Last week, I learnt that there’s a ‘Zoom Boom’ effect, driving more people to turn to cosmetic treatments.
In an article in The Age about ‘Injectables’ (22/02/22), journalist Antoinette Lattouf referred to a modest experiment undertaken for ABC documentary Catalyst. All ten participants – male and female - said it was looking at themselves in daily video calls over the last two years that led them to botox.
I get this. Video conferencing, about which we all complain but without which many of us would no longer have jobs or catch ups with friends and family, has forced us to gaze upon ourselves in a way we never had to before. And yep, it’s confronting; like hearing your voice on tape, only worse. Do I really look that ancient/weary/lined/fed up?
I had my own confronting moment a few years back when I was wandering around one of the charming little city arcades, as I used to on pre-COVID lunchbreaks. An arrestingly handsome young man accosted me with the line, ‘You have such beautiful skin!’
‘Thanks’ I said, somewhat bemused but mildly chuffed, and kept walking. There was more to come, however. ‘But I could really help with those wrinkles,’ he said earnestly. ‘And the bags under your eyes.’
He persuaded me into his little shop, but I wasn’t there long. He picked the wrong person – a woman who has never applied anything to her skin apart from moisturiser. I told him, to his utter incredulity, that I was not fussed about my wrinkles, in fact, I was quite fond of them. They tell my story – not just the affectionately termed ‘laughter lines’ but also my frown lines, my pain and stress lines. It’s all part of the rich life I’ve led, the unique person I am. They render me instantly recognisable, they are an important part of me. To quote my favourite singer-songwriters, the Indigo Girls, ‘And every line a lesson learned upon your beautiful face’.
And natural human faces are eloquent. Lattouf’s article went on to quote research suggesting that use of ‘injectables’ not only renders us less able to convey feelings non-verbally, but also affects our ability to read the facial expressions of others. I want to keep seeing the fascinating play of emotions on human faces old, young and in-between. We all know good communication is core to successful interactions, from work places to marriages. Let’s allow our ageing, mobile, expressive visages to help us with this. Zoom be blowed – enjoy the drama of faces of every kind, playing out their stories, maybe even your own.