Should we get Botox?

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[00:00:00.00] - Oliver (Host)

Welcome back to English and Beyond, an intermediate English podcast. My name is Oliver, and I am an English teacher. I have a quick question to start this episode, and it's maybe a strange one: how old is too old to start getting Botox? Is it weird that I'm only asking that now at the age of 36, because lots of my friends are already doing it. In today's episode, we're diving into something that feels very modern, quite personal, and honestly, a bit confusing: our relationship with our bodies and the pressure to look younger, healthier, and more attractive all the time. Before I carry on, please remember that you can find free transcripts of the podcast episodes and and vocabulary flashcards for all the new words on our website, www.morethanalanguage.com.

[00:01:10.26] - Oliver (Host)

This episode wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to be in Portugal this weekend with friends. But due to a last minute health issue, I had to cancel my trip. And ironically, that got me thinking about the body and how we see it, judge it, try to improve it, and hide it. Then something else happened at the dentist here in Valencia that made me realise, I think I'm a little bit late to the game.

[00:01:45.49] - Oliver (Host)

So today's episode is a mix of personal stories, cultural reflection, and a bit of light philosophy, all about how we should feel in our bodies and what we're told we should look like. Let's get into the episode.

[00:02:03.58] - Oliver (Host)

So, as I said, I was supposed to be going to Portugal this weekend, and I was really looking forward to it. Nevertheless, I've tried to make the most of my weekend here in Valencia, where I live. We say in English, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." This idiom means that lemons are sour and not that nice to eat alone. But if you turn them into lemonade, they become sweet and tasty. In the same way, when life is difficult, you should try to take the bad things and change them into something good. It's a way of saying that you should stay positive and find solutions instead of feeling sad about problems. Maybe I should look for a version of this phrase with a different citric fruit, given that Valencia is so famous for its oranges. Anyway, one of the things that I did in Valencia to make the most of the bad situation was to take advantage of the lovely weather we're finally having now.

[00:03:15.15] - Oliver (Host)

And I went for a walk along the beach for the first time ever in Valencia. I was pretty astonished by what great shape everyone was in. There were loads of people playing beach volleyball, and I have to say that the Valencians are not working on their summer bodies. They're there already. And this is just one of the new experiences I've had here recently that has begun to provoke some insecurity. Let me tell you about something that happened to me at the dentist. I went for a routine checkup and cleaning. As I was sitting in the waiting room, I was idly watching their TV screen as they flicked through all the services they offered. And I was struck, I was surprised, by how many cosmetic treatments they offered, not just tooth whitening or braces to straighten your teeth, they were also offering loads of injectable fillers and Botox, and they were using very youthful smiling models, obviously with spectacular teeth too, to advertise these services. I later brought this up with some friends when we went out for dinner, and absolutely no one else was surprised. In fact, a small majority of my friends told me that they had already begun to have Botox in particular, and a couple had had fillers as well.

[00:04:48.28] - Oliver (Host)

In fact, it soon transpired that I was actually coming to the game very late. I am 36, apparently a few years too old to begin using detox preventatively, that is, to prevent wrinkles rather than trying to cure or correct them. So between this trip to the dentist and my very informal survey of my friends, it seems like I am the odd one out, that I am the exception. And I couldn't help but wonder, should I be worried? The majority of my friends are more or less around my age, or maybe a couple of years older than me. But are they, due to the Botox, going to continue to look 36 for the next two decades while I look older and older? The truth is, I've never really considered having treatments. I knew that they existed. I knew that lots of people got them done, but it had always felt quite far away, quite distant. It had never really crossed my mind that I could thinking about it myself and thinking about it now, I started wondering, is it now totally normal to get Botox? Should I consider it too? Is everyone in Spain or the UK getting Botox and whitening their teeth. And in 10 years, will everyone my age look incredible apart from me?

[00:06:24.00] - Oliver (Host)

Then César told me something else that surprised me even more. To my shock, even camels are getting Botox! He told me about a story from a few years ago where 43 camels were disqualified from a beauty contest in Saudi Arabia because their owners had injected them with Botox to create droopy lips and more aesthetically pleasing humps. I mean, what on earth is going on? Here's an expression to describe this madness that seems to surround us: You can say, I can't believe my eyes or I can't believe my ears when you see or hear something that is so surprising, so crazy, that it just can't be true, surely?

