I completely agree - each to their own. I respect not everyone will agree with tinkering with the natural process of ageing but I struggle to understand why anyone feels the need to comment and judge people for making a different personal choice?
I also think that if it becomes acceptable to deride people for choosing to have cosmetic procedures/ aesthetic treatments, one that they feel helps them look younger/feel more attractive etc, where do we then draw the line?
Is buying and using an off the shelf face cream from Boots ok, but paying for prescription skincare a step too far? Should we all stop colouring our hair and gracefully embrace the greys? What about waxing, nails, spray tans? I could go on….
More importantly, who becomes the arbiter of what is deemed an acceptable level of self care, before it slips into vapid, excessive and societally damaging? Like it or not, we still live in a very patriarchal society, so would it be up to men to determine what women could or couldn’t do to maintain/alter their appearance?
I get Botox because it makes me feel good about myself. At 44, being in the throes of perimenopause, and with my own body often feeling like a stranger, changing in unpleasant and unpredictable ways, that boost to my self confidence is invaluable.
Me having some Botox 2-3 times a year isn’t harming anyone else. I’m not aware of botched Botox procedures costing the NHS multi-millions each year to put right. I don’t eulogise about it to every woman I meet in an attempt to convert them into becoming a member of the evil Botox cult. I can pay for it comfortably myself without going into debt. My DH is happy with how I look and the choices I make to help that happen so long as I’m happy (although bless him, he tells me he thinks I’m gorgeous regardless). Most importantly - it’s my body, my choice and my business!
I’m astounded at the audacity some PPs have to preach at and condemn other women for the personal choices they make, all under the guise and justification of feminism! A core tenet of which is all about ensuring women have the autonomy to make their own choices about their own bodies, health, and lives, free from coercion or abuse.
Instead of tearing down those who choose a different path for themselves and their bodies, surely we’d all be better served if we just accepted and respected a women’s right to make choices that may differ from yours, but have been made with autonomy and self determination, and so are no less valid.