Michelle Obama, our first lady, recently went on the record as saying that she is not ruling out plastic surgery or Botox in the future. She said, “Women should have the freedom to do whatever they need to do to feel good about themselves…I’ve also learned to never say never.”
What a breath of fresh air it was for me to read this. That sentiment is really what Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Enhancement is all about- freedom! Freedom to be happy with your appearance… Freedom to be comfortable making the choices you make in order to look your best… Freedom from stigma or the opinions of others about what we “should” or “should not” be doing (provided it is safe and makes us happy).
It struck a nerve with me and made me remember comments from my friends when I started in the aesthetic field at the age of 27. I had several friends who commented, after they heard what I was doing, that they would never put Botox in their faces… Fast forward ten years and conversations with many of those same friends now go a little more like, “So tell me more about this Botox.”
The reality is that in our society many people are working and living longer. We are very active and feel a lot younger than we are. It is sometimes hard to reconcile that inner feeling with the physical changes that we see in the person looking back at us from the mirror.
why is taking care of or maintaining the appearance of our faces any different??
I see women on a daily basis who are self-conscious about the way they look, but feel guilty doing anything about it. They feel that they are being “vain” or that they should not be spending money on themselves. Maybe they should just “grow old gracefully.” The way that I see it (and I tell my patients this, as well) is that if we start to see more gray hairs than brown or blonde, we often get our hair colored. If we are putting on some pounds and no longer feel comfortable or confident in our clothes, then we may start working out more, vow to eat better or invest in the latest cleanse. So, why is taking care of or maintaining the appearance of our faces any different??
Now, I’m not saying that we should become hyper-focused or too critical of our appearances, and we’ve all seen way too many photos of celebrities who should have stepped away from the needle a few injections ago, but as with most other effective treatments and medications, the key is in finding the dose that is right for you.
Of course, if you’re a woman who is completely comfortable in your own skin and feel no need to erase those years that you have “earned,” then you go girl! I am sure that there are many women who would love to borrow some of that self-confidence… On behalf of the rest of us however, thank you Mrs. Obama for your open, honest comments on women’s rights and our freedom to be happy.
