Women never seem to be able to win where cosmetic procedures are concerned. When they refuse to get plastic surgery or Botox, they're maligned for wrinkles and sagging skin. When they undergo procedures to change or maintain their appearances, they're maligned by the media and depicted as shallow. Selena Gomez is the latest celebrity addressing the double standard while shutting down rumors about her own appearance.
Earlier this week, just after celebrating her 32nd birthday, Selena Gomez commented on a TikTok that compared a photo of her as a teenager with another of her as an adult. The video's side-by-side implied Gomez had had some form of plastic surgery and not revealed it, but she set the record straight in the comments. "Honestly I hate this. I was on stripes because of a flare up," she wrote. "I have Botox. That's it. Leave me alone."
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Other commenters presume that stripes is meant to read as "steroids," a treatment for Gomez's lupus. This is just one of many instances in which Gomez admitted to getting Botox. In December, she owned up to it in a response to an Instagram comment, writing, "hahahaha I've have Botox bb girl" when yet another individual speculated that she'd undergone extensive plastic surgery.
As Gomez's brief comment set off a media firestorm, the Emmy-nominee seemed to hit back even more by embracing her appearance. On Instagram the following day, July 29, she shared a carousel of extra-close-up selfies. "Faces, phases," she captioned the images.
Gomez is one of many celebrities who have spoken about Botox. Dolly Parton, Kim Kardashian, Courtney Cox, Pamela Anderson, Cindy Crawford, and dozens of others have been candid about trying or regularly receiving the injection. Each statement destigmatizes the injectable a little more; some have opened up about using it to alleviate migraines, while others admit it's fully for their appearance. They all seem to agree that getting it is an individual choice that shouldn't be shamed no matter the reason.
As Halle Berry said about choosing to try Botox in an interview, "I think that's something everyone needs to decide for herself."
She has a point: Botox and plastic surgeries are personal decisions. The last thing anyone needs is to feel like they're being examined and condemned for a change they made (or didn't make!) to their own appearance. Selena Gomez's comment is worth repeating: When it comes to other people's faces, leave them alone.
