BEAUTIFUL OR JUST RICH? The Implications of Botox and the Beauty Industry
I’ll admit -- I’ve tried it.
The “Instagram face,” I mean. That frozen, empty look perfect for posting, made popular by the Kardashians and Hadids. I’ve tried it a few times if I’m being honest. (I would pass away if anyone scrolled through my photo library.) But as you can imagine, something was always off: my face didn’t look empty enough, eyebrows not high enough, cheeks weren't contoured, highlighted, or “strobed” to perfection.
(Does anyone else remember that time Taylor Swift left her NYC apartment in 2015 without blending in her under eye strobe? I think about that once a week.)
What wasn’t working? I mean, God knows I’m un-photogenic. But was that all? Absolutely not, dear reader. Not at all.
If only I could describe to you the rabbit hole named BOTOX I have found myself in- wondering who has it or doesn’t and why not, who has too much of it, and what happens if they do- I don’t even know where to start.
And what would be the point of starting there?
The first recorded use of Botox as a cosmetic enhancement was in 1989 by a man named Richard Clark, looking to treat a patient suffering from “forehead asymmetry” (same...). Since then, people have been flocking to plastic surgeons in droves looking to make their lips bigger, wrinkles smaller, and eyebrows higher.
What to make of this? Personally, I have friends that have had fillers, lifts, and other tiny, non-invasive procedures that made them feel more satisfied with their appearance, which makes me happy for them. But I can’t help but wonder: what is this new standard of beauty that is being set by those with money, power, and influence? How reasonable is it today as a society to accept that in order to look attractive or be famous, one must go under the knife?
My question of “am I ugly or just poor?” expands past Botox as well, including facials, spa treatments, expensive sea kelp masks, and makeup to go on top of it all. At a certain point, it just seems impossible to compete. If those who are setting the "beauty standard" are spending thousands of dollars that, most likely, are made through Instagram promotions on procedures, skincare, and beauty products, then we’re just being conned into spending our money on their promoted products, keeping the cycle going.
We’re financially supporting our own “not-enoughness.”
I don’t think that getting Botox, spending money on a spa day, or buying that expensive moisturizer because it makes your face glow is a bad thing at all. In fact, we should celebrate investing in our own beauty and well-being, while also celebrating others who do the same.
Sometimes it feels like nothing will ever be enough, and no matter how much money I spend, I will only be beautiful if I buy more into the toxic cycle. I'm pointing fingers at the system itself, and suggest we all love ourselves for ourselves, not because of societal pressure.
Strike Out,
Writer: Ellie Lynch
Athens