WRINKLES

According to Medscape sources, in 2004, Americans spent $12.4 billion on cosmetics, an amount of money that is 33% larger than the amount needed each year (in addition to current expenditures) to provide water and sanitation for all people in developing nations, and, ironically, since cosmetics are often advertised as symbols of women's rights and independence, just slightly larger than the amount needed each year (in addition to current expenditures) to provide reproductive healthcare for all women in developing countries.

Botox, injectable botulinum toxin ( the cause of botulism food poisoning and a potential biowarfare/bioterror agent is all the rage. In 2006 alone over 3 billion injections were administered to temporarily reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Almost as bizarre as a "Brazil" facelift, is the increased use of wrinkle dermal fillers such as cow collagen, plastic microbeads, liquid silicone, and even synthetic bone and ground-up human cadaver skin, often supplied by for-profit tissue banks that divert the skin away from burn units where it is needed to treat critically ill patients.

We could blame the advertisers for persuading us to remain wrinkle-free. But then again, maybe we should just take a good look in the mirror.