Written by Dr Alison Colville, Medical Director at The Avery Clinic, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
It is undeniable that there is a therapeutic power to beauty treatments. But why do we fear the judgement from others if we choose to have them? Where does that judgement come from?
One of the most common things I hear is 'my husband would shoot me' if I got an injectable treatment .... or words to that effect. This fear of the judgement of our nearest and dearest can stop us from making choices to improve our appearance that may then have significant effects on our overall health and happiness.
More so than ever, people are seeking to have injectable treatments such a botulinum toxin injections or dermal filler, to tweak, enhance and restore. In the age of the ‘selfie’ and staring at your poorly-lit face on the daily zoom meetings, we are more conscious of our appearance. Social media has pushed the expected beauty standards to new heights and people are becoming lower in confidence.
Whilst injectable treatments are certainly not THE answer, they can have a hugely positive impact on a person's self image and this can spill out into all aspects of their life.
On the flip side, women are fighting back against judgement and shame in how they look and becoming empowered to make their own choices.
Let’s look at where judgement comes from and how we can feel empowered to like the way we look, whatever our choices are.
Firstly, let's consider why people even seek out injectable treatments in the first place:
Why do we choose injectable treatments?
There are many reasons a person might choose to have an injectable treatment including:
Anti-ageing results - Injectable treatments can improve signs of ageing to the skin, erase or reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and restore a youthful shape to the face
Restore confidence - Small changes to our exterior can have a huge effect on the way we show up in the world
Long-lasting results - Anti-wrinkle treatments last on average 3 months and dermal filler treatments anything from 6 months to 2 years. Profhilo + skin boosters last long term by maintaining 6 monthly treatments
Temporary - An advantage is that all treatments can and will wear off. Anti-wrinkle injections last 3 months before the muscles regain their activity and dermal filler is naturally absorbed by the body over time. If needed, dermal filler can also be fully reversed with a medication called Hyaluronidase
Non-surgical - Injectable treatments are classified as non-surgical medical treatments. They are inexpensive in comparison to surgery and therefore carry less risk and permanence whilst achieving similar results
Correct asymmetry - Using injectable treatments we can even out eyebrows if one sits higher than the other, straighten out a nose, correct an asymmetrical lip shape or smile etc etc
Safe – They are consider very safe if performed by a medical professional with the most common side effects being temporary swelling or bruising
Instant/quick results - Whereas lifestyle changes may take months to see results, or surgery has a long recovery, most injectable treatments give instant (dermal filler) or quick results (anti-wrinkle treatments take 3 days to 2 weeks for full results)
Affordable - Treatments cost between £100-£600 to get noticeable results which is considerably cheaper than surgical options
Natural ingredients - Botulinum toxin is a naturally occurring toxin/medication which is used throughout various medical fields. Dermal filler and Profhilo contain hyaluronic acid which we have within our skin providing hydration and collagen stimulation
And from an increase in confidence or self-worth a person may then go fourth and get that job, go on that date, join the gym, speak their mind.....
Why do we want to keep it so secret?
Simply put, we care what people think because that is the society that we live in.
We fear embarrassment, shame, and negativity from loved ones and strangers if we choose to undergo a medical treatment to alter our appearance. We could be labelled as vein or giving in to the pressures of society if we do.
It is much easier to do it in secret. Many of my patients haven't even told their partners, let alone their friends what they have done with me at the clinic. They see it as a positive that they have no idea and just think they look 'refreshed' or 'really well'.
A study recently conducted by Allergan stated that 38% of women keep their treatments secret. These are likely the women with very natural results, but no doubt very effective results. Sadly, this lack of openness means that they may tell white lies such as ‘oh it’s this new cream I’m using’ or ‘yes I do so much face yoga’ which gives unrealistic expectations to others on what they could do to be able to achieve results.
Ideally we would have more TRANSPARENCY in the industry.
Many celebrities are now speaking up unapologetically about the ‘tweakments’ they have and owning their personal choices. No longer do we have to feel that we are lesser humans than the perfect skinned, bright-faced celebrities of the world because we’re now in on the secret and can choose to have these treatments if we want.
Why do people judge us for getting injectable treatments?
It's easy to condemn someone for judging but it might actually come from a good place.
Here are some reasons that our partners/mothers/friends might comment disapprovingly if you announced you were having injectable treatments:
They love you – Your loved ones will hate to hear that you feel low in confidence, unattractive or low in self-worth, whatever the reason behind it is. A natural reaction is make you aware that you are love unconditionally and do not to need to change anything in their eyes. I’m sure you’d say the same to them?
Misunderstanding - They base their judgements on what they see which unfortunately is mostly the overfilled, over-frozen, unnatural faces that make it very obvious that they’ve had augmenting injectable treatments. It’s completely understandable that they don’t want you to look that way!
Their insecurities - Another issue can be jealousy. Particularly with women, we are all likely battling our own insecurities around appearance and judgement and can even feel that other women who choose to have injectables are ‘cheating’.
