Designer faces.

Every year, I make a trip to the dermatologist. This year, I couldn’t get in to see my regular doctor who had just left for a two-month vacation. So, not wanting to wait until October, I decided to see one of the other physicians. My main concerns were having an overall skin check and asking about a skin-care regimen. I’m in my thirties, afterall, and I’ve never paid much attention to skin-care regimens, other than never sleeping with my make-up on and never, ever leaving the house without SPF 15 or higher on my face. My pale Irish skin precludes me from doing otherwise.

The appointment started out well. I had my skin check, the doctor took care of a few things, and it was almost over. She asked me if I had any other concerns which was when I remembered that I wanted advice on a skin-care regimen, something that would help minimize my pores. So, I asked her about it: “What kind of skin care products would you recommend for someone with my skin type? I would specifically like something to help minimize my pores.”

She initially began addressing my question, talking about minimizing pores, saying how skin type is hereditary, blah blah blah. Then all of a sudden, she walked over to me and pulling back my bangs to reveal my forehead said, “Well, what I would do is start with a little Botox here and here,” pointing to my forehead and the space between my brows. Moving her hand down toward my eyes, she continued, “Now, I wouldn’t do anything with your crow’s feet; they’re cute.” (Cute? Cute??!! Gee, thanks.) Sliding her fingers to my cheeks, she casually mentioned how she would take care of this area with a little filler”, e.g., Restylane.

I sat there, more than a little dumb-founded. I’m in my thirties, yes, but people often guess my age as mid- to late- twenties. I’ve always been told I look younger than I am, I feel lucky to say. So, her unsolicited recommendations for Botox and fillers injected all over my face were a bit surprising. Furthermore, what did Botox have to do with minimizing pores? Was this a doctor’s office at Virginia Mason or had I somehow ended up at the Nordstrom make-up counter? I had never heard of her proposed remedies and asked, “So, how exactly does Botox help minimize pores?” She jumped off her injected gel sales pitch as soon as she’d jumped on it and told me I should talk to the women in the “spa”, Virginia Mason’s skin care counter.

I left the office feeling a little stunned and then numb, plagued by the following questions: Why is there so much pressure on women to alter their appearance? Could Botox be considered – like marijuana – a gateway drug? Leading to “hard drugs”, like facelifts and liposuction? The effects of these injectable fillers only last for about six months. Once you start, you’d feel compelled to maintain. Would it lead to a more permanent design solution? How far will some women go to design their looks? What is the difference between women who are compelled to continuously alter their appearance and those who aren’t? Does getting Botox equal aging gracefully? And what does this have to do with design, if anything?

To be continued….