I took one look at Kate Beckinsale in those gaunt photos and a sad truth about over-50s women suddenly dawned on me, writes AMANDA GOFF

Like many of you, my jaw dropped when I saw those photos of British actress Kate Beckinsale’s new face at Variety’s Power of Women 2024 event.

Kate, 51, and a natural beauty by anyone’s standards, appears to have traded in her naturally striking features in favor of a Brand new face (and body) that makes her look like a carbon copy of every reality star and Insta influencer out there..

The woman in the photos was not the elegant Hollywood star Kate Beckinsale who had always seemed so sophisticated to me in that English rose style, but a woman who had been cut, stretched, injected, pinched, pricked, sucked and immersed in something unrecognizable..

I’m not a plastic surgeon (although I wish I were, I’d have a much more impressive portfolio of properties), so I won’t list every cosmetic procedure I think she’s had… but if I were a betting woman, I’d guess a facelift to start with , a neck lift and a “fox eye” surgery.

Let me make this clear: I have long been an advocate for a woman’s right to do whatever she wants with her body to look and feel good. Damn, I’ve done it!

and kate does He looks spectacular, certainly better than me on a good day.

But what I’m wondering is… does it feel good to look like this, Kate? Are you happier? And are you doing it for you? Or are you doing it to keep up with the ridiculous standards that Hollywood (and society in general) imposes on women who dare to live over 50?

I guess not.

My belief is, and I can say this from my own experience, that plastic surgery does not necessarily make you happier. In fact, in some cases, it can make you feel even worse. It can make you feel even more insecure and self-critical.

I am no stranger to going under the knife. I’ve worked in two careers where appearance was important: as a beauty editor at fashion magazines and in the adult industry. (Believe it or not, it was the magazine job I used the most makeup for. The men who paid for my services didn’t care half as much about plastic surgery as other women.)

I am 50 years old and during those years I admit that I have come a little far from surgery.. Here’s my list and counting: one nose job, a lower facelift, an upper blepharoplasty, a labiaplasty (Google it), five boob jobs, and of course Botox and fillers, the last one I left off and had dissolved two years ago. .

Like Kate, I also look unrecognizable compared to the fresh-faced twenty-something I used to be. I can’t deny it, that’s why I don’t judge her at all..

But here’s what I’m willing to admit: absolutely none of it made me happier in the long run. In fact, I deeply regret it.

All of my surgeons were fantastic – the best in their field. The risks of each procedure were meticulously explained to me and I had several consultations before I was allowed to go ahead. This is actually the law in Australia: patients must have a referral from a GP before undergoing any plastic or cosmetic surgery and be He proved to be mentally fit. I also filled out a form asking questions about my mental health and body dysmorphia.

So the problem wasn’t my surgeons or the procedures. The problem was me.

The number one reason I know that plastic surgery can never make you truly happy is because no matter what you’ve done, it will never be enough. Never.

I had numerous breast surgeries (getting bigger) thinking it would change my life. It wasn’t like that. Having big breasts actually made life more complicated, especially for men. They looked at me, fixated, obsessed, and drooled (or smiled) at me. I became a bimbo with big tits rather than a woman with brains.

And they were never great enough. Even after my last breast surgery a few years ago, from a fancy B cup to a DD, I was already planning my next one.

I had a lower facelift, which looks great, but now I’m already wondering when would be an acceptable time to get another quick tweak.

My eyelids were drooping with age, so I went under the knife as a 50th birthday present. But now I notice a little drop coming back, so I’m thinking about going back now.

The labiaplasty, again, was great, but no one sees my nether regions these days. I choose celibacy over casual sex. Honestly, I’d rather have a cup of tea than get naked with someone.

I got my nose done thinking it would change my life. It wasn’t like that. It just changed the shape of my nose. In fact, I miss my Persian mermaid because it gave me character.

Do you understand my idea? You will never ever be satisfied. Because adjustments don’t last forever, and because one day you’ll catch yourself in the mirror and notice a feature that isn’t perfect, and you’ll realize, assuming you have the funds, that you can fix it pretty easily and before you know. who is having a consultation again.

I remember crying in my car after a breast augmentation. I was in a lot of pain, felt terribly depressed, and realized that nothing had changed in my life except the size of my breasts. ‘What’s wrong with me?’ I sobbed to a girlfriend.

Ladies, use me as a warning. You may think that having that procedure, that pinch, that lift, those silicone balloons (or, God forbid, a Brazilian butt lift) will make you happier, change your life, make you feel complete, like I thought it would. with me. .

But believe me, it’s really not like that. Your physical appearance may change or the way clothes fit on your body, but you will still be the same person on the inside. And if you don’t like that person, fake boobs or a bigger butt won’t solve the problem.

Kate, you look amazing, but of course you always were. I just hope you’re okay where it matters most: inside.