Injectables are inescapable

I asked a therapist for advice if you feel like the only one in your friend group who isn't getting Botox

Welcome to the first issue of Un/well. I asked a licensed therapist for her guidance if you feel like the only one in your social circle not getting injectables. Plus, some cool and insidious wellness news and some healthy (and healthy-ish) things I love right now.

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I’m pro-transparency, especially when it comes to cosmetic surgery. People showing off their neurotoxin injection journeys on Instagram are relatively harmless, and I respect people who are open about fillers and injectables as opposed to passing it off as makeup or lifestyle changes. 

But I’ve noticed more and more young people on my timeline getting rid of their wrinkles as casually as they’d show off their favorite probiotic soda, and it’s making me think about my own face more than I’d care to admit.

I’m a woman in my early 30s who has never had Botox. I also never plan to. It’s just not something I’ve ever been interested in. 

I’m not trying to take an anti-injectable stand. Do your thing! I am just more comfortable with the processes of aging than I’m intrigued by quarterly syringes to the forehead to disappear that line I definitely got from scowling at my screen. 

At some point my face has to age. 

But this recent discovery that everyone around me is seemingly getting Botox (not just influencers, but also a lot of people in my social circle) has given me a quiet hum of anxiety around aging differently than my peers. 

I’ve struggled to find a way to come to terms with this new reality, sitting between a chosen wrinkle and a smooth place. 

Thankfully, we’ve got licensed therapist and creator Joanna Townsend in the newsletter today, sharing some digestible advice for anyone else who might feel the same. Joanna is based in Bozeman, MT and offers educational courses, group work, and mental health resources centered around feeling feelings and self-compassion.

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Dear Slightly creased and generally fine with it,

You may be surprised to hear you're not alone. Nearly everyone I know, too, is getting Botox or fillers, if not both. It can certainly make you question your decision and wonder when it's becoming the norm to get injections and treatments. They are incredibly common and popular, *and* it's also totally okay if they're not for you. 

We have an interesting relationship with aging, don't we? Our culture is deeply obsessed with anti-aging, so it's not surprising that cosmetic products and the beauty industry have followed suit and marketed "youth" to us. I love that you feel no judgment towards others that decide to get these treatments. That means it's about preference and choice to you. And the cool thing about having bodily autonomy is that you get to decide what's right for you. While that may mean you're noticing fine lines and the beginnings of wrinkles and crinkles more, or seeing less of them in your peers ;), maybe that can also mean getting curious about what aging symbolizes to you. 

It's important for us to reflect on our own aging. And what we do about the inevitability of changes to our bodies and appearance. For some, that may be opting for Botox or fillers to delay or reverse these signs, and for others (like you and me) that may look like accepting and embracing the reality that wrinkles and fine lines are natural and okay! They don't have to be bad words. They can be reminders of who we are now, at 30-something, instead of who we think we need to be (or look like). At least that's how I feel about it now. I hope this helped give you some relief and solidarity!

With you in crinkles,

Joanna

“Silent Walking” is TikTok talk for what Buddhist monks call walking meditation

My favorite beverage to drink on an airplane is now being recreated by a popular probiotic soda brand

A corporate healthy eating service is now offering hormonal health meal plans (think: seed crackers with hummus, oatmeal with almonds and blueberries, cauliflower and lentil soup with almonds)

I love this profile of Sonali Menezes, who created a zine on all things depression cooking. You can get it on Etsy!

Very into produce prescriptions: Free fruits and veggies to people with diet-related diseases

People experiencing menopause on vacation might be able to get a specially-designed spa treatment, like a collagen-forward facial or a strength training session targeting certain joint pain

I cannot stop thinking about Gwyneth Paltrow sucking? tasting? on the Seed probiotic capsule

A study found that hiring managers might be turned off by applicants who are open about their mental health online

These vulture investors are deeply unwell

Making the case against thin, hot, supermodels getting on the scale to show their followers how much they weigh

Unsurprised to see scientists mass departing X (formerly Twitter)

Debunked

🔬 People on TikTok are mixing borax—a chemical compound you can usually buy as a laundry detergent booster—into water or other beverages to cure their arthritis or erectile dysfunction. Some people are even bathing in it. There’s no science legitimizing this as a healthy thing to do. In fact, consuming borax (or havin’ a soak in it) can cause vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, stomach pain, and even alopecia, anemia, seizures, organ damage, and death, if taken in toxic amounts.

🔬 There’s a viral TikTok shared by a medical student that says you shouldn’t poop on the toilet with your hair down. Or flush the toilet with the cover open. She claims bacteria near the seat or spewed out of the bowl can get trapped in your hair, graze your face, and cause breakouts. Board-certified dermatologists acknowledge that while this is a possibility, the more likely culprit is your oily hair. That is not to say bacteria from feces is fine. It can transmit a host of other things, just probably not acne. Wash your hands.

🔬 Another TikTok recommendation: Taking vitamin D and magnesium supplements together for peak health benefits. As always, you should consult your doctor on what you might be deficient in. A blood test is a better indicator of what you’re missing than a bunch of influencers shilling the latest buzzy supplements.

🔬 There’s a trending conspiracy among “wellness” influencers that sunscreen is toxic. There’s a lot to unpack here, from a nuanced conversation around chemical sunscreens that can harm coastal environments to the right to raw dog the sun like our ancestors. While I do think we should all be opting for reef safe sunscreen (found in mineral options), other claims that sunscreen is toxic are misguided and harmful.

September Empties

Or all the healthy & healthy-ish things I’ve been using to the last drop

Catalina Crunch’s Spicy Kick crunch mix is easily my favorite snack item right now

My go-to shampoo & conditioner used to be whatever looked pretty good and not too expensive at my local pharmacy or Target, until I discovered California Naturals

Just bought a 6-pack of nutpods’ creamy vanilla caramel cold brew

Metaphorically using my Crocs to the last drop. We are a Crocs household now. They’re both the perfect shoe to slip on during my 5am puppy bathroom break walk and also to rid my feet of their perpetual Birkenstocks tan line

This fragrance set is supposed to conjure up the feelings of being around water and breathing in a forest full of trees. I use the former at night to wind down and the latter when I’ve been cooped up at my screen for a little too long

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Thank you for reading the first issue of Un/well. We rescued a puppy a few weeks ago so I wrote this between potty runs out the door. I hope you liked it! See you next week.

Melanie

Want to partner with Un/well? Send me a note! 💌 melsunwell@substack.com

Header and illustrations by Olivia Fu