Many people look in wonderment on the myriad ways we now have of holding back the effects of time on a person’s appearance. Treatments like Now Cosmetic’s dermal fillers could only have been dreamed of by our grandparents and even parents. Yet with the advances and consequent growth in cosmetic treatments has developed a small but vocal section of the populace who pour scorn upon those who undergo such procedures.
Often they are accused of vanity, and it is frequently said that this age puts far more value upon appearances than any preceding age. In fact, there are many reasons why someone may choose to get dermal fillers – of which vanity is really quite far down the list. Nor is the desire to stay young and fresh looking anything new. Indeed, history shows that the only thing ‘new’ about the current vogue for cosmetic procedures is the fact that we are able to fulfil this desire safely and effectively…
The Fountain Of Youth
The quest to retain one’s youthful loveliness is nothing new. Tales of fabulous youth-restoring cures are as old as time – older, in fact. Were we to tell a denizen of the Dark Ages that we came from a land in which such signs of age as wrinkles could be eliminated in a moment, they would have been both deeply impressed and incredibly envious. It is not that our age is more superficial than those which have gone before it – merely that we have decided that the desire to look young is a superficial one. Every culture has ancient stories which reflect the ages-old desire to retain one’s youthful good looks. That they have stood the test of time is a testament to their enduring power.
The ‘Fountain Of Youth’ features prominently in old stories across Europe. The Ancient Greek writer Heroditus told of a far-off land in which all the denizens appeared to be young and beautiful, but when questioned revealed that they were far older than they appeared. When asked their secret, they led the adventurer to a spring, in which he washed and emerged with his skin as smooth and fresh as a youth’s. A similar fount appears in the stories of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, who relayed them in turn to European explorers. They spoke of a magical land named ‘Bimini’, which ran with magical waters with the power to wash away wrinkles. Explorers spent much time and resources in searching for this fountain. Now, we have no need of any mythical springs, as their effect can be gained from a simple and easy procedure.
Vanity?
There is no doubt that those who listened in awe to the tales of the Fountain Of Youth, and those who funded dangerous expeditions to find it would have leaped at the chance to have dermal fillers from Now Cosmetic. It is not surprising at all that plenty of modern people are taking up the chance to do what our ancestors could not, and holding back the years. This is not a new ‘vanity’, this is an ancient desire.
Literally defined, to be ‘vain’ means to be excessively proud of one’s appearance. In fact, many people opt to get dermal fillers for reasons precisely opposite to those of vanity. People who have been bullied for the way they look, for example, are likely to suffer long-lasting effects. These effects include low self-esteem and a lack of confidence, which can seriously hold them back. Such people may choose to undergo cosmetic procedures not because they are vain and proud of their appearance, but because they hate the way that they look and need a confidence boost. Dermal fillers can be as much an injection of self-esteem as they are a wrinkle-smoother. Some people might argue that it is superficial to gain self-confidence from an improvement in appearance – but if it works, then where’s the harm?
Nothing New Under The Sun
Those who choose to get their fine lines and wrinkles filled in need not, therefore, be struck with guilt for encouraging societal superficiality. Nor need they worry about being vain. Vanity is a facet of arrogance, and most people who come to Now Cosmetic are far from arrogant. They are nice, normal people who just want to feel good about themselves. In this desire, they are exactly the same as our ancestors were. Had our grandparents and great-grandparents had access to great technology like this, make no mistake – they would have used it!
Article provided by Eve Pearce for Now Cosmetic.
