Beauty and Botox

Over 2.6 million people undergo Botox procedures every year all over the world,so clearly the Hollywood trend of body modifications,has become popular all over the world. It’s not plastic surgery,the side effects don’t seem so bad (usually just headaches and nausea),and that’s not enough of a deterrent if you want to look ten years younger,for six months at least. Weirdly,though doctors recommend Botox only for adults,there are no criminal laws in the UK and US that ban children from being victims to these procedures.

I used to be hooked to Nip/Tuck,a TV show on plastic surgeons set in Los Angeles,that will unfortunately never appear on Indian television because of it’s extremely graphic,and occasionally disturbing content. Nip/Tuck follows two plastic surgeons dealing with different clients seeking the strangest of cosmetic surgeries and the creator of the show has gone on record to say it was “hundred per cent based on fact”. In one of the episodes,a 60-something lady insisted on getting surgery on the back of her knees,saying they looked wrinkled.

Plastic surgery has become one of the most lucrative specialisations for doctors and there is serious concern in the medical community that fewer doctors are opting for other,far more important surgical expertise. In India,anything that contributes to beauty and weight loss is thriving. You can choose from the best of microderm abrasion (to remove marks) liposuction (for excess weight),laser treatment (hair removal) and world class plastic surgeons for nose jobs and other cosmetic procedures. It’s hard to hide serious alterations to your face,but one of the tricks propagated by plastic surgeons to clients,is to go in for a massive makeover,to deflect attention from the surgery. So if you have long hair,you’re supposed to chop it off short,give it a wildly different colour,so,nobody can quite figure out what exactly has changed.

Anti-ageing procedures are a personal choice,but more often than not,the wrinkles might just look better. For example,take Hunter Tylo,a stunning looker who’s only role has been as the beauteous Dr Taylor Hayes on the long running soap,The Bold And The Beautiful. Tylo has plumped her lips to such proportions that she has become completely unrecognisable and even her speech seems distorted post the plumping.

Meanwhile,there are other icons,like Lady Gaga who have done just about everything outrageous possible; like wear outfits made of meat and put on wild performances with blood oozing from her clothes,yet,she has gone on record to say she will never go under the scalpel. Of course,it’s easy to claim that when you’re 25. Actors Robert Redford and Angelina Jolie say wrinkles remind them of a life well lived. But everyone has a choice to choose the way they want to be envisioned. (hutkayfilms@gmail.com)