Botox "confessions" becoming a thing of the past

60 years ago, before we had cosmetic procedures like Botox, women wouldn't dream of openly discussing the latest beauty treatment: hair coloring.

That changed with the runaway success of home hair coloring kits:

In 1950 only seven out of every one hundred women colored their hair...In 1956, however, the introduction of a dyeing product called Miss Clairol brought hair coloring into the mainstream. Accompanied by a well-known advertising campaign that said "Does she or doesn't she? Hair color so natural only her hairdresser knows for sure!" source

With celeb confessions and greater usage, Botox stigma erodes

With over 90% of celebrities undergoing some form of cosmetic treatment, "confessions" to cosmetic treatments represent a  vehicle to broader acceptance of procedures. Celebrities openly sharing their use of Botox include:

high-profile celebs—from Brooke Shields and Courteney Cox Arquette to Vanessa Williams and Jennie Garth—have 'fessed up to keeping their faces free of lines with Botox. Joy Behar talks frequently about her Botox shots on The View, and late last year Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall told Britain's Sunday Times that Botox was part of her skin-care regime. Even male stars like Simon Cowell and David Hasselhoff have gotten in on the action.  Source

A new survey suggests that cosmetic procedures are already mainstream and widely accepted. The Aesthetic Surgery Education & Research Foundation (ASERF) study finds that 87% of consumers openly discuss their Botox or hyaluronic filler treatment like Restylane. 

The data "show us that aesthetic injectable treatments have continued to evolve into mainstream and accepted options for the everyday woman,” explains ASERF President Laurie Casas, MD, a Chicago plastic surgeon. 

Remaining anonymous online remains critical

RealSelf.com has seen the effects of greater openness to sharing cosmetic procedure results. The posting of reviews and ratings of cosmetic procedures by RealSelf members are pacing 40% greater than a year ago.

Yet, for those considering a cosmetic procedure, privacy and maintaining anonymity is critical.  This is why we continue provide these individuals the ability to ask questions and get key informaiton to help them to to make these choices-- without having to reveal their identity.

The full ASERF survey results (pdf) are here.

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