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Welcome to my blog. I document my adventures in travel, style, and trends. Hope you have a nice stay!
Welcome to my blog. I document my adventures in travel, style, and trends. Hope you have a nice stay!
In 2024 it is estimated that the cosmetic industry will grow to nearly $53 billion dollars jumping to almost $73 billion dollars by 2028. The main reason behind this rapid growth is technological advances. It is no secret cosmetic procedures have always been in high demand. The problem in previous decades was the unattainable cost. Newer techniques have made cosmetic procedures less invasive with less recovery time and lower costs. According to doctors Hollywood has had the biggest influence in cosmetic surgery for the past decades but in most recent years social media was added into the mix. This is because no one is marked safe from consuming beauty content at some point throughout their day. The most common non invasive procedures include lip fillers, botox and injectable fillers. But where do we draw the line between a small procedure and obsession? And what are the long term effects of these procedures? Will the obsession of perfection and anti aging have severe consequences on women’s faces. Look I am in no way shamming cosmetic procedures but why are young women in their early twenties so obsessed with aging when they are at the prime of their youth.
According to vipplasticsurgery.com In some patients, using an excess of filler or using cheek fillers routinely for 10+ years results in stretched-out skin, sagging, and premature facial aging.
I understand we will all reach an age where gravity has done its thing and we need a little help to feel better about ourselves. The problem is young women starting fillers in their twenties. By the time young girls reach their fourties’ the consequences of fillers will be worse than those of aging naturally.
Let’s not forget the obsession for bigger lips. According to Karyn Grossman, a cosmetic dermatologist with offices in Santa Monica and New York City. “When you repeatedly enlarge the lips pumping them up as big as possible the filler can act as a tissue expander, permanently stretching the skin, and causing the lips to sag and deflate when the filler eventually degrades, leaving you in worse shape than when you started,” she explains.
I agree, the first time you get lip fillers it looks great but it’s the obsession that comes with maintaining it. Where do we draw the line between a little filler and walking around looking like you just got a severe food allergy. (Trust me I have food allergies and it looks the same LOL)
Every drug has side effects, and Botox is no exception. Luckily, “Botox side effects are rare and temporary,” says Adam Kolker, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in New York City. Potential side effects (in just 1 to 5% of cases) include mild droopiness of the eyelid or eyebrow, which usually goes away within two weeks, slight bruising at the injection area, and headaches.
“To be clear, it is much more about anatomy (as a result of genetic and environmental factors) than it is about a stereotypical age at which to begin,” Kolker says. “Prevention is the new mantra, [but] I have seen women in [their] 40s with few or no wrinkles who require very little [Botox], and women in their 20s who require more.”
Basically, a patient can have Botox safely whenever they are bothered by their wrinkles or simply want to prevent them from forming in the first place. There is no issue with long term use, either: "I've had patients who have used it repeatedly for over 20 years without bad effects," says Kane.
It is so important to remember we all have different skin types, genes and a different aging process. There is no general timeline or procedure that fits everyone. In fact, studies show that because millennials are much more health conscious and self aware of the importance of skincare they appear more youthful than previous generations.
I recently shared a post on my Instagram opening up about aging gracefully and the effects of social media with what is considered “pretty”. I have been in the social media space for well over 10+ years. I shared a personal experience of someone commenting on my aging process and my overall looks. The amount of women that connected and jumped into my DMs in my defense was astounding. See my intention was not to complain, I simply wanted to reassure women that social media is not real. Real women of all ages have wrinkles, open pores and sun spots. Beauty filters have really created an illusion. I count myself inn. I used the analogy of comparing old pictures of me to most recent photos. It’s not a good comparison. My old photos have been taken with filters. Saying I looked younger while looking at a picture taken with a filter that altered my face is not a valid comparison. Truth is the majority of us use filters most of the time. I’m not shaming filters. What I am saying is that what we are perceiving of ourselves and others is not real. Let’s normalize natural beauty and normal skin textures. I was so surprised at the amount of women who messaged me. It made me realize we all crave realness and imperfection.
At some point we will all need a little botox and filler. Or at least those who choose to get it. However I do think we can prolong it as much as possible. Real women everywhere are exhausted with this unattainable standard of beauty. The more seeds we plant for a real and raw beauty standards the more women will feel safe and seen.
I will end by using Jennifer Lopez as a perfect example. In January of this year she attended Paris Fashion Week. E! news shared a video of her and the comment section had a lot to say. See video below. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2aWYjnpA0o/?igsh=MzY1NDJmNzMyNQ==
The comments section was filled with people shaming her age, use of botox and fillers. Let’s get one thing straight, Lopez is one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. She is 54 years old and has the body and vitality of a 30 year old. Maybe she has had botox, fillers and even filtered her photos from time to time. The problem is that real people feel the need to destroy her when she shows up real and raw. Are we not allowing women in their mid fifties to have mild wrinkles? Is the pressure of maintaining the appearance of youth the real driving force behind the rapid growth of cosmetic industry.
I think women have the power to change the direction of this. We are all exhausted and thirsty for a safe space. Let’s continue to normalize real skin and embrace the beauty of imperfection.