Big Little Spenders

plus, what's a "nail printing machine?"

Welcome readers, old and new!

Please hit the ❤️ above and slip into your best vintage dress before you read a mind-boggling report on the connection between healing, aging, and the perception of time.

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Last week I had a conversation with Amy Odell, who writes the Back Row Substack and is the author of an excellent biography of Anna Wintour (and an upcoming book about Gwyneth Paltrow). We talked about celebrity plastic surgeries and a range of other topics related to the ways we’re influenced by social media algorithms. One of the most salient things we discussed was the relationship between appearance and capitalism. More specifically about the correlation between reduced satisfaction with appearance and increased output of cash.

Think about this for a minute: How often do you look at your reflection and wonder what you might buy—skincare, a cosmetic, an in-office treatment—to improve it? Have you had the passing thought that if you had more money, you might be better looking—assuming unfettered access to cosmetic treatments only available to celebrities and the otherwise wealthy?

I’ll spare you my uneducated perspective on the ways capitalism + social media have influenced our behavior, except to say that when you’re presented with an argument by someone—even a respected, seemingly trustworthy someone—who’s offering to increase their own wealth by reducing yours, it’s a good idea to be skeptical.

If you’re awake, you’re already aware that on media—from mainstream journalism to TikTok—the purpose of a story is often to get you to open your wallet. Some of the manipulation is more covert than others, but the goal is the same. Look under the examining table and you’ll even find some professionals in the aesthetics industry participating in a way that prays on our vulnerabilities.

When I saw an Instagram clip from a celebrity proudly copping to 12 procedures including a brow lift, three facelifts, a neck and eye lift, as well as various laser treatments more than once a year, I sent it to a dermatologist to ask if it were even possible. Her reply: Some doctors will do anything to make a buck. Which is good to remember if you’re considering an in-office treatment—and why I suggest asking many questions before submitting to one.

Of course there are great doctors who get great results—but I sometimes wonder if other great doctors, when promoting a treatment that likely won’t yield the kind of results promised, are succumbing to wishful thinking, meaning that because they genuinely want to “fix” you or make you happy, they lose sight of reality.

Speaking of losing sight of reality, a new study reveals potentially unhealthy outcomes resulting from content provided by some very small creators.

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