Facing up to aging

2010-01-11 14:42:54 | Source

Aging, like life, is a naturally beautiful thing. Some people embrace it, knowing each line, each wrinkle, says something about who they are and where they've been.
Others do everything they can to hold onto the blessed fountain of youth, not wanting their faces marred by years of sun damage and the inevitable ravages of time. To each his - or her - own.

I have to admit, however, that the endless barrage of media coverage on anti-aging and wrinkle fillers and freezers recently sent me to the bathroom for a long hard look at myself in the mirror. And, horror of horrors, I finally understood the meaning of   fine lines.''

I never realized I had all those tiny tenacious wrinkles snaking out from under my eyes. Nor did I know I had a miniature permanent furrow between my eyebrows. Where in the heck did that come from?

That torturous review of my poor complexion got me panicking. Suddenly I felt old. Ugly. Wrinkled. I felt my youth slipping away and the Grim Reaper breathing down my neck. OK. Maybe it wasn't that bad, but it certainly did make me feel a bit insecure.

What's up with that?

The pressure these days to be wrinkle free is stifling. Not only are there a gazillion eye creams and facial treatments, but there are countless cosmetic procedures, too - all claiming to turn back the hands of time. Whatever happened to aging gracefully?

Sure, people throughout time have searched for ways to hold on to their youth. In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon went looking for a water source said to have   youthening'' powers, but he never found it. Today's fountain of youth is needles and knives. And people are turning out in droves to erase the years.

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, more than 8.3 million Americans underwent some type of cosmetic procedure in 2003. Eyelid surgeries and facelifts continue to rank in the top five most popular surgical procedures to get rid of wrinkles, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

But Botox - that face freezer notorious for being the prized guest at a number of parties in Hollywood and elsewhere - reigns supreme as the No. 1 anti-aging procedure of choice.

I must confess that before my wrinkle review, I never would have dreamed of allowing a doctor to inject a poisonous substance - which, for some reason, isn't really poisonous - into my skin. For those who don't know, I'm talking about botulinum toxin A (a.k.a Botox). But, my, how your thoughts change when things start happening to you.

I thought, hmmm, we have the technology. We have well-trained doctors who can erase the years with needles and lasers and peels (oh my!). And, as long as I don't put my vanity before my family's needs, are a few little pin pricks all that bad?

So, I did it. I got Botox. And I have to say it was one of the weirdest experiences of my life. Not only did the sound of the needle crunching into my flesh freak me out, but the blood pouring from the pricks made me feel like I was on the set of a horror production. It was   Nightmare on Elm Street'' and Freddy was sporting a syringe.

Immediately after the 20-minute procedure, the doctor told me not to touch, rub or wash my face. Thankfully, he swabbed the blood away. But I still looked dreadful. Go back to work? I don't think so. That whole   lunch-time'' makeover idea isn't true.

The day following my pricks of pain, I realized my forehead refused to move. It felt like a giant hand was holding it down. My face was expressionless. I could have been surprised, angry or hurt, but no one would have known because my face just couldn't relay the message. It seemed an eternity before I could even raise one eyebrow about half of what I can do now that the Botox no longer has any power over me.

Many people may be indebted to Botox, but not this girl. I'd rather have the wrinkles. At least with a poison-free face, I'll be able to turn my nose up at them.

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