"Because if you eat food containing botulin toxin, you will then die an excruciating and drawn-out death during which you will be very awake and clear-minded about what is happening to you until your heart stops, that's why. And we are all aware of the hazards of surgery, aren't we? All kinds of things go wrong."

"There is little point in bemoaning the cult of glamour when we are naturally drawn towards physically attractive people, and inclined to praise and admire friends when they lose weight, get fit, get a flattering haircut or a glowing tan. For women particularly, neglect of looks and appearance is often an indicator of depression."

"We who? Happy healthy people are attractive, yes. But cosmetic surgery will not make you healthy. It is not a substitute for eating right, getting some form of regular exercise, avoiding tobacco, keeping alcohol to a minimum, etc. And there's been lots of comment from reputable cosmetic surgeons in the U.S., if not elsewhere, that people who blame all their unhappiness on a too large nose or too small breasts or such are not good candidates for cosmetic surgery. Because as soon as one "flaw" is "fixed," they fixate on another. And then another. And another."

"As for the neglect of looks being a symptom of depression -- no. When therapists talk about this what they mean is neglect of self-care such as rarely taking a shower or never washing one's hair or doing the laundry so one has clean clothes to wear, etc. There's also anhedonia, the inability to enjoy activities one previously enjoyed. If a woman who enjoys using makeup or painting her nails or getting herself all gussied up loses interest in doing these things, that could be a symptom of depression BUT only if accompanied by other symptoms of depression. (For more info, see the NIMH website, for starters.)"

"You can't get botulism from botox, though, because the toxin dose is way too low (that one high-profile case in Florida involved a doctor injecting a form of botulism toxin that was not botox). The most serious known complication of botox injection is temporary facial paralysis. "The hazards of surgery" for the most part don't even come into play in this procedure, which is just an injection."

"And several forms of plastic/cosmetic surgery do have health benefits. Surgeries to correct cleft palate improve breathing, skin grafts prevent infection, and gastric bypass surgery has been shown to improve diabetes and cholesterol levels in patients who have it. Of course, there are many other cosmetic surgeries that don't have such benefits, but the author of this piece isn't suggesting that everyone should have surgery, but rather that it be accepted as a valid choice instead of looked down upon as the last resort of those with pathological insecurities."

"I don't get what the big "moral" deal is over Botox. Its aesthetic benefits were noted as a by-product of its medical use, and it has the advantage of postponing or rendering unnecessary more invasive surgery. Although it's entertaining to talk about the "expression of permanent surprise," I've never observed it in myself or in others, and I am perfectly able to express surprise, anger, incredulity, quizzicalness, all with a twitch of the brow, or brows. For me, it was a decision that made sense, psychologically and financially. I could spend thousands
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