Comments on: Cosmetics Drugs Gone Too Far: Is Anything Still Real?

By: Paula

Paula — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:28:54 +0000

All of this – botox, fillers, eyelash enhancers, face and breast surgery – all of it is the same. Women are being sold, through relentless and clever marketing, on the notion that they are not adequate as they are.

It’s all about money. Doctors and drug companies (most everyone, for that matter) want more of it, and in order to create a steady stream of customers, we women must be convinced that we aren’t good enough unless we buy what they are selling. They do it by selling us on the idea that youth is better than age. We all understand the biological reasons why youthful breasts and faces are more attractive to men than older ones – and that biology is being USED by marketers to sell us products and procedures.

They are, however, only selling the illusion of youth. It isn’t youth itself, and no matter how much money you spend on your appearance, you will still be an older woman. You will still be 10 or 20 or 30 years closer to the end of your life than someone else. That’s what we need to come to terms with – who we are and what we’ve accomplished, perhaps what we can still accomplish with our remaining years. Frankly, that’s harder sometimes than looking in the mirror and seeing the lines on my face.

It isn’t easy – I struggle with issues relating to aging every day. My kids are growing up, my father has cancer – who will I be this time next year if my father is gone and my kids don’t need mom the way they used to? These questions are a lot harder to answer than what I’m going to do about my face. Of course, the quest for a youthful appearance is a great distraction from those other, less comfortable questions…

By: swp

swp — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:38:29 +0000

I believe we are most driven by our biological goal to be healthy. That goal becomes distorted with every institution that touches us. Schools would like health to be a competitive sport or one size fits all body type. Industry wishes we thrived on chemical gruel. Industry seeks a sedentary, mindless routine for humane profit. Is it any wonder narcissists effusing the wonders of diet and botox define beauty or diabetic feminist achieving freedom.

We want to be healthy, but I’m sure no one knows what that really looks like. The horrific evil of the obesity epidemic is it continues to place thinness over fitness. Thinness can be imposed with gastric bypass, fitness cannot.

I think its OK to embrace beauty, and excellence it you have a healthy self-image. That’s very hard to achieve.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:29:44 +0000

I’m a young woman who gets eyelash extensions applied once a month. I did it before a vacation and got hooked. Without mascara you can’t see my eyelashes and I although I wear very little make-up I always like to have visible lashes.

Eyelash extensions don’t have any side effects that I know of but it is time consuming and an extra expense. But it’s easier to have perfect lashes all the time rather than dealing with mascara.

Advertising and celebrities have done a good job of convincing us we all need to fix our teeth, eyelashes, noses, hair etc.

By: maggie

maggie — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:28:46 +0000

I have all the same questions that author has asked and I am also in the way of teaching people that these all new cosmetics are only going to cause problems in our future because they are just for short term use and they will show there side effects as soon as we get older. I want to say bye to all these cosmetics and I promote all the user to do the same because only way we can achieve beautiful looking skin is by eating fruits, vegetable, excersise and a perfect balance diet with good water flow. I just use simple cosmetics like Vaseline, hand lotion etc.
that is it and I think I look pretty nice with all natural remedy. thank you for this great post.

By: Luweez

Luweez — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:17:20 +0000

Im a 58 yr old woman who gets botox, juviderm, restylane and other fillers including my own fat injections which i had to get under my eyes after a bad blepharoplasty (eye lift) upper and lower which i really didn’t need. 5 months after the surgery when all of the swelling went down i had scar tissue, hollows and uneven eyes. I went into deep depression and 2 years later every morning when i look in the mirror i am still beating myself up for doing this. The surgeon is in Best Doctors so what do you go by. After all of this i still think about getting my eyes fixed and that is really crazy, but it is my ego because i did the surgery to look better not worse. The message to women is to wear the highest heels, have the longest eyelashes, and to be very thin, and we buy into it. Its no wonder why we are scared to death of aging. We need more support groups for women to help us cope with all of these issues.

By: Dr. Vivian

Dr. Vivian — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:33:29 +0000

I think your ambivalence between wanting to look younger and the fear and shame that comes with cosmetic procedures suggests you are a woman who gives careful thought to your choices. These are not superficial decisions about a superficial issue. Take a look at another article I wrote on Huff Post about what to consider before doing any cosmetic procedure. See if the acronym, S.A.F.E. makes your decision a bit easier. Dr. Diller

By: samantha

samantha — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 18:18:33 +0000

I’m horrified to learn of a friend and aquantance that had drooping happen by botox use. I saw the effect of the drooped eye–looked like a stroke victim.
I heard about the other woman. The droop is temporary—but do you hide until it stops drooping? I have mixed feelings. I think in severe cases these procedures are a blessing—problem is the different perceptions of severe cases…any sign of age could be considered severe to some people.
I’m torn between wanting to look younger, and fear of complications, and shame over not being able to ageing gracefully …