Today, in news that will make you want to jab someone in the eye, a 41-year-old relationship therapist named Louise Van Der Velde says the fix for your husband's wandering eye is ... plastic surgery! Specifically, Van Der Velde claims that once women get into their 40s, going under the knife is the best way to prevent their spouses from running off with someone younger and hotter.
"I think it is absolutely the woman's responsibility when they have let themselves go over the years," she tells the Daily Mail. "We are the creators of our own destiny. If your fella cheats, you’ve created it yourself. The men have a right to look elsewhere, they have a right to be sleeping with an attractive woman."
Steaming yet? Yep, take a few deep breaths, cuz there's more.
It would be one thing if the therapist was just singing the praises of women taking care of themselves in routine, healthy ways. But no. "I actively encourage my clients to get plastic surgery, and it’s received fairly well," Van Der Velde says.
No. Just. No.
However, she does make a valid point when she says, "Looking good is feeling good." She's right: We shouldn't "let ourselves go." But we don't need plastic surgery in order to prevent that from happening. Just regular self-care -- i.e., working out, wearing a little lipstick, buying a new dress occasionally, keeping up with certain, everyday beauty treatments (hair, nails, waxing, whatever floats your boat), etc. is enough.
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Furthermore, it's self-care she should be emphasizing. In other words, "looking/feeling good" for yourself, not only for your man. For your self-esteem, your self-image, your self.
At the same time, why is the onus completely on US to stay on top of our looks? Who's going to stay sexually attracted to a dude who forgets to use antiperspirant or rocks a potbelly?! There are plenty of ways aging may take a toll on our guys, and we deserve husbands who don't let themselves go, either.
Bottom-line: We all owe it to ourselves and our spouses to take care of ourselves and do what we can to maintain our attractive quotient -- naturally. Because it makes us feel good, NOT because it's a safeguard against infidelity.
What's your reaction to this therapist's advice? How are you taking care of yourself as you age -- and why do you do it?
Image via