In the ever-evolving world of beauty and aesthetics, it is vital to approach each decision with integrity, mindfulness, and a deep sense of purpose. This manifesto outlines guiding principles to ensure that all aesthetic choices contribute to personal well-being, happiness, and authenticity.

1. First Do No Harm

Prioritize safety and health above all else. Ensure that any aesthetic procedure or treatment is conducted with care, using the safest methods and technologies available. Protecting your body and mind is the cornerstone of true beauty. Avoid treatments that have proven risky with some percentage resulting in negative outcomes, like CoolSculpting ( paradoxical hyperplasia) and Ultherapy ( many class action law suits for facial nerve damage) Consider carefully even deep microneedling with radiofrequency (known to occassionally cause scars) and proceed with caution.

PS Isnt bad Botox, overfilled lips and too much filler also harm? Is your goal to look like you have had a lot of work done, and completely incongruent for your age and even a bit plastic looking with no expression?

2. Authentic Happiness

Choose treatments for your own happiness, not to meet the expectations of others. True beauty stems from within, and any enhancements should reflect your personal values and desires, not societal pressures or the opinions of others. A doctor’s office with integrity will not treat you if you state you are actually doing the treatment for someone else. For example, a young woman recently mentioned she wanted to treat stretch marks because her superficial boyfriend didn’t like them. Remove the boyfriend, not the stretch marks.

3. Financial Well-Being

Avoid compromising your financial stability for cosmetic procedures. Beauty should be an enhancement, not a burden. Make choices that respect your financial limits and prioritize your long-term peace of mind. Beauty treatments are for discretionary income. If you can’t afford them and can’t even afford to put them on your credit card because they are all maxed out, then you shouldn’t be taking out a loan for the treatment. We are not going to put you into a loan, just like the mortgage on your home for a treatment. Every time I go to a seminar, the “doctors” tell me we could make 30% more money if we took financing. Its the norm in the industry. Is that right? You tell me. If you cant even afford to charge it on one of your credit cards, I dont think its right for us to trick or coerce you into entering into long term financing for a maintenance type treatment. Dirty little secret, you lose collagen and muscle every day of your life. Sooner or later you will need another treatment and or a face lift. And why not do a treatment like Emface, that increases collagen and muscles as much as approximately 30%? In my humble opinion, why not naturally stimulate and restore your muscles to naturally lift your face. And I am not going to even get into the scarring that will happen with multiple injections of fillers and Botox. Lastly when someone puts you into a financing arrangement, its a bit heartless. If you cant afford it go bankrupt, lose you house. Its between you and the financing company. The doctor or Med Spa have nothing to do with it, even if you claim you didnt get the results promised.

4. Realistic Expectations

Understand that beauty treatments can enhance confidence, but they won’t transform your life or solve deeper issues. Approach aesthetic decisions with a balanced mindset and a focus on complementing your natural beauty.

5. Less Is More

Prefer non-surgical options and the least invasive procedures when possible. Subtle, thoughtful enhancements often yield the most natural and satisfying results while minimizing risks and downtime.

6. Embrace Inner Beauty

True beauty is a reflection of your inner self. Maxwell Maltz, a renowned plastic surgeon, once observed that many patients who underwent significant surgeries still felt unchanged because they “didn’t see any difference.” Recognizing this, Maltz authored the groundbreaking book Psycho-Cybernetics, exploring the profound connection between self-image and personal fulfillment. As Maltz emphasized, it is not merely physical changes but the way you perceive yourself that shapes your confidence and happiness.

A Holistic Approach to Beauty

Let your journey in aesthetics be guided by these principles. Remember that external enhancements are merely a complement to the inner work of self-love, acceptance, and growth. By aligning your aesthetic choices with these values, you honor both your physical appearance and your deeper sense of self-worth.

And don’t forget: first drink water, quit smoking, use sunscreen, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and exercise. That alone may change not only how you look but how you feel about how you look.

Finally, not sure how to say this in today’s they/them world, but in the heterosexual world, real men find powerful, successful women attractive. It is also said that women are attracted to men that look like they have a little wisdom, vs a ken doll. I guess we all find those who are successful and doing something with their lives attractive.