Mother In Her Late 50s Finally Treats Herself To A Beauty Procedure

Sooo, for the last year or two I have been walking by mirrors imagining what it would be like to have a face lift.  I would just give myself a little lift with my fingertips and imagine that a good piece of clear tape would do the trick.

I had upped my already high-end skin care routine with serums and Hyaluronic acid with Vitamin C, and increased the amount of organic supplements that I was taking to maintain my youth.

And then, all of a sudden – I noticed that the wrinkles under my eyes were certainly in serious need of repair.  I just continued to smile more and hope that people thought that I was just really happy and those were ‘happy wrinkles’.  

And then… I noticed the large crease in between my eye brows – that must have just appeared in the last few months.  

And then…. What happened to my neck?

I finally found myself getting ready in the morning putting on as many creams and concealers as possible, only to leave the mirror saying to myself sadly… “Well I guess that’s as good as it gets."

It comes across as humorous, but when you are living it – it is so sad and damaging to one’s self-esteem and mental state.  Sadly, the reality is that each day we are one day older than we were yesterday.  Therefore, I can definitively state "this is as good as it gets."

I know in my heart that I would never have plastic surgery of any kind – Firstly, there is the risk looking like The Joker on Batman and ending up on ‘Botched’.  And then there is the scarring, pain, and recovery, and clearly the cost.

I would look online for alternatives to facelifts. Again, many more miracle creams - and then there’s the egg white face lift.  No thanks!

And how is it that Jennifer Anniston doesn’t have one wrinkle!? I am thinking that no matter how much Aveeno I use – I will never look as youthful as she does.  My daughter informed me "Mom, all of the people your age that you are comparing yourself to are not just using good quality skin care – they are all doing botox and medical treatments to look the way they do."  Apparently one of the dentists at her dental office does as much botox as he does dentistry.

My self-esteem was rapidly declining. When I would leave the mirror, I would question, ‘if this is as good as it gets – should I just give up and stay home every day and feel sorry for myself and prepare for the inevitable which is to just accept the fact that I’m old?  – and now everyone knows it.’ I can’t imagine that I will I ever look at myself in a mirror again and be happy about what I see.   I had to learn to accept that I am actually old. 

In talking with a family member one day, he recommended that I go and see Dr. Ashley.  He took some photos of me and texted them to her!!!  Without my approval!!  Oh my!  They must have been so bad that he wouldn’t even show them to me.  

I didn’t know what I didn’t know.  I had no idea that there was such a thing as thread lifts. I still don’t actually know what all is available – but, because she came highly recommended by a trusted source I decided to check it out.  Very quickly I felt comfortable with her.  I trust Dr. Ashley 100% that she is doing what she needs to ensure that I get the greatest result for my budget.  She is a professional in the industry, and has done a ton of research in the field of Medical Aesthetics.

I never imagined spending any amount of money on something as vain as medical aesthetics.  I am so used to putting myself last and always making sure that everyone else around me got what they needed or wanted and sacrificed the things that I might have liked so that my children and the people that I cared about most could have the best that I could possibly provide for them.

Interestingly, I noticed right away the difference in my appearance.  It was amazing how much better I looked in the mirror, even with the odd bruise and swelling.  But what was more exciting was that I no longer thought of myself as old.  I started thinking that this wasn’t the end – and that I didn’t have to buy a cat and get a tight curly perm and never wear make up again.  I started putting on make up thinking that I was bringing out my best features instead of trying to cover up the things that I didn’t like about myself.  

I am still in shock that I took that leap of faith and did it.  I knew that if I thought about it too long I wouldn’t do it – I know that about myself.  I knew that for me to be in a positive mental state, and to be able to look at my future imagining the possibilities – I needed to do something – and that I should just not think about the cost and the guilt over being self serving, but realize that I can accomplish so much more with my life if I feel good about myself.  My life is not over because I am in my fifties – I have so much more to offer the world – and I deserve to feel good about it.   

So many thanks to people like Ashley who receive personal satisfaction through using their gifts and talents to give others the opportunity to improve their lives and change their futures, in turn, giving me the opportunity to pay it forward and bless the world with my gifts as well.