I wish more people were as open about Botox as Selena Gomez

Celebrities, influencers and beauty journalists should be just as transparent

I know that when it comes to people’s approach to ageing we shouldn’t judge them, but, please can you try telling my brain that.

Whether it’s celebrities or the people on my Instagram feed, once I spot a tell-tale sign of an injectable, I cannot unsee it.

Honestly, it’s one of the reasons that at 37 years old I haven’t had any procedures done. If I can’t stop analysing your shiny marble forehead, how would I feel about my own?

Admittedly the Jafar brows are the trademark of less skilled practitioners, but even people who have access to the best in the game eventually start to look like they’re permanently smelling something horrible.

If a pinched nose and eyebrows half way up for my forehead are the alternative to ageing, bring on the wrinkles.

That’s just Botox. I ended up on a very random tangent this week after spotting two male American influencers on my TikTok, whose filler left them looking like identical twins.

With an uncanny valley hard-wired brain, nothing makes me eye roll more than celebrities, influencers and, let’s be real, beauty journalists, who aren’t transparent about what they’ve had done when promoting products or talking about their ‘anti-ageing’ routines.

Which is why, I have to give credit to Selena Gomez, who just casually admitted she has Botox in a reply to an Instagram comment.

I actually hate the use of the word ‘admitted’ there. I struggled with today’s headline because I first wrote 'confessed’ and immediately felt uncomfortable.

Both those adjectives have an element of shame to them, however they are the ones used in the headlines produced by Selena’s comment.

That’s the thing, as much as I might unintentionally scan someone for their slightly botched tweaks, I also recognise that it’s their choice, their body and most importantly, my judgement.

Which is why I love that Selena’s response to someone telling her to “Remove her cheek filler” was to reply, “Hahahaha I’ve had Botox bb girl”.

As a founder of a beauty brand, Selena’s openness is even more important and as injectables become as standard as eyebrow threading, her casualness in responding should also become the norm.

Not only does it remove the shame for those who have injectables, but also those who are comparing themselves to unobtainable standards.