Alex Luczynski, 38, a reporter at the New York Times, and author of “Beauty Junkies,” has “been there done that,” when it comes to nips, tucks and botox. Speaking from ten years of miserable experience, she exposes many of the myths surrounding cosmetic enhancement in her book and questions whether the pursuit of beauty through physical alteration is really worth it.
In an interview with Janet Kornblum for USA Today, she is quoted as saying
“…I hope to never have surgery again…I feel just nauseous and sad that I spent 10 years of my life dyeing my hair blond. I regret having liposuction because it was a small amount of fat and it hurt a lot. And I really still feel guilty about the money I spent…I feel bad about having spent thousands of dollars on Botox over the last 10 years."Barbara Liss, in a review of “Beauty Junkies,” wrote,
“Kuczynski has artfully tapped into the zeitgeist, showing us that our preoccupation with looking young has become something of a Frankenstein monster.”
These days, thousands of teenage girls, in striving to live up to Hollywood star ideals and runway model figures, seek out cosmetic procedures to presumably make themselves look better.
Is it time to think more deeply about what constitutes true beauty? Many wonder.
"Beauty, as well as truth, is eternal; but the beauty of material things passes away, fading and fleeting as mortal belief."Some of the most beautiful people I know have gray hair and wrinkles. And those creases in the skin mean nothing to the people who love them and value their friendship.
"Beauty is a thing of life, which dwells forever in the eternal Mind and reflects the charms of His goodness in expression, form, outline, and color." Mary Baker Eddy
Is the true “…expression, form, outline, and color” of God’s creation in skin condition, buttock heft, and tummy size? Or is it the finer things of Soul manifest in spiritual joy, self-worth, contentment and self-respect?
I can't help but remember that God made each of us beautiful in our own unique way. Perhaps its time to honor and value the divine individuality we’ve already been blessed with and lose the fear that we need to be something physically different to be happy with ourselves.
It’s a lot easier on the pocketbook, and the long term side effects are all healthy.
2 comments:
Hi Evan -
Here is another point I think about often in conjunction with women and beauty.
Have you walked through the make-up section of your local department store lately? Oh the promises of 'eternal youth' or at least 'firmer, younger looking skin in 30 days". Oh the programs, the processes, you're invited to take part in! I have thought more than once, as I tried to navigate through the waters of the Lancôme counter in search of some basic items, that the world of make-up has become a cottage industry for the pharmaceutical companies.
I always ask myself this question, as I look for a basic moisturizer, for example: Can I find one that doesn't promise life-alteration (or at least skin alteration)? That doesn't contain any drugs? It's harder than you think.
As I've 'ripened' in years (and the make-up counter has gone from fun and glitzy to basically an over-the-counter drug store) I see more and more how important it is that you don't buy in to the glamourized theories that creams and lotions can actually 'do' something for you. If you do of course, you buy into the flip side as well, namely, that creams and lotions can harm you - cause allergies or reactions, etc. Both sides of this coin are the same - they are another mode of reinforcing the belief that life is in matter. And most importantly, to the degree that you are depending on this material 'remedy' you are turning away from the divine Mind - as in: "The divine Mind...will care for the human body...but let no mortal interfere with God's government by thrusting in the laws of erring, human concepts."
[Here is the exact quote: "The divine Mind, which forms the bud and blossom will care for the human body, even as it clothes the lily; but let no mortal interfere with God's government by thrusting in the laws of erring, human concepts." S&H pg 62:22]
I haven't yet gotten to the point of not wearing make-up. Perhaps I will in the future, but for now, in moderation, make-up seems normal to me. But more and more I try to think about it like this: Just as I use toothpaste and brush my teeth regularly, but strive to establish that my dental health does not come from toothpaste or proper brushing but from God's government, so the health of my face does not come from products designed to stave off ageing, etc., but from my knowledge of the fact that the divine Mind does indeed care for the human body. My job, as I see it, is to be always looking for a deeper understanding of this fact and thereby, not "interfere"...
Points well taken. Thank you!
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