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Forever young
It's
the freeze face generation. A society that wants to look forever
young and pretty. Forget middle aged women, Botox and other
anti-aging treatments are becoming a rage even among the youth
across the country, Ritusmita Biswas finds
Sonia Khanna was very upset. She had just
seen those dreaded laughter lines beneath her right eye. Sonia
knew it well that she could not take things lightly and had
to take charge if she was keen on continuing her career as
a professional model. The obvious solution was to fix up an
appointment with a well-known cosmetic surgeon whom many of
her friends regularly visited to have those laughter lines
removed. Or perhaps she should have a talk with her beauty
therapist to check out if she should start some kind of anti-aging
treatment.
In our beauty obsessed times Ms Khanna's behaviour might not
have been out of sync had she not been just 19 years. It's
incredible but true girls even as young as 18 are desperate
to stop any signs of aging. Botox, once an anti-aging solution
for middle-aged women with wrinkles, is becoming increasingly
popular even among the young across the country.
Meet Rima Ghosh, an aspiring television
journalist who is keen to try out Botox shots. "My mom
gets regular Botox shots and she is gorgeous. I want to get
in media which is quite a glamour oriented industry. So I want
my face to look perfect. That's the reason I am keen to take
these shots to remove the laughter lines from beneath my eyes,"
she says.
Model Sheena, 21, took Botox shots when she felt that her skin
is not as smooth and glowing as it used to be. "I started
modelling when I was 14 and had great skin then. But exposure
to harsh light and lots of make up have quite robbed my skin
of its natural glow. I want it to look younger and Botox helped
me to achieve that," she says.
Studies show that Botox is effective not against just wrinkles
and aging lines but is also effective for acne and excessive
sweating. Maybe this attribute makes Botox quite popular among
the youth across the globe. According to a survey done by the
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, people from
ages 19-34 had 4,27,368 Botox procedures in 2004. Fifteen per
cent of the half million Canadians who had done Botox procedures
in the same year were teenagers. And India seems to be no exception
with a number of teenagers reportedly queuing up for it at the
cosmetic surgeon's clinic.
Confirms a popular surgeon in Kolkata (declines to be named)
: " Yes, I get many requests from young girls. Everyone
nowadays seems to opt for a quick fix. However, I only give
quick fix solutions to persons who have lines that can affect
their professional life. For example, I'd give a Botox shot
to a young upcoming model if she has a really bad frown that
can jeopardise her professional career."
Says Dr Aparna Santhanam of Kaya Skin Clinic: "I would
define anti-aging facials as age control facials and yes often
young people too do need it. The modern day stress, exposure
to sun tends to age our skin very rapidly. Once we have assessed
the age of the skin and the causes behind it we try to arrest
it by several customised treatment."
Bollywood celebrity Pooja Bedi says: "In my profession,
stress levels, make up, exposure to sun long work hours etc
the skin goes through a lot of stress. The age control services
help me to keep my skin healthy and youthful. It's not about
hiding one's age, it's delaying and defying an ageing process
and for my skin to look and be the best that it can be."
The fact that the Botox experience can last not more than a
few months is a fact that seems not to bother most youngsters.
Says psychologist Deepankar Mitra: "Surplus of cash and
obsession with beauty seem to be the two factors that make these
youngsters opt for Botox shots. "
The technique of Botox shot is minimally evasive and an injection
costs about Rs 19,000 plus services, which is affordable to
youth and adolescents from the upwardly mobile class. And it
is precisely this factor that makes many to try out Botox, often
before some special event in their life. Like Ramya Srinivasan
who wanted a Botox injection before her marriage that was to
take place in a week's time: "It's my D-Day and I want
to look perfect. Botox seemed to be the perfect answer to do
away with those frown and laughter lines and come up with a
smooth skin. My doctor has asked me to freeze my facial muscles
while laughing or talking to prevent their formation in future."
Experts believe that the sad part is that in this age of instant
gratification people are no longer willing to rely on nature
to be beautiful. Avoiding smoking, reducing going out in sun,
and most importantly, having a well-balanced lifestyle can help
you retain youth. "However, today's youth is too scared
of getting old and in a process has forgotten to enjoy youth
and lead a life that can make them naturally beautiful and stay
youthful. They need to learn the concept of aging gracefully,"
says Mitra.
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