Ashley Santore, Staff Writer
How is it that as people start getting older, they begin to look younger? What is the secret potion that keeps these aging women wrinkle free? The answer is Botox. Almost 9.5 million cosmetic surgical procedures have taken place in the United States in 2010 alone, since then the numbers have increased drastically. Botox weakens muscles, so wrinkles cannot develop. Overall, Americans have spent nearly $10.7 billion on cosmetic procedures.
Since when has our society started using plastic surgery to enhance our appearance? It used to be for fixing a broken nose. But today people are taking advantage of this type of surgery by getting facelifts, liposuction, and Botulinum Toxin all to change the way they look. “I think everyone should be able to get it because if someone gets bullied in school and doesn’t like the way they look, then they should be able to do what they want,” Newtown High School freshman Matt Snellman said.
With an overwhelming cost of $450-$800 for one area of the body, it may not have the satisfactory results people are looking for. The effects lasts of an average of three to four months; and that is not a long time considering the amount of money it costs. While Botox is used to enhance beauty and youth, it can have some not- so- pretty effects, as well. Some side effects include blue or purplish bruises on eyelids, drooping of the upper eyelid, and sensitivity of the eyes to light. So with so many possible negative effects, why risk it? Everyone gets old; it’s a part of life, so why try to stop the process?
People have become more aware of their appearances because of the growing use of social media, which has increased by 25% in the last two years.
But not only women over 40 are using Botox. People in their 20’s are getting hooked on it, too. Although experts say that getting this injection so young can actually make you look older, people still continue to do it. “Many children have a dramatic and permanent response to Botox,” said David G. Hunter, MD, PhD, vice chairman of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and ophthalmologist-in-chief at Boston Children’s Hospital. “It’s not a replacement for incisional surgery, but it is a valuable additional tool.”
People have become concerned with aging at 29 years old. It is ideal to have no wrinkles, and people are trying to live up to that fantasy by getting all these surgeries each day. Maybe on the outside people look 13 years old but some day everything is going the catch up and by then no one is going to care what you looked like.
Photo Credit; www.luxe-laser.com