Giving Mother Nature a Helping Hand

[Big D (aka DG)]

Ooooooh, touchy touchy subject here, but considering we're all in our thirties, and some of us (ahem) on the tail end of said decade, what do the thronging masses think of plastic surgery and/or Botox injections?

My personal take? I'm all for it, within reason. To take what the Goddess gave me, tweak it a bit, and make it slightly better? Goooooood! To take what the Goddess gave me, nip, tuck, zip, slash, pump, and whack the hell out of it and then end up looking like Jocelyn Wildenstein? Very very baaaaad!

I joke around and quip that "if God didn't want us to look good, he wouldn't have invented plastic surgery", but not everyone agrees with that sentiment. I'm thinking about Botox. In fact, I had an appointment this week with my dermatologist, but I canceled the Botox portion of the meeting. I do NOT like needles. Damn. I also do NOT like wrinkles. The Derm. says that if I start Botoxing now, before the wrinkles are barely visible, the wrinkles will never happen! True? False? Has anyone else heard this rumor? It came from an MD, so I suppose I should trust her, but she does have years of injection$ as pay-off for my naivete.

What say you?

[Ashmystir]

Big D!! Don't do it!! =)

First of all...I see pics of you on your blog and you look fabulous dahlin!! Second...I do not judge people that want to make themselves look better. I just wonder what kind of self esteem they have. Who are they doing this for? I kind of like the flaws of life. It shows that you really lived, that you're alive and that you're human. I tend to think that plastic surgery should be reserved for physical trauma to the body (scars) which I have plenty of (I was a fearless accident proned kid). =) I've said many times that I would NOT color my hair when I gray. I have such dark hair that I think a gray streak would add a cool unique touch. Anyway...that's my take on it. Best of luck in whatever you decide. =)

[Big D (aka DG)]

Remember the girl in Nightmare on Elm Street (the first one)? After she saw Freddy, she got that wild gray streak in her hair that never went away. It was COOL. And sort of freaky.

Thanks for the compliment - appreciate it. I'm just a wrinkle hater on myself. Other people look distinguished with wrinkles. I do not. I'm trying to figure out if the "Botox now = no wrinkles later" is a myth or truth. Better start doing a little research before I get shot up with poison, eh?

[WriterJax]

I had a doctor I was interviewing for an article tell me the same thing about early Botox preventing wrinkles - and I'm considering it for the frown thinking lines on my forehead in the future.

As for plastic surgery, to each his own, and everything in moderation. I was approved for a cosmetic procedure that would also alleviate some physical issues a few years ago, and after weighing the pros and cons, I decided not to go ahead with it. But that's not to say I wouldn't revisit the issue later, or that I think other people should or shouldn't change things. I do wish everyone was a little more self-possessed, generally speaking, and less likely to compare themselves to airbrushed, unachievable goals.

[PrincessB]

I don't have a problem with it...as someone else said, to each her own. I say I wouldn't do it, but now after a dog bite to my face, I am thinking that if it scars i will likely have dermabrasian done. Also, after hearing friends complain about not being able to get rid of the stretched out skin post-pregnancy, I don't see the big deal in getting something like that done.
On the other hand, as a nurse I would always caution people that even a minor procedure has it's risks and you must be willing to assume those risks. There's no such thing as a simple procedure. And have a REALLY good plastic surgeon or dermatologist with experience and who is board certified. That will end my public service announcement. lol.

Oh, and I have been coloring my gray since I was in myn early 20s. Started at the age of 12. I think that's different than plastic surgery though.

[Big D (aka DG)]

Agreed - gotta have someone with loads of experience and board certified, etc.. etc... So important!

I don't count hair coloring - that's just a necessity, not an option! :)

[Karla]

Hey, Big D. I'm so late joinging this discussion, but I just found it!

With all this wagon I'm draggin, I've always thought about having my arse slimmed down. But, I don't think its worth the pain of recovery. Plus, where would my dog rest his head when we're laying on the floor? I don't think its wrong for people to try to "maintain", but its just not for me.

Now, as a research scientist, I'd like to comment on that whole Botox today, wrinkles never thing. Wrinkles are an effect of aging skin. As skin cells get older, they "forget" how to remain elastic and how important it is to stay packed together (this is extremely over-simplified, but you get my drift), that's when wrinkles appear. Also, frown thought lines and crow's feet occur because we train the skin to bend that way whenever we make particular facial expressions. So, the doctor's comments would lead me to believe that Botox:
a) causes skin cells to remain young forever, thus retaining elasticity (combatting aging), and/or
b) removes elasticity (so skin doesn't bend or stretch when you smile/frown/scowl/laugh/squint).

I find that to be quite a contradiction and a little bizarre. Plus, Botox hasn't even been available for wide-scale research/testing/assessment for more than 5 years, so how would anyone know the long-term effects?

[Big D (aka DG)]

So, knowing all of that, is Botox a bad idea? I still haven't done it - it is so darn expensive. But, I have considered it for a long time.

[Karla]

I think its probably harmless once or twice, I just worry about long term effects of prolonged Botox. I guess it depends on which effect it really has. If it makes skin cells eternally young that could be great (this is also a characteristic of cancer cells, though). Molecular biology is so complicated. We won't really know for a few more years.

[Helmet]

This post goes hand in hand with my mottos…pretty doesn’t happen by itself…or sexy is no accident…depending on the day…