnt reaction to society expectations. Rational for this thought is that women are much more likely than men to do things like Botox. And that what counts as physical beauty is not constant across cultures or history. But you have one life, and it’s here and now, so whatever makes you happier

c) botox often looks rubbish. It can smooth out one spot but then emphasise the unsmoothed parts.

Use of botox is growing amongst men too. I'd say it was an indictment of society's attitude to ageing generally.

The botox that blows my mind is 'preventative botox'. Having botox at 23 so to avoid any chance of ever developing wrinkles. Aye, good luck with that.

Feminist here with Botox. If you think Botox is to make you look younger then you’re on a hiding to nothing. It makes you look fresher, a bit less tired. I’ll take that.

Botox use may be growing in men. I rather think that the female wallet for beauty has been tapped, so the advertisers need to build insecurities in new markets.

Possibly over cynical

No you can't.

When I went for BOTOX I had to prove I wasn't a feminist and that I was supportive of the patriarchy.

In all seriousness you can do what you want. I did because, like op, I always looked stressed out I hated looking at myself. Now, I see a slightly more relaxed me in the mirror and it's nice.

Yeah I don't agree that it make you look younger either.

Firstly there's different types of feminist. So if you're a liberal feminist that believes feminism is about women having choice then you'll probably do it without worrying because you're choosing to do it with your own money. Another feminist might recognise that there is not a free choice for a woman in a patriarchy and accept that you can make a non-feminist choice while still being a feminist. Pick your battles basically. A third feminist will say there are feminist choices and non-feminist choices and say the only way can change the world is by always making the feminist choice.

So, where do you stand and what is the impact on you if you don't have botox? I'm late 40s, and know I'll never have botox but I have a career where I know not having botox will have no impact on my career. So it's not a hard choice for me. Not everyone is in that position.