Collagen Course

The beauty buzzword for this decade is undoubtedly,anti-ageing. Every company in the cosmetic industry has come up with a range of products targeted at fine lines,dark circles,eye wrinkles and discoloration. Our obsession with youth and youthfulness stems from what it’s associated with: a carefree existence,a childhood,a time when things were easier,a time with no responsibility. Nobody wants to age gracefully anymore,but how far are you willing to go to fight it?

Plastic surgery always reminds me of the ’90s film Khoon Bhari Maang where actor Rekha is attacked by a crocodile and her mutilated body is reconstructed by a crafty surgeon. She goes on to become a top model and take revenge on her killer husband. In India,in general,cosmetic enhancement remains an intensely private affair,justifiable under some circumstances but unacceptable if it’s only for vanity reasons. Despite the stigma,everywhere I look in Delhi,I notice people getting work done. Though there is so much emphasis on looking good,the consensus is that surgery is for the stars: their livelihood depends on how they look,anybody else opting for the knife is just plain vain. Contrarily,in the West,people have botox parties where a gang of regular people get treatments together,presumably to ease the angst of a procedure. “Tell me what you don’t like about yourself,” was the catchphrase of Nip/Tuck,a popular drama on plastic surgeons,with vivid and gory depictions of invasive procedures and shocking portrayals of what people do to maintain the illusion of youth.

Personally,I’m all for using science to help us feel better about ourselves,and if a perfect nose is guaranteed post-surgery,why not? But I’m never sure how I should react when I meet someone whose appearance has altered remarkably,especially if it’s for the worse. Not everybody looks better after the surgery. Since rumours constantly circulate about which film star has felt the prick of a needle,“celebrity enhancement spotting” is an engrossing past time. Priyanka Chopra was flaunting serious bee-stung lips during the awards season earlier this year but she had perfect lips in any case,and the huge size was just weird. Kangna Ranaut,an explosive but diminutive actor,outstanding in Fashion,has now compromised on her cool quotient by moulding herself to fit the buxom Bollywood norm.

Appearance isn’t just about wrinkles,it’s also about what you think. That’s why an 18-year-old’s expression cannot be captured,no matter how sophisticated the procedure. Surgery can help a 60-year-old look 45 but it can’t make a 45-year-old look 20. For those,especially uncomfortable with admitting to surgery,there are some tricks advocated by surgeons to face inquisitive questions. One is to go in for a drastic change in hairstyle,so people are fooled into thinking your improved appearance is because of a spectacular cut,nothing else. (Remember Simi Garewal’s long tresses replaced by a bob that completely transformed her?) There are some lucky people who take ageing in their stride and are not reliant on a beautiful persona to stay in the limelight. In a year,when an 82-year-old Christopher Plummer and a 60-something Meryl Streep beat actors half their age to win Oscars,it proves you don’t have to hang on to a particular age to remain a star.

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