Plastic surgery is still growing strong in the world today, even though there are now many alternative therapies for us to consider.
According to the AAFPRS (the American Academy of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery) 84 percent of all facial surgical procedures including non-surgical procedures were performed on women as opposed to men last year (2009). So obviously it’s a “woman” thing, an anti ageing issue.
The most common operations were facelifts or rhytidectomy. Although plastic surgery is nothing new, after all it was used extensively in the wars, putting war torn soldiers back together, the cosmetic trend, and moreover facelifts, as always, started in Hollywood and then spread out from there since the shoulder padded dynasty driven 80’s.
Over the last few years facial plastic surgery, among other operations, have become commonplace here in the UK. In Great Britain a facelift can cost anything between £4000 and £11000 depending on what clinic or surgery is performing it, and being ‘cosmetic’ rather than clinical the NHS is not an option for people.
So what the alternative to all this nipping and tucking? Or do we have to just let nature take its course?
There is now a machine called CACI. This is a non-surgical, electronic beauty treatment that lifts the face by toning facial muscles, like giving your face a good ‘workout’. The process is painless and in fact quite relaxing according to people who have had the treatment. Thermage is another alternative using radiofrequency to firm up the skin. Some people use Acupuncture to tone their facial muscles, activating natural collagen in the process. No doubt the scientific world will come up with many more of these wonderful machines as time goes on, and there will always be demand for the bigger and better.
Pevonia products, night creams, anti wrinkle creams and gels are falling off the shelves in most major chemists and department stores, and they are not cheap for most people’s purses but still we feel the need to beat off father time. This may be all we need to do, creams and face packs with a little bit of choosing carefully what we eat and we’re looking great!
People have changed as the decades pass by. In the sixties and seventies, ladies in their late forties looked a lot older than they do these days, some are still working hard and playing even harder and know more about what they want. Everyone seems to look younger these days, our lifestyles demand it, our husbands say they don’t care but they always have an appreciation for the younger looking girls, they will never be able to hide it from us.
The TV commercial says to us “Because you’re worth it”.
Are we worth it? Is it ALL worth it?
I say, if it makes YOU feel good about YOURSELF, then you go girl! Do what you need to do.
Just make sure that when you hit the plastic, it’s for something that makes you feel fantastic!