As a 48-year-old Beauty Editor , I’ve spent years surrounded by the newest skincare innovations and products and countless hours in some of the world’s leading aesthetic clinics. From lasers to peels, microneedling to dermaplaning - I’ve tested it all - but one thing I’ve never done is Botox. Admittedly, and especially now that I’m approaching 50 and my forehead wrinkles are getting deeper and more pronounced, I have been tempted to try it out.
The majority of my friends are doing it, and I’ll admit that I am often envious of their smooth-as-a-marble skin and lifted brows. It’s not that I’m against Botox. Far from it.
But I do fear that the smooth Botox-ed look will become the norm - the beauty standard to aspire to. Especially now that so many young people are choosing to take up 'prejuvination' - the anti aging trend which involves taking up botox to stop wrinkles before they start. The problem with 'prejuvination' From very early on in my career, I’ve been passionate about inspiring people to feel happy and authentic in their skin.
Encouraging them to embrace and be grateful for what they have - whether it’s wrinkles, freckles or a gap in their teeth. And this work led me to directing hundreds of unretouched photoshoots for a high street beauty brand that celebrated real skin - every wrinkle and pore remained unretouched, unfiltered. And finding out that 27% of American patients receiving Botox last year were 34 or younger, compared with 21% in 2015, ac.