You would never be able to tell that I had Botox because my face moves totally normally, just less.
Okay, fine. Let's say I don't notice it with you... a stranger who usually notices even subtle facial droop from well-recovered stroke victims. (Once you know what to look for and see it, you can't unsee it, honestly.) Dollars to doughnuts the people who know you notice something different, though, even if they say nothing or don't know it's botox specifically. "Just less" movement is still a profound change in facial expression for friends and family, especially around a feature of the face that's frequently more expressive than the mouth ever is, doubly so on a region of the face where the muscles are being pumped full of enough botulism toxin to cause them to go sufficiently slack in an area that's normally active enough to cause wrinkles and folding in the skin in the first place.
This isn't even about money. It's about being well-adjusted enough to accept yourself as you are. Something, I'd hope, a psychotherapist would be wholly on board supporting in a sort of "physician, heal thyself" kind of way.
Maybe you missed the part where I said that I'm literally an expert in the muscles of the face? I notice a lot.
Okay, whatever, maybe you are so sensitive that you are able to detect Botox more than even medical professionals whose job it is to have meticulous understanding of facial nerves and muscles.
Let's assume that's true.
So what?
That means that it bothers *you*.
So????
How is that any different than you stating that women shouldn't have neon coloured hair because *you* think it looks weird???
I was literally the first person in this thread to say that Botox and injections are a bad idea if the purpose is to try and prevent the inevitability of aging, because it can become psychologically toxic. So don't mistake my posts as being uncritical of injections.
I dislike obvious injections as much as I hate obvious veneers, but I'm not about to go shit on all people who get veneers, not even the ones who specifically choose to get obvious ones.
That's not my privilege.
Also, this generalization that any change to appearance beyond what nature provides is somehow wrong is absolute nonsense.
Who gets to draw the line as to what's reasonable and okay?
YOU??
Do you get to decide?
Am I allowed to get minor Botox for overactive muscles in my forehead, which also really helps with my chronic tension headaches?
Am I allowed to go through 2 years of painful braces to straighten my teeth?
Am I allowed to get veneers on my two front teeth since they grew in with dark brown stains on them? Due to nature?
Or as someone said above, would I be allowed to replace a silver filling with a white one if I had them?
Am I allowed to keep dyeing my hair bright red because I think it matches my personality better than dark blond?
Am I allowed to remove my body hair?? What about if I start getting facial hair as I age?? Wait!!! Are YOU allowed to remove the hair that nature grows from your face???
Am I allowed to get Lasik because I don't like the look of glasses and I don't tolerate contacts well?
If I could wear them, would I be allowed to wear coloured contacts??
Am I allowed to wear makeup???
Am I allowed to wear underwire bras??? Omg, those things are far more painful than Botox...yikes.
Am I allowed to get a breast lift if I breastfeed 4 children and end up with the equivalent of tennis balls in tube socks hanging from my ribs?
Am I allowed to have my nails painted?
Am I allowed to get a spray tan?
What about tattoos???
I TOTALLY agree that the pressures put on women to look a certain way are insane and toxic, but there's also absolutely nothing wrong with modifying our appearance according to our own desires.
Just because I dye my hair red doesn't mean I can't accept myself without red hair. Just because I chose to cosmetically alter my brown front teeth and get braces doesn't mean I lack self respect for who I am as a person.
*I* am the *only* person who gets to decide what changes to my natural appearance are okay and aren't.
As a passionate and loyal fan of Drag Culture, I see nothing wrong with the use of aesthetics for personal expression.
Where the line is between healthy personal expression and toxic succumbing to social pressure is a VERY VERY personal line and cannot and should not be defined by anyone else.