Unnatural looking results
There is a huge lack of education surrounding the potential of injectable treatments when administered by a responsible medical professional. Beautifully natural and subtle results often remain secret and therefore the average member of the public assumes the overfilled or frozen looks are standard.
Whilst we are not judging those seeking out the more augmented/fake look from injectable treatments (e.g. a overfilled lip AKA trout pout), it is in fact irresponsible for a practitioner to inject large amounts of filler into any one area, especially the lips. One of the main risks of dermal filler is blocking off a blood vessel which can lead to skin death and even blindness in certain instances. The more filler in the lips, the more pressure/likelihood of blocking a vessel.
Another issue with the 'fake' look, is the potential underlying psychological issues the patient seeking treatment may have. A responsible practitioner will perform a thorough assessment of each patient to ensure that medically and psychologically they are suitable for a treatment. A full medical and mental history, including a screening for Body Dysmorphia Syndrome is vital in order to identify those who may have an underlying psychiatric issue which might lead to a worsening or perpetuation in their condition.
Just like the 90’s boob job look where it’s very obvious to all that one has had a surgical procedure, injectable treatments have been given a bad name. We can’t compare drag queen make-up vs some carefully placed concealer, a light mascara and a tinted lip balm can we?
**IMPORTANT NOTE - this is not to judge those who choose to look augmented. Although this is not my choice of technique, I am pointing out some of the medical issues and the general public misconception. If someone chooses to seek out a practitioner to create an augmented look with injectables and it makes them happy, then they should feel empowered in their choice.
Why do we care how we look?
From the dawn of time we have adorned ourselves with flowers and painted our bodies. Many indigenous communities continue to perform body modification as part of their culture, to represent beauty/power/status.
We live in a world where the way we look matters, not always, but as a generalisation, it simply does. We are biologically conditioned to find people with symmetrical, happy, bright faces more attractive, trustworthy and approachable. If someone has deep frown lines they can appear angry and therefore less approachable. As we age, gravity and laxity causes our facial tissues to descend creating jowls giving the impression we’re sad or tired. Injectable treatments can allow us to subtly adapt our expressions, skin, facial symmetry to appear more ‘attractive’, and reflect how we really feel on the inside.
As an example, wearing braces is socially acceptable and it is recognised that uneven teeth can have a significant negative impact on a person’s mental health, social interactions and overall quality of life – so much so that we aim to correct teeth in children to prevent any potential damage.
More than ever before we are learning to accept individual expression of identity. The youth of today are breaking down barriers for self-expression and non-conformity and as a result, we are all becoming less judgemental. Why is it OK that you can dye your hair blonde, but not blue? Why is it acceptable to get your ears pierced but not an injectable treatment?
A note about women and judgement:
For too long women have been shamed about their appearance. We must appear groomed, feminine (but not slutty), not-too-confident, pretty, youthful (but not mutton-dressed-as-lamb)…. Etc etc, you get the gist.
Most people seek out injectable treatments to correct a specific issue that doesn't align with the way the feel or want to feel. Does choosing to correct a physical feature make you less authentic as a person? How much to we have to reject beauty standards to be considered authentic?
Who else was told to smile by an older man because you look prettier?
But perhaps worst of all, we are expected to age ‘gracefully’. What does this even mean? To me it means to look good without trying too hard, to not care about age but somehow manage to defy it, or perhaps to just accept looking older and learn not to care (even though you feel you've lost your identity).
And is caring about how we look really that bad?
Particularly during menopause, a huge physical and mental shift occurs for a women. Due to the change in hormone levels, a woman's hair, skin, face and body changes fairly rapidly and psychologically this can have a huge impact. Peri- and post-menopausal women describe feeling discarded or ignored and then often feel a loss of identity and lower confidence.
In contrast, men have the ability to procreate well into old age. They somehow become more 'rugged' with age. Biologically this means that men are conditioned to find younger and more fertile women more attracted because they would be a successful mate. Robert De Niro has just had his 7th child at aged 79 (congrats Bob). Of course, the mother of the child is certainly not 79 years old, or 60..... (she is 45 apparently.) It’s a story as old as time – the middle-aged man trades in his wife for a younger model….
Therefore, it’s no surprise that women fear ageing!
Let us change the narrative!
The theme that runs through all of this is judgement.
Others judging us, and us judging ourselves.
But the main themes should be – quality of life, self-expression and freedom to do what want with our bodies.
If having a tattoo, getting a manicure, shaving your head, wearing the new ‘fad’ trainer, or correcting a specific concern with your face using injectable treatments boosts your confidence or ability to self-express, then how is it a bad thing?
An injectable treatment is unlikely to solve all our problems and insecurities, just like earning more money, or buying that car. But, it can improve our quality of life and how we feel in ourselves.
There absolutely needs to be a change in how we judge others based on their appearance but the reality is much more complex. In today’s society it can be just as empowering to choose to conform to what is considered biologically more ‘attractive’ and thrive, as it is to fight and reject beauty standards.
We have a right to like the way we look.
May we own that right and feel confident to do whatever feels right for us.
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