B is for Botox

Continuing on with the A-Z April Blogging challenge, today we are on the letter B.  B stands for Botox, a good idea in theory but I won’t need many words to show where this one went wrong.

Today’s Mental Moment …

is about Botox

and how once again too much of a good thing, is no longer a good thing.

One of the hardest things to overcome in life it seems, is the aging process.  The search for eternal youth and beauty goes back to the beginning of time and is well documented.

While the main goal is to extend the length of time we live, in fact for many in search of  the answer,  immortality is the real goal, there have been advances which at the very least lessen the effects of aging on our looks through cosmetically altering them with surgery, for example, a face lift, to the beauty industry spending billions of dollars in research on antiaging serum and creams, cosmetics and lotions.

One such discovery has actually been around for a long time and used to treat medical conditions, such as overactive bladder, is a highly potent toxin lethal in certain circumstances, like when is it used for biological weapons of mass destruction but has become one of the most common anti-aging treatments utilized, being less intrusive than cosmetic surgery.

Botox is the common term used for a neurotoxic protein formed from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.  Whew that’s a mouthful.

The way Botox works is by injecting a small amount into the muscle tissues which then in effect paralyzes the muscle, thereby erasing the wrinkles we so hate to see on our faces as we age.

A little, used correctly, can present a younger looking version of you.

Cool right?  Well in small doses and used correctly it is kinda cool.

Consider This:

Too much and what you have is a 55-year-old trying to look 25 and there is nothing natural about it.

It isn’t permanent and requires treatment every 4 -6 months as the paralysis wear off, and the face begins to do its normal contractions, such as the crinkle of the eyes when we laugh, thereby stopping the process of  unaging.

We have all seen the pictures of a little Botox gone too far.  there are those who swear by it and use it more often than recommended, some going for treatment every two months instead of waiting the normal minimum of four.

And despite research showing 4 is the best minimum, their doctors let them, sometimes to ghastly results, for the sake of bringing in the big bucks while their clients are still happy with the results.

If some is amazing, more is better.

What you lose is the normal expression of human emotion.

When you smile it seems fake since your eyes don’t move, when you cry it seems fake since your forehead doesn’t crinkle.  Some even end up with a look,  fake and plastic, frozen on their face, like a deer in the headlights and the oddity is really apparent when they show no expression while they laugh, other than the mouth moving, as Botox does not effectively stop the deep muscle tissues of the mouth unless used too much or incorrectly. No big deal right?

Celebrities using Botox don’t have to worry about getting caught in an unguarded moment, when they look human and real by cameras, revealing themselves and their aging to the world.  That is worth losing the expressive functions for.  Maybe

That isn’t all, have you ever seen a picture of someone who uses Botox too much and although they may not be overly disfigured or look horrid by standards of cosmetically altered mishap, they don’t look anything like they used to, even more so than if they let themselves age naturally?

Anti-aging treatments can help slow the process but we aren’t meant to not age, our bodies not meant to be frozen in time.

If they were, we already would be.  Why fight what we are intended to do?  Aging appearance can be slowed by treating ourselves right.  Using Botox to reverse the years of hard living and as an eternal youth serum, hoping to reverse and stop the aging process can only lead to unnatural results when taken too far.

There is true beauty in aging gracefully.  The lines around the eyes speak of laughter, experience and are distinguished and attractive when worn with grace and acceptance of the way of life.

Think about it.

Just try not to crinkle your forehead while you do.

To Your Mental State, whatever it may be.

*I am not picking on Meg Ryan…she really is one of my favorite actresses and I only used her as an example because it wasn’t extreme and more like the typical results we see from celebrities…in my opinion, she and most of them, would have been better just being their natural selves.  That of course is just my slightly cracked observation and unsolicited advice on the matter…  

Related articles

• 3 Things You Didn’t Know About Botox (aboutplasticsurgery.com)
• Botox: How Often Do I Need It? (aboutplasticsurgery.com)
• Aging Skin (everydayhealth.com)
• To get or not to get Botox now?!! (modgirlz.wordpress.com)
• Beauty: You’re never too young for Botox! Dr Frederic Brandt explains why getting the jab early is good (dailymail.co.uk)
• Botox basics explained (moneyviews.com)