Updated

I was recently at a meeting of beauty professionals including makeup artists and plastic surgeons, and I overheard a group of people with differing opinions about Botox. “You need it when you’re in your 30s and wrinkles start to show,” said one wrinkle-free woman. “No, you need it when you’re in your 20s to prevent those wrinkles,” argued an equally smooth surgeon. Hearing this made my brow furrow, which, according to the surgeon, was deepening the wrinkle between my eyes. (By her logic, it'll soon be the size of the Grand Canyon unless I begin injections immediately!)

While I do agree that Botox can do wonderful things, there’s an underlying concern with those statements. No one NEEDS Botox. It’s not air or water; it’s a cosmetic luxury to help delay Father Time. And while I’d normally let this thought go, it became apparent to me that the socialized notion of a NEED for Botox might be more harmful than we think.

Let’s take a look at those . Although I haven’t seen her in person, and I know pictures can be doctored, the ones floating around look as though she’s had fillers injected into her cheeks and lips. And while it’s understandable that Lindsay is under a ton of pressure to look great in Hollywood (where plastic surgery is as common as a tooth cleaning), the floundering star is only 25 years old! Why would such a young girl feel the need to go under the needle?

Well, first off, if Lindsay did have work done, it appears to these expert eyes that she gave in to the latest craze: a “liquid facelift.” This procedure involves a combination of Botox and fillers to redefine the face. The results can be amazing, and unlike an actual facelift, there is little to no downtime and no cutting. Like many cosmetic procedures, however, it seems that all that plumping and filling can have addictive qualities, and will only lead to more cosmetic surgeries down the road. We saw a similar case with Heidi Montag, who actually underwent 10 surgeries in one day! It just goes to show that women across the country are feeling the pressure to alter their looks earlier and more often.

It’s a sad fact, but sometimes plastic surgery can be a bad thing — especially when it becomes addictive. We went to a top NYC plastic surgeon to find out when enough is enough.