The Politics of Plastic...Surgery
LOS ANGELES, April 18, 2007 — -- Here in Los Angeles, plastic surgery and extensive dermatological procedures have been de rigeur for some time. Now it's a trend that reaches from coast to coast. Due to new discoveries, people are opting for injections and minor surgeries over major cutting and pasting -- at least, initially.
I find that most women in Hollywood get plastic surgery to try to land "the perfect part" in a movie. Yet these same women refuse to dye their hair a different color for an audition because they're afraid that it won't look right. "FYI ladies... hair dye isn't permanent!" said Brandi Williams, host of "Who's Hot, Who's Not" at Usmagazine.com, who has a point.
Botox, which of course is derived from the bacterium that causes botulism found in spoiled meat, is among the most popular quick fixes. Of course, you might get a droopy eyelid or look like you have Bell's palsy if you overdo it. One could argue that it's natural. It's not synthetic. But it's a DISEASE.
Now before I go on a rant about how "odd" it is, let me just admit that Botox is a real wrinkle-wrencher. And I have never known someone to get sick from using it. So, in moderation, why not? Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times laments: "People's real problem with plastic surgery is that hotness used to be the one thing that rich people didn't have an advantage in. Now that you can buy breasts and good skin, poor people will finally revolt." Well, that doesn't seem fair.
Botox is one of many "injectables" that are replacing surgery. There's Restalyne, collagen and Radiesse. Restalyne patients even get a frequent user card so that you can get enough points to get a free injection. Just like at the car wash. Wow. But there are many out there who seem to have gone a little crazy on the needles. The result: a face that looks scrunched up. I ask you, is having a fuller, more youthful face worth THAT? Rachel Herrera, makeup artist for E! Entertainment, said, "The cosmetic surgery boom of late is curious. It leaves people looking a little off. Can't put my finger on it, but it's a look that just isn't quite right."
