What age is too young to start getting cosmetic work done? Girls getting nose jobs for their sweet sixteen and breast implants as college graduation gifts have become, if not the norm, commonplace enough where we hardly bat a Latisse-lengthened eyelash.
But what about injectable fillers? Botox, Juvederm, Perlane, etc. -- those quick-fix shots of youth administered to brows, lips, and smile lines. Increasingly, it's not just the wizened erasing life's battle scars, but the under 30 on a quest for subtle enhancement -- and unlike the Upper East Side denizens whispering in hushed voices about a recent "procedure," they're not afraid to Twitter about it.
Pop culture has a lot to do with it. Who can forget Heidi Montag's exaggerated ten procedures in one day? And then there was Lindsay Lohan with plumped-up lips in her latest mug shot as well as under-30 Kim Kardashian getting Botox in a recent episode of her show on E! All of these young stars who don't ostensibly need any work done are erasing "imperfections" (some might argue character) and augmenting beauty (at least in their minds) with a few quick jabs of the needle.
The idea that someone without nary a forehead furrow would go voluntarily into the doctor's office and undergo having needles stuck into their face might sound anathema to some, but the truth is that it's little different from a trip to the dentist. Both require visits about every six months for upkeep, and unless you have any major problems, the visit's about the same amount of time too -- except the waiting room is cosmetic spas is usually nicer and has better magazines.
A 23 year old in magazine publishing, who asked not to be named, experimented with Botox at 22. "I didn't do it to look 'enhanced,'" she said. "I already get that I look 16 -- it was just to fix something that I saw so that I wouldn't notice it anymore. I don't know if I'll do it again, maybe when real wrinkles appear or when I'm 50."
It was in this spirit that I made a visit to Park Avenue practioner Dr. Amiya Prasad last week. My objective: getting rid (at least temporarily) of my nasolabial fold lines -- those subtle smile lines everyone has to some degree. Mine are unusually deep and have nothing to do with my age or skincare regime, they're just what the genetic wheel of fortune dealt me. When I look in the mirror, I tend to fixate on them -- those little lines become fjords that swallow my face, all my other features drowning in them. Okay, that's an exaggeration but they do bother me, and they're so easily corrected that it seems like a no-brainer to take care of them.
The good doctor is an expert on maintaining youth, having recently written a book about it called The Fine Art of Looking Younger. He has a lot to say on the issue -- waiting for my anesthetic to kick in, I asked him if it was typical for young people to come to him.
It's very interesting to see how -- I've been in practice for 15 years -- and the people coming in have been getting younger. If someone is in their late 20's -- it would almost be a case where normally I'd never have to do anything for someone that young, but if they happened to have spent time in the sun, if they happen to have very light skin, then it's beneficial to do minor things: chemical peels, injectables, etc.
Does he feel that media has influenced the influx of younger people coming to him? "There's no question that pop culture and media has a tremendous impact on the understanding and knowledge of what we do. When the plastic surgery reality shows came out many years ago, we saw a significant increase interest. Positive or negative."
The procedure is relatively painless -- and this is coming from someone who used to convulse at the sight of a needle. A topical numbing cream is applied, then a shot of Lidocaine into each fold. This is the most painful part of the procedure, but it's over in a few seconds. The rest is painless since the mouth area is completely desensitized. Someone could staple your lips together and you could smile but for the staples holding them down.
A few days later, my small bruise fading, I'm thrilled with the results. I don't look older or young, just slightly better. You'd never know that I'd had anything done, even if you saw me just a day before the Juvederm, and yet two syringes worth of the miracle liquid is sitting right below those old trench lines, propping them up.
I'm hoping that by taking action now, I'm warding off future need for more intensive (and costly) operations like a face-lift.
Aging is a combination of our genetics, environment, and physical experience in life. What the fillers and injectables do is soften the effects of the aging process. When you do an injectable like Botox or Dysport, the lines that would continue to get deeper don't continue to deepen as drastically.
I'm smiling at that.
Follow Adrien Field on Twitter: www.twitter.com/adrienfield
YOU DON'T NEED IT NOW AND YOU DON'T NEED IT LATER EITHER. NO ONE CARES HOW YOUNG YOU LOOK. NO ONE. Unless you live off your looks as a career (actress, porn star), its a waste.
If you think you need a touch up just so you can "feel young/your best" or whatever.... You have been brainwashed to worry about how you look too much and to think you have to maintain youth regardless of the cost.
ITS NOT WORTH THE MONEY.
IT'S TEMPORARY, YOU'RE GOING TO GET OLD ANYWAY.
Why not spend that money on two things: clothes that make you look beautiful and classy at whatever your age, and an EDUCATION so that you have self-worth and can make a contribution to society beyond your boobious bourgeois obsession.
Both you and the tattoo people somehow think that they have to put a knift to their skin just so that they can conform to their/society's beauty/cool demands.
People who have plastic surgery are shallow and wasting their money. Have some self-worth from the inside and you wouldn't really care about your face aging naturally over time... a mature human being just doesn't need it...
Is it proven that taking these steps now will ward off the signs of aging later? Does the body eliminate the chemicals as they breakdown over time? Do they contribute to auto-immune problems?
Comparison with dentistry? Keeping one's teeth is vital to nutrition & health. Who would ever want to lose their teeth & have to rely on a removable set? IMO, that would be one of the worse offenses to self image & esteem ever, short of a hideous accident.
Back in the '80s, I knew a woman in her early 20s who wouldn't smile or show any expression because she was afraid of future wrinkles. All of our friends found her to be pathetic. She was so obsessed with her face that she couldn't have any fun or keep a boyfriend. Very sad case. I sometimes wonder whatever happened to her & what she might look like now.
Genes are important & so is basic skin care... exfoliation & moisturizing. People can look great at any age. It is sad what the culture has done to us. Must we be so extremely superficial? What if we spent as much time & effort on developing our intelligence and character?
Hope your plan works & that you look youthful forever.