I don't think it's up to us to condemn someone for their personal choices which do not affect us, even when we find the results to be repulsive.

On the other hand, every time another woman in her 40's dyes her hair to hide the grey, for example, it adds to the general perception that women in their 40's do not have grey hair, so that if you do have grey hair, people think you must be older. And as a result, you end up dyeing your hair.  The same could be said for botox injections, etc.

It would be nice if "being thought older" didn't carry with it the burden of so many negative connotations, of course.  But our culture is youth and appearance obsessed.  Every person who buys into that obsession reinforces it.  It's alright to say that we should be strong enough as individuals to be able to resist cultural pressures -- but realistically, being social animals, it's very often actually quite difficult to do so.  One may be able to courageously say they resist in one area ("I don't dye my hair"), while at the same time caving in other areas ("Of course my shoes must match my outfit").  Very few are strong enought to resist in all areas, and those non-conformists that do look crazy to us.

So, indeed, while I support an individual's freedom to do whatever they want which does not harm others, I must condemn a cultural trend that pressures people into doing such things to themselves. Hair dye is one thing; dramatic surgical procedures, quite another. The trend scares me a little.

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