Although I’ve never been a mom, and it’s a little late for me to join that elite class of women, I think I have at least one thing in common with all of the mothers reading this and coming to see me in my Westport office: we don’t view plastic surgery in the same way as the Kardashians. Here are three key differences that I see:
1. Exaggeration of features
Over the last few decades I’ve watched my lips not only move south, making the distance from the base of my nose to the free edge of my lip longer and lower, but also thinner and with less projection (pucker). Hand-in-hand with this evolution is the wrinkling of my lip due in part to volume loss but also environmental exposure.
To counter these effects of aging, I like the look of a little filler in my lips to restore the volume, projection and definition. I think it brings back to life a youthful feature and enhances the overall femininity that I like to see when I look in the mirror.
The “Kardashian way” is to fill lips to the point of exaggeration, which causes a few things happen. The beauty and proportion of the face become distorted and the focus centers on the lower face — not exactly a home run for anyone older than 25. Next time you’re at Stop and Shop take a look around and see if you can spot these overfilled lips. Furthermore, these women will have some difficulty whistling for their dog or sipping through a straw…you catch my drift. It’s great to enhance what you have and doing so should be uplifting and fun but keep in mind that exaggeration of a brush stroke will usually distort the fine art canvas and give it a cartoonish look.
2. Exaggeration of proportion
As many of you know, a whole host of proportions change with aging. I continue to be amazed at where my body parts keep moving. Who knew? Nonetheless, all of the women whom I have the privilege of meeting at my office share an interest in restoring their youthful proportion and shape. And so do I.
The most remarkable thing that occurred when I turned 47 was my breasts disappeared. I swear to you that it happened one day when I was taking a shower. I stepped out, glanced in the mirror, and poof, they were gone. It took me all of a nanosecond to rectify that situation and soon after, I was sporting 225cc, after-market, moderate size implants. For me, it was life changing. Not only did every bathing suit top fit but I could wear a fitted dress and see some shape! I really felt sexy and like a new woman. That confidence showed up in everything I did. Plus, I picked a size that met my proportion which has had infinite value long term: they still look great and I’ll have no need for a future breast lift or size change.
In contrast are the ladies of the Kardashian clan who take proportion to an extreme. It’s hard to know for sure how much of those derrieres are genetics, padded, or overdone fat transfer but I believe that when “building” a body that is backside and front-end loaded, the aesthetic of the female form is destroyed. What could be sensual and alluring is now just out of proportion and without mystery or appeal. Another cartoon. Not to mention that in just a few years, those bodies will need to be seriously overhauled as gravity takes its toll.
The take-a-way here is that it’s lovely to bring back the pre-baby body or restore some curves on the face and body. It keeps us fresh and it keeps our mind and body in synch as we age. Just keep in mind that the proportion achieved is the most successful when it’s your own.
3. Making our appearance the center of our attention
I truly love what I do. I enjoy meeting women, learning their unique stories and helping them to achieve their goals. And I completely relate to this motivation as I like to keep myself fit and have addressed my aging with breast augmentation, eyelid surgery and injectables. And now that the injectable boat has pretty much sailed for me, I’m exploring facelift surgery because I find that when I believe I look good, I act even better. Capice? I don’t dwell on these things, they’ve just become a part of my maintenance: available, affordable and achievable. It is perfectly OK for any woman to want to take care of herself. I think many of us are just too hard on ourselves – we have every right to feel and look our best!
The trouble comes when this aspect of your life becomes your full time job, your obsession. “Keeping up with the Kardashians” – certainly in regards to their aesthetic pursuits — is not the new normal, it’s definitely abnormal. I can’t even explain how the whole Kardashian thing happened and further, why does anyone care about the Kardashians? If you haven’t already, draw a big line and don’t make your appearance the center point of your life, it’s only a small piece of your overall definition as a woman. Enjoy being an attractive, vital woman who never wants to stop learning and living life with passion — but be sure to make that a piece of your larger and healthier life!
