The Case in Favour of Health and Beauty Therapies

Feeling good about yourself is one of the best sensations life has to offer, superior by far to the mere physical reaction to a drug, certainly and encroaching on the paramount emotional plane of profound human fulfilment and sublime and certain confidence. You cannot get enough of it, as the prophet said, and it debases you not at all. That golden glow period after stiff exercise - where you can look yourself in the face in the mirror and eat your dinner without the slightest pang of guilt - has no equivalent. And there are practical advantages too, such as improved health and fitness and enhanced joie d'vivre.

A workout at the gym is not just a pastime, given the right muse it can take on a whole other form. Running a mile while not moving an inch, climbing the Eiffel Tower without ever visiting Paris, lifting ten tonnes of coal and not a single dirty hand to wash afterwards, or briskly working up sweat and getting short on your breath in homage to the couple you saw smooching in the movie last night, the possibilities are limited only by the colour palette that tints and shades your imagination.

There are also ways to tighten up your image that don't require cardio-vascular exertions and aching joints and muscles. As is well known, beauty is not merely in the eye of the beholder; it also springs from the skill and care that is applied in emphasising good points and playing down those little flaws that can detract from an elegant appearance. Exquisitely crafted nails, aesthetically electrifying hair-dos, professionally applied make-up and cosmetics, waxed calves and thighs, all are readily available in any town high street or decent-size mall. Should you doubt the popularity of such establishments, note how few of them do not require an appointment in advance!

And then there are exotic and state-of-the-art therapies such as Botox, Plastic Surgery and Collagen Injections, once the privilege of Movie Stars and TV Icons but now realistic options for us all. These more intrusive and interventional processes are not for the squeamish, be you assured, though those who have made use of them are given to swearing by their efficacy.