where do you stand on botox?

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Apr 12 6:13 AM posted by author Jackie Morgan MacDougall

The Big B -- Botox. Some women swear by it, others are repulsed at the idea. Me? I can understand both sides. Just a couple of years ago, one of my BFFs revealed she had gone under the needle. I remember feeling so upset that she didn’t see how gorgeous she is and how the lines on her face were proof that she’s laughed, loved and given life to two children.

Then I turned 40.

Dr. Craig Ingber, a board certified facial plastic surgeon who practices in the cosmetic-procedure Mecca of the world – Southern California – says women should rest assured. "Some think they're going to have a totally paralyzed face and they're going to look like a puppet -- you can achieve that if you want. But in most cases it's very natural." Dr. Ingber adds, "Patients who do Botox are 99 percent pleased. It's probably the most common starting point for patients."

As Ricki has proven, never say never, right? If it’s safe and makes you feel good, where’s the harm?

But for some women, Botox is a double edge sword (or is it needle?). “I feel there is great strength in letting ourselves age, and trying to find comfort in that kind of beauty because it's natural," says Teri, 47. "That said, why NOT do something that is available to us in our modern technology. Would we not have a procedure on our insides, say our clogged arteries because we might live longer even though it is "unnatural" to take Lipitor to lower your cholesterol? So is it okay to use modern medicines to stay younger on the inside and somehow worth judging negatively if we do the same thing on the outside?"

But other women, like 43-year-old Nancy, know exactly where they stand. “I actually think it should be covered by insurance. Aren't wrinkles some kind of medical condition? Aside from the expense, I really don’t see anything wrong with it. Of course I was supposed to put some money in the kids college fund and got Botox and a photo facial instead! They can always go to community college.”

For Michelle, 38, Botox was accompanied by an inner struggle. “I'm sort of a naturalist. I stay away from wheat and dairy, I buy only organic, and I'd rather suffer with a headache than take an aspirin. I don't remember exactly when it was that I did try it for the first time, but I'm certain I did not like how my face was changing in the mirror. The crow's feet around my eyes didn't match how I felt inside and the idea of aging naturally? Well those days are long gone. If you look old it must be because you're not taking advantage of all of the age defying treatments that are available at your fingertips or because you can't afford to.”

And 20-something Jane? She says no (but you just never know). “I guess I would like to think that if there are lines and wrinkles on my face it is because I've laughed and lived and played in the sun, though I can't predict how I will feel in ten or twenty years. I certainly am not against anyone doing anything within the realm of reason to help better their self-esteem.”

Where do you stand on the Big B? Share in the comments!