[00:07:14.56] - Oliver (Host)

Anyway, of course, the dentist is certainly not to blame for these trends. They're just doing their job, recommending treatments that are common nowadays and popular with their clients. On a side note, I guess we could probably blame the camel beauticians - that doesn't seem very fair or very necessary.

[00:07:36.41] - Oliver (Host)

But anyway, these kinds of aesthetic treatments, which used to be exclusive to the rich and famous, have now become accessible to us, the general public. The cult of the body seems limitless, and society today appears obsessed with appearance. But is this really a modern problem, or has it always been this way? In reality, beauty standards have existed throughout history. In prehistoric times, full-figured women were often seen as symbols of fertility and abundance, as reflected in ancient figurines like the Venus of Willendorf. In ancient Greece, the ideal centred on balance, harmony, and proportion, both in art and the human body. In mediaeval England, a rounded forehead was sometimes fashionable, with women even plucking their hairlines to make their foreheads look higher, as well as small breasts, a slim figure, and delicate hands. The body was idealised as modest and restrained rather than overtly sexual. And in more recent decades, beauty ideals have shifted frequently, from curvy glass figures to ultra-thin silhouettes, from pale complexions to tanned skin. These trends often reflect changing cultural values, economic conditions, and media influence. Today, beauty standards are still very present, but there's one major difference that makes body obsession more intense than ever, and may explain why these standards seem to change so drastically, so extremely, but so quickly.

[00:09:34.18] - Oliver (Host)

We have never had our basic needs so well-covered until now. This concept is best explained through Maslow's hierarchy of needs, a psychological theory that explains what drives human behaviour. Maslow's pyramid has five levels. Number one, basic needs such as breathing, eating, and resting. Number two, safety needs, job security, family stability. Number three, social belonging, our relationships, our friendships, how we interact with others. Number four, esteem needs, recognition and confidence. Number five: self-actualisation: personal growth and fulfilment. The cult of the body fits into levels four four, and five, the need for recognition and self-worth.

[00:10:35.32] - Oliver (Host)

In modern society, with our basic needs covered, we can now focus more on appearance. We want to be attractive and slim and youthful for as long as possible. The marketing industry has capitalised on these needs with increasingly sophisticated strategies. For example, instead of saying, "Get this treatment and have whiter teeth," they'll say, "Dazzle everyone with your radiant smile." This targets our need for social recognition, making it seem like an aesthetic treatment will not just improve our looks, but also our self-worth. Historically, women have faced this immense pressure regarding their appearance, but in recent years, men have also become a prime target for the beauty industry. Have men started demanding beauty products, or has marketing made them think that they need them?

[00:11:38.41] - Oliver (Host)

I've also noticed this pressure, particularly within the LGBT community. Perhaps it comes from a need for validation to compensate for past rejection by society. I don't know for sure, but it's something I've been reflecting on recently. At the end of the day, I absolutely don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to look good, stay fit, or even have cosmetic surgery. I go to the gym, I try to eat quite well, and I'm definitely not ruling out something cosmetic in the future. But I suppose that the key to it is to do it from a place of self-acceptance and not insecurity. But that is much easier said than done. It's much easier to say that than to actually feel that way. I hope that as I get older, I can continue to feel like I am enough, even if I don't have all of my hair or a wrinkle-free face or a completely flat stomach, if for no other reason than the fact that you're fighting a losing battle if you're too worried about these things. If you continually criticise yourself with the hope of one day being perfect, you're always going to find something new to criticise.

[00:12:58.36] - Oliver (Host)

And I've found two quotations about beauty which I think are relevant here. "To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself." That's from a Vietnamese monk called Thích Nhất Hạnh. Then my second quotation, much shorter, is "Happy girls are the prettiest," from Audrey Hepburn. Thank you very much for listening to this podcast. I appreciate you making it to the end, and I hope that you found it useful. But do you agree? Do you think that I'm right or I'm wrong? Please don't forget to share your thoughts on Instagram, where you can find me at @BritishEnglishandBeyond, or on the website, www.morethanalanguage.com. Goodbye, thank you, and see you next week.