If you were to peek into the calendar of the modern, city-dwelling woman, you'll start to notice a slew of familiar—or, depending on your proximity to the beauty-industrial complex—unfamiliar terms. Slotted in like routine appointments with the hygienist, there will be Botox and filler, sure, but increasingly treatments like polynucleotides, rexonage, radio-frequency microneedling, thermage... The list goes on, and is only becoming more stacked, much like our approach to aesthetics.
Earlier this year, Laura Reilly of the popular Substack Magasin sparked furore after launching a new newsletter, High Touch, in which she detailed the tweakments and longevity and wellness practices she had recently undergone. The list was staggering. "In January alone,” she wrote, “I’ve done Botox, Emface, IPL, scheduled Moxi / broadband light, seen my orthodontist, cardiologist, GP, OBGYN, ophthalmologist, dermatologist, plastic surgeon, trainer, and pilates instructor." She also injects peptides, has a six- to eight-step skincare regimen, a supplement stack of 17 pills, and uses a slew of at-home devices. While the list was roundly criticised, Reilly identified something key: “I am not alone here.”
