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Are Facial Aesthetic Treatments Compatible with Being a Feminist? 

9 February 2025 | Dr Thu-Linh Nguyen

Abstract

Do cosmetic treatments undermine feminism, or can they be a form of empowerment? This thought-provoking article explores whether getting facial aesthetic treatments is compatible with being a feminist. It discusses how modern feminism centers on choice – meaning a woman can choose Botox or fillers for herself without it diminishing her values. Learn about the balance between resisting societal beauty pressures and embracing treatments that make you feel confident. This piece will encourage you to think about beauty autonomy, schulische-Gewaltpraevention.org) ultimately arguing that doing something for yourself, on your own terms, can absolutely align with feminist principles.

Are Facial Aesthetic Treatments Compatible with Being a Feminist?

It's a very subjective question. I consider myself a feminist. I grew up in a family of strong and independent women who also loved beauty, so in my mind there was never any contradiction between the two concepts. But I sometimes see patients who are a bit hesitant about doing treatments because they feel there could be a conflict with their feminist self.

Feminism is about equality between men and women. And the idea behind the fact that it could be anti-feminist is that beauty standards are set by men, women are objects and they need to fit in those beauty standards. Let's explore a few ideas that could make us think differently.

How the way we look can impact the way we interact with others

We can't deny the importance of appearance in our society and it's a vast and complex topic, but the way you look can also impact the way you interact with others. And feeling confident can empower you by allowing you to defend your opinions and show your personality. Like when you wear your favourite outfit, you feel great and comfortable and you're ready for any situation.

Though the beauty industry traces back to women altering their appearance to fit into societal standards, it must also be acknowledged it has developed with practices deeply connected to self expression and empowerment. Many women come to see me saying they don't look as they feel and they would like to do something that creates more harmony between their outer selves and their inner selves. If you look tired, people around you (at home with family or at work) may judge you less able to perform certain tasks or may hesitate before asking you to do something. If you are really tired it's a good thing but if you look tired and you're actually not, it may be frustrating.

Some are told they look angry when they are not and certain expressions of the face can carry a negative emotion that will then impact their relationships with people around them. Botox treatments are a good example. They can relax the muscles responsible for a permanent frown, without cancelling all facial expressions if the practitioner who performs the treatments is experienced and skilled. We wear our anxiety on our faces and sometimes reducing the facial tensions can help to reduce the anxiety itself. Many patients notice that frowning less somehow helps them to feel more relaxed because they don't feel tensions in their face all day long. Some people actually get Botox treatment for the sole purpose of getting migraine and headache relief.

The importance of self care

For a lot of women, taking care of themselves is a way to connect with their body, to show respect to themselves and to value themselves.