Recently you might have read about actresses in Hollywood speaking out against the use of Botox. Those speaking out may be avid users of resurfacing lasers or other injectable fillers and cosmetic procedures but have been quoted specifically targeting Botox for criticism.
This could be a sign of interviewers asking loaded questions about aging or questioning an actor’s authenticity. For celebrities in Hollywood using their face as their primary source of income, it would make sense to use Botox sparingly and with super precision.
An experienced professional would be the best choice for maintaining a natural look and preserving the functions of the muscle to your liking.
An Oscar winning scene can have actors expressing a dynamic range of emotions in the face that can be the focal point of storytelling in a scene. For them, is important to have the most range of motion in the tiny muscles of the face in order to maximize their emoting potential on screen or stage.
Hollywood and Beauty Standards
Hollywood has set the standard of beauty and perfection of the face with the silver screen close-ups of the 40s and continues well into today. Many celebrities double as cosmetics spokes persons appearing flawlessly not only on the big screen but on our TVs too.
Take for example Jennifer Aniston, who has spoken out against her experience with Botox but claims to be obsessed with skin resurfacing lasers. Famous fair-skinned star Nicole Kidman (a skin type more prone to wrinkles) also commented that she did not like Botox after trying it, yet used it for an extended period time.
Many other women in Hollywood have spoken out against Botox and are also taking a stand against the impossible pressures to look ageless in Hollywood. This is commendable as long as no one puts down anyone else’s choices to use Botox.
If the backlash is specifically with Botox, it could be because of poor results from a procedure by an inexperienced provider.
Some patients ask for a natural and soft wrinkle look while others may specifically ask to have a muscle in the face completely frozen. An inexperienced provider may feel the pressure to take on the client and meet their expectations even if they may be unnatural or unrealistic.
The effects of Botox are temporary and can be controlled in amounts of neurotoxin injected; softening or hardening the look. But the variety of ‘looks’ you can create are endless.
If the procedure results in a frozen or unnatural look, then everyone’s attention will be focused on that detail of that face. The objective is to create a look that doesn’t look ‘done.’ Again and again we read that those who do not agree with the use of Botox are opposing the obvious side-effects of the overuse of Botox.
The unfortunate part about it is that the most infamous cases of Botox overuse make it to the front page of the internet and scare regular users or candidates for Botox.
Botox Has Never Been More Popular
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) released their 16th annual multi-specialty procedural statistics in 2012 listing the most popular nonsurgical procedure were injections of Botulinum Toxin Type A (including Botox and Dysport).
Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures increased over 10 percent in the year, with almost 8.5 million procedures in 2012. More recently, there were 6,673,608 Botox treatments in 2014 and that up 6% since the previous year in 2013.
This means that more and more women (and men) are using Botox and the backlash on Botox in Hollywood has not swayed the public. With more and more professionals offering better service, more hands-on experience, options and accessibility, almost anyone to get these cosmetic procedures safe and affordable.
If you find yourself shocked to read that your favorite celeb has given up Botox or you see the latest overdone frozen face, remember that you will not have that same experience. The vast majority of patients are satisfied with their results and the truth is everyone facial muscles are different.
You need a provider who will not just do a cookie-cutter treatment but someone to evaluate your muscles and give you the look that you want. Ideally, accomplishing a visage that presents a rejuvenated, well-rested, better you and that makes you feel better about you and your appearance.
Botox is No Longer Taboo
Many celebrities in Hollywood have taken a stance either for or against using Botox to erase lines or turn back time. Among those who have spoken out against Botox are Salma Hayek, Sofia Vergara, Penelope Cruz and Eva Longoria.
Those who use or have used Botox are Cindy Crawford, Daisy Fuentes, Vanessa Williams and Kim Cattrall. Many celebrities have come forward to mock Hollywood and the standards of beauty that are being revealed as more and more unrealistic.
This comes as no surprise given the attention that products like Botox and Juvéderm have been receiving lately due to its overwhelming popularity.
The cat is out of the bag. It is no longer a taboo to receive Botox as much as is to see the dermatologist for a retinol cream or chemical peel. These are all tools in the beauty toolbox for those who want improve the appearance of wrinkles.
Although our favorite celebrities may take a stance for or against anti-aging injectable, we still need to evaluate for ourselves if this is for us or not.
Given that many of those celebrities who speak out against it are actresses who need to move their faces very precisely for their work on-screen, it’s no wonder that they would not want to reduce the movement of muscles in their face. The movement and lines in their faces are their livelihood, needed to project many emotions to their audiences.
Botox for the Rest of Us
For people who are not actors, this is not an obstacle when considering using Botox. This product can not only help reduce the appearance of the wrinkles you currently have, it can also be used to prevent them from setting-in.
Maybe you have a crease in your forehead only when you make a specific expression; with time, that line may set in and become a deeper more permanent line but with Botox, this can be prevented.
Stay informed, and inform others, that although they may read about their favorite actresses speaking out against Botox, this is still a very personal choice to make. Most celebrities have plenty of help when aging beautifully in Hollywood.
There are nutritionists, personal trainers, dermatologists and skin care regimens that they have access and the means to. Some may even lie about having had ‘work done.’ So don’t believe everything you read about your favorite Hollywood actresses, as they are not taking an oath before they speak out for or against the use of Botox.
Hollywood and Lip Injections
In 2010, Lisa Rinna came out in People Magazine about the silicone lip injections she received at 24. The lips had become her defining characteristic as an actress and as the years passed, she had more silicone injected to maintain the look.
That eventually turned hard and ‘yucky’ as she describes. Lisa went on to explain that it was the producers of a new show she was in that convinced her to speak out about the changes to her lips and the reconstruction after having the silicone removed in 2010.
More recently on the Today show last spring, she commented that her lips had their own career. Looking back, she told Today show host Hoda Kobt that she would do it again.
Lips can dramatically change one’s face. With the emergence of social media applications such as Instagram, we are getting closer to the personal lives of celebrities. Take for example the explosion of the “Kylie Jenner Lip”. The 17 year old had posted a photo on her Instagram account that showed a dramatically different look.
Her lips looked much larger and fuller than previous. This led to an explosion of copy cats and tutorials on YouTube on how to achieve the same lip look with a good quality lip liner and matte lipstick.
There are many celebrities that mystify their beauty process. You can achieve a fuller lip look with makeup that have plumping agents with mint or cinnamon. Or you can get those looks with an actual cosmetic procedure.
Since the days of injecting collagen and silicone in the lips, the technology for making lips bigger has come a long way. One of the most popular procedures is using a product called hyaluronic acid.
There really is nothing mystical about making lips bigger with a cosmetic procedure. It’s very easy and anyone can get it; you basically want to add a little more volume to the lip. Instead of silicone, these injections can give a more natural look. It is not permanent and can be easily reversed by injecting a solution to break down the substance. It not very painful and can even be done on a 30 minute lunch break.
Hyaluronic acid injections give a subtle look to the lips and are very popular now. You don’t have to be old and aging to get it.
Many celebrities in general do not usually confirm or deny the use of cosmetic procedures and these procedures are not reserved just for celebrities. They are very affordable and accessible. After choosing a medical professional in a clinic, you can get satisfying result that will be a fit for your face.
At the end of the day, a responsible medical professional and realistic expectations are going to get you far better results with cosmetic procedures than many of the Hollywood horror stories you’ve seen in the news.