Teens Embrace Botox: Why I’m Choosing the Crone Life in 2025!
In a world obsessed with youth and beauty, I make it a mission to gently steer my daughters away from the relentless pressure to conform to society’s narrow standards of attractiveness. One of my favorite strategies? Sharing inspiring videos of incredible women who defy age norms—like the fierce Shirley Manson, lead singer of Garbage. In a powerful TikTok moment, she confidently speaks about embracing her 50s, insisting, “Women need to change the narrative,” all while rocking her iconic red locks in a stylish ponytail paired with a daring shaved undercut.
As I watched my eldest absorb Manson’s message, I was hopeful. But when the video ended, she turned to me and said, “I hate her eye shadow.” Oh, the irony! My daughter has a superpower for detecting a “Mom Talk” from a mile away, and with her inherited skepticism, she often tunes out my attempts at enlightening her. I remember my own middle school years in the ’90s. If my mom had tried to lecture me about beauty through the lens of Joni Mitchell, I would have dismissed her without a second thought. Back then, I was caught up in the whirlwind of tween drama—more interested in trading barbs than contemplating any earnest message.
But here’s the kicker: my daughter’s eye shadow critique won’t stop me from fighting against the ever-growing pressures to achieve a hyper-conventional look. The landscape today is even more intense than it was in my youth. Women’s magazines have all but abandoned any traces of criticism regarding cosmetic enhancements. The prevailing idea seems to be that judging a woman’s choice in beauty is somehow anti-feminist. A recent article discussed when women should start getting Botox, casually suggesting that late twenties is a conservative start. Can you believe that?
And get this—the dermatologist making that recommendation is considered *conservative*! A shocking report revealed that botox injections among Americans aged 19 and under skyrocketed a staggering 75% from 2019 to 2022, with a further increase in 2023. When faced with such alarming statistics, another dermatologist even commented, “There’s no age that’s too early,” revealing the stark reality that many are choosing to chase youth at any cost. In a world where teenagers are traveling abroad just to access beauty treatments that are restricted back home, we really need to pause and reconsider what we’re selling as beauty.
