By now I am certain you have seen the flurry of hysterical and creative memes about J. Lo’s denying she has ever used neuromodulators (Botox, Xeomin, etc.) to impede her facial aging; and attributing her youthful appearance to olive oil. She responded to a reporter’s question with, “I’m just not that type of person”. (Insert audible gasp and laughter). She gained a lot of backlash, inferring that her face is untouched and unaltered; as well as the implied undertone that enhancing your appearance makes you somehow deficient morally.

For those of us that remember Jenny from the block on In Living Color, it is obvious to even the layperson looking at her photos from then and now, that girlfriend has been around the plastic surgery block, a few times.

I have been in the aesthetics and plastic surgery industry for 21 years and I can tell you in absolute terms, that no one looks like that over 50 years old unless they are consistently and regularly using surgical and non-surgical interventions. Even with applied enhancements, most photos encapsulate a visual end product of hours of professional hair, makeup, expert lighting, expertise in photography, and likely, filters of the edited photos!

I’m not trying to call out J. Lo; I think she looks phenomenal, I actually consider her a great example of the power of non-surgical and surgical enhancements and what they can do to combat the visible signs of aging. It should be empowering. The reason I am bringing it up for discussion is that I don’t want other women to feel bad about themselves. Whether or not you choose to use injectables or aesthetic surgery, it does not at all define you as an individual nor does it characterize your integrity.

There are even women that have gone so far as to write books about the “secrets to their youthful appearance”, attributing their luminosity and radiance to: “eating organic”, “yoga”, “monthly facials”, “meditation”; while all these are helpful, these assertions are complete nonsense and the real “secret” they all have in common is that they are failing to mention they have all had facial rejuvenation surgery and non-surgical procedures. Their careers are deeply attached to preserving their facial identity and sensuality, so they do small things routinely and consistently, trust me.

There is a ZERO percent chance that these women are a genetic anomaly, so please don’t compare yourself to those contrived images and feel less than.

Maintaining a youthful sensuality is possible, but it takes work, a lot of work; and how great is it that we live in a time in which we have access to all of the new technology, should we choose to utilize it. Don’t you also find it refreshing when friends are honest about it? I would have loved for her to reply with a confident and empowering response such as, “Oh, I love it all”, and shift the subject. I think the reporter was rude to ask as some patients do prefer to maintain confidentiality, in which case she could have coyly responded with a “Why do you ask?”, wink, and redirect the topic.

The aspects I believe that struck a chord in this are numerous. Enjoy using these discussion points with your friends:

  • Do you have any objections to aesthetic interventions?
  • Do you speak openly about them or prefer to maintain that aspect as private?
  • How do you feel about people that alter their facial identity radically?
  • Why do you think women in the public eye that are known for their youthful beauty deny intervention?
  • Do you feel beauty icons and social media have shifted our standards of beauty?
  • Which aesthetic surgery are you the most fascinated by?

For me, I’ll continue to enjoy olive oil on my salad and toxin in my face every three months. Feel free to DM me any of your questions about aesthetic procedures or plastic surgery, my office or I will respond as quickly as possible.

Wishing you a fabulous day!

Author Bio: Heidi Lindner has been an aesthetics expert for over 17 years specializing in all aspects of non-surgical aesthetics and plastic surgery. She is sought out for her techniques that focus on a natural-looking approach to facial balancing, restoration, and beauty optimization. Follow her on Instagram @j_derme