Did Anthony Albanese get Botox during his election makeover? So what if he did, writes Jana Hocking

We need to declare a truce against the subtle Botox and filler shaming seeping through Australian culture – mostly from those who find themselves too attractive to need it.

This needle-carrying Nancy has had enough.

It all started when Anthony Albanian dismissed rumors of his youthful new complexion – without really denying them – after a leading cosmetic injector told Daily Mail Australia that the look could have been achieved with Botox and fillers.

Mr Albanian looked noticeably fresher when he shook hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo last month than when he posed for his official portrait of the prime minister.

First of all, I think we can all admit he looks the best he’s ever looked (bravo on your face, Albo!)

And of course, a prime minister isn’t elected for his looks (although Justin Trudeau would certainly have gotten my vote!), but did you know that a little “fresh up” actually has a positive psychological effect on how people judge you?

After researching extensively for his book Beauty Pays, economist David Hamermesh found that attractive people are more likely to get a job, earn higher wages, are more likely to get approved for a loan, negotiate loans with better terms, and look better. and be higher. status spouses.

Attractive criminals get even lighter sentences for their crimes.

I know… crazy right? But the facts don’t lie.

Check out how the new prime minister peaked in the popularity polls after his epic weight loss.

If I were Albo, I’d think to myself, yeah… well, this makeover is positively impacting my career. What should I tweak next?

We were all a little elated when he updated his wardrobe with some nice new Country Road swag, and the new dentures definitely got a run for their money, so why not a little Botox and filler?

When asked if he’d had the jab during a radio interview, however, he confirmed or denied: “Seriously, I think whoever wrote that article got Botox in the wrong place” — before using a distraction tactic by his weight increase loss.

Well played Albo.

But no one should feel the need not to admit that we are getting Botox or fillers.

I’ve seen it crop up a lot in celebrity interviews and “female-friendly” news sites lately, whether it’s J-Lo whining about the benefits of “olive oil” for her wrinkle-free face or a columnist consistently exclaiming that she’s a “No- bo’ (no Botox).

Don’t even get me started on the influencers who told us they “tried it once, but they were allergic” or other such nonsense.

Why the shadow? Is it to shame those of us who have it? Is it to subtly explain why they look so old? Ultimately, the only assumption I can think of is that they’re trying to prove they’re not vain.

So in the spirit of supporting our Prime Minister and his new ‘Hot PM Summer’, I want to say this: Hi, my name is Jana Hocking and I’m a vain, flawed creature who loves a ‘fresh up’ every three months or so.

Sure, you can preach as much as you want about the benefits of serums and miracle creams, but let’s face it… They. do not. Work.

They may give your skin some hydration, but do they literally remove an angry frown line from your face?

Do they give your eyebrows a nice arch? Do they remove that annoying nostril flare you can see in every picture? No, damn they aren’t.

We hear the ‘No-Bos’ among us whining about how important it is for their kids to see the expression on their faces, ranting about how feminism goes back a million years to care about someone’s appearance, and how we should all embrace looking at our age.

But here’s the thing, Botox doesn’t mean we all look like expressionless robots walking around with the same faces.

It really annoys me when people shame those who choose to get a shot because there is no expression on our faces. Mine has LOTS of expression. Just ask anyone I’ve looked at in a meeting, it could be an email, or some guy who got me dirty.

As someone who has been told they have a terrible poker face, I can honestly say that when I’m mad, it’s all written on my Botox face!

There are different sizes of Botox and it can be inserted in many wonderful places. Don’t want to look frozen? Then get just a little bit. You want to look a little less excited when your opposition leader makes ridiculous claims, so why not subtly get that frown removed from your brow.

Not all Botox looks the same and it can be done in a way that is hardly obvious.

For example, I started getting it because I hated how my nose curled up when I smiled. Literally no one noticed but me. After flipping through a magazine I discovered that you could get a little bit of Botox in your ‘rabbit lines’ on your nose and within two weeks ‘wooshka’ they would be gone!

I quickly made an appointment for myself and within two weeks I was walking through my office, pinching my nose and exclaiming excitedly ‘Look! No lines!’

I finally felt really confident and gave the camera a big smile, which felt really good.

I’ve stepped up my game in the medical cosmetic space after one-too-many Zoom meetings during lockdown – there’s nothing like seeing your resting b*tch face on a 45-minute conference call.

During the occasional zone out, I noticed that my lips looked quite thin, and my crow’s feet really popped out when I thought about an answer to a tricky question.

With so many hours in the day to fill with solo thoughts, without the distractions of a busy fun office, I found myself focusing on the more vain things in life, like my looks.

I’m not going to lie, I was the first to knock on the laser clinic doors as soon as the lockdown ended, and I don’t regret it.

So of course, I like to take care of my appearance, but I also like art, and books, and interesting debates. There’s so much more to us than “those who’ve had the tox and those who haven’t.”

I firmly believe that you do what works for you, I will do what works best for me and let’s all get a little chuffed for each other. Especially you, Albo.