'As a dermatologist, this is the cosmetic trap I see women in the 30s and 40s fall into.'

In 2024, there's a birth of a new phenomenon sweeping the world of cosmetic surgery.

It's called the 'pretty person problem'.

Dubbed by cosmetic dermatologist Dr Samantha Ellis, (if you don't follow her, you must), it has to do with a certain aesthetic running rampant on the faces of women in their late 30s and early 40s.

Watch: Curiosity got the better of us! Renny asked Dr. Naomi McCullum, a cosmetic physician who runs a luxury clinic called The Manse, everything she'd do to her face. Post continues below.

Allow us (Dr Ellis) to explain.

What is the 'pretty person problem'?

Speaking in an Instagram video, the board-certified dermatologist shared: "I want to spend a second to talk about a cosmetic trap that I see a lot of women — especially in their late 30s, early 40s — fall into. This is coming from the perspective of a cosmetic dermatologist. I call this the 'pretty person problem'."

"I would straight up say this to a patient's face, but it's basically women who have been — if you're at like a one to 10 scale of attractiveness based on the traditional male gaze — an eight to 10 their entire life."

Can't relate, but please do go on…

"Then they get to their late 30s early 40s — again, just a generalisation, but they start to see the first signs of ageing. It might be some crepey skin under their eyes or a little bit of sallowness to their skin."

What causes it?

Fuelled by a shift in their appearance, what happens next is an 'overcorrection' of these concerns, which often involves the copious use of injectables.

"Something quite subtle but it really sets them off on this path of being like, 'I need to do a bunch of cosmetic interventions to fix all of this'. And the problem with that is they don't need it," she explained.

"They're just so used to being so hot their entire life that when they start to see the slightest decrease of lip volume or the slightest little wrinkles, they feel like they need to go hard with every single cosmetic intervention."

Slimmer features. Taut skin. Defined jawlines. Structured cheekbones.

She goes on to explain that these kinds of faces don't need restoration or volume replacement to begin with. Yet the 'more is more' approach is one of the most common requests from patients in this age bracket.

And it's all about chasing the 'it's-all-in-the-genes' kind of look that's wildly unattainable to uphold.

"I call this a trap because these are the people that get too much Botox, overfill their face with filler and end up weird when they used to be so freaking attractive," said Dr Ellis.

Sigh.

She warned her followers, "You need to be really careful when it comes to cosmetic treatments because you're going to want to adjust every little thing to try to make yourself a 10 out of 10. And little imperfections, small asymmetries, signs of ageing — those are what make you look like YOU and make you look normal. And it's so much better. So, do not fall into the trap."

Here's the full video below:

@drsamanthaellis

Less is more. Find a cosmetic practioner who is willing and able to tell you “no” and not let you push it too far. #cosmetics #cosmetictreatment #dermatology #filler #botox #antiaging

♬ original sound - Dr. Sam Ellis - Dermatologist

One person wrote, "The plastic surgeon I worked for used to say if you're a '7, 8 or 9' are you willing to go down to a '3' trying to become a '10'."

Another person wrote, "Finally, I knew being a solid five would pay off for me in the long run."

"I actually got prettier as I got older. I think I just understand style more, can afford better clothes, beauty routine and I've never had a better body than now and that's post-kid. Ladies, it doesn't all go downhill," said another follower.

Someone else added, "I agree with this sentiment but does anyone else think normalising a "pretty" or "hotness" scale is weird. Beauty is subjective."

Where does this leave us?

Whichever way you want to look at it, while women in their 30s and over are more open about cosmetic surgery than ever before, it's also a bit of a double-edged sword when people are spending thousands to look 'weird' or 'odd'.

Of course, ultimately, this is a 'you do you' space. But it's worth the reminder that many of these treatments are real medical procedures with very real side effects and complications — they're not just beauty treatments.

It's important to ensure the decisions you're making around these procedures are a lifelong and well-thought-out desires — not just striving to 'fix' every little sign of ageing on your face. Because, as Dr Ellis said, a lot of these 'imperfections' are what make you truly look like you.

And in 2024, haven't we moved away from trying to look like everyone else?

What do you think of the above? Share with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Instagram/@drsamanthaellis.