Skin Deep

Yesterday I had a laser treatment done on my face to remove the red "spider" lines caused by broken blood vessels. I have my Dad's complexion, which is on the reddish side and broken veins on the face runs in the family.

I have always been very self conscious about these little red lines and clusters in my face. I have worn a heavier foundation in attempts to cover them up. While right now my face is red and looks like I have hives all over it - due to the treatment - in a few days this will clear up and I will be able to see the results.

Boy - it hurt like hell when the dermatologist was doing the procedure. And, she told me some of the lines were very deep and I might (probably) need one or two more treatments. That's OK - if this first treatment gets rid of 50-75% of these lines, I will be happy. And, I will go back to have the rest removed. I feel better about my face already (despite looking like lobster lady).

Vanity? Yes. But I will also feel much better about myself.

However, I do not believe in extensive plastic surgery on your face if it is purely for vanity.

Good exception: Years ago I worked with a young woman, Amy, in her mid-twenties who had a rather large nose. It really bothered her (I didn't think it was that bad, but it wasn't my nose). She told me how all of her life she had been teased. She hated people to see her profile. Amy decided to have a nose job. She even took out a 3 year loan from her bank to pay for it as insurance wouldn't cover the cost. Boy, what an uproar this caused! Her mother was very upset she was having it done. Even other women at work thought is was ridiculous to take out a loan (I think it was around $5,000) just to have a nose job. But, Amy brushed them all aside and had it done. Her nose did look better. A few months later I walked into her work area and she was holding up a compact and "powdering her nose," obviously liking what she saw. I said, "Amy, what a cute little nose you have to powder." She beamed at me and told me if she lived to be 100, it would be the best thing she ever did for herself. (Note: for herself, not to herself.) By now, the loan has long been paid up and Amy is out there in the world somewhere really liking how she looks. More power to her.

Bad example: A few years ago I was down in Atlanta with my family and we were at a very nice restaurant. At a table across from us sat a large family gathering. They were a happy group, having fun with lots of laughter came from their table. One lady who as probably between 55 - 65 had an expression on her face that never changed. Not while she ate, not while she laughed, not while she listened. It never changed. And, it was so very obvious that she had extensive plastic surgery done to her face. She looked a little goofy. Her brows were too high, her eyes wide in surprise and her lips here pumped up so that they were huge. The skin was so tight across her facial bones she looked like someone was pulling it from behind her ears. How awful she looked.

There is a lot to be said for aging gracefully. There is a lot to be said for having plastic surgery to correct a feature that detracts from your looks, if you so choose.

I can't see myself having any more procedures done to my face once I am done with the laser treatments. But, I believe "never say never." I like the way I look and while my skin is changing from age, it's OK. It's a part of life. If other woman want plastic surgery or face lifts - more power to them. But, I do think it is important to age gracefully and not try to look or be something you are not. And, I would be very careful about what I had done and how much I had done. When you are 60 you are not 20 and to try to look like you are is silly.