She said/He said: Fading beauty's lip service

04 January 2016 - 02:06 By Paige Nick and Jason Mykl Snyman

I just tried Botox for the first time. Don't look at me like that. The time comes when most women look in the mirror and wonder, what if? SHE SAYS - Paige NickPlus, I'm a journalist: it's my job to research these kinds of things.I remember not so long ago I said I'd never. But as the lines marched deeper I thought, why not? And I'd do it again, too. Just a few jabs.Next time you see me I won't have duck's lips and the tightest ponytail you've ever seen.Interestingly, the McKnight in shining armour I'm dating doesn't seem to have noticed. Unless he's just remaining quiet. But then he'd probably only comment if I plastic surgeried a third breast onto my front, and only then to thank me.Cosmetic surgery, or what will hereafter be referred to as ''work", obviously has a different role in men's lives than it does in ours.Does a man look in the mirror and scrunch up his face to examine his deepening frown lines? I don't think so. He's more likely to just buy a fancier car and date a woman who's had work done.While researching this column I asked a guy I know if he's ever considered getting any work done and he said he regularly considers getting lipo. There goes my theory.HE SAYS - Jason Mykl Snyman"Women who love themselves are threatening; but men who love real women, more so." - Naomi Wolf ( The Beauty Myth )At 28 I'm pretty sure I'm too young to start thinking about having work done - but these days, who really knows? What people lack in original beauty nowadays they make up for in surgery.Before the howling begins allow me to clarify. What I mean by original beauty has less to do with being physically attractive and more to do with being a beautiful human being. It used to be that when a girl walked into the bar I'd lean over to whatever male was nearest and slur: "So, what do you think bro, are those bazoongas built for speed or for comfort?" But now the answer doesn't matter.Are they real? Are they fake? And what about that pout she's got going on. I've heard about "fat recycling", which involves the removal of fat cells from the buttocks and then transferring them to your lips. But, I digress.The answers don't really matter to me any more. What matters now, more than ever, is whether or not she's a decent human being.Does her new nose give her newfound confidence? Does she find it easier to walk around now that she's had those God-given, backbreaking boobs reduced?Perhaps this really is a female problem. Women lack confidence and I'm not sure whether to blame Cosmopolitan, men or gravity.In a society which profits from self-doubt, I'll conclude with this: it's good to be a man.E-mail us what you'd like to hear about from a She Said, He Said point of view: amillionmilesfromnormal@gmail.com..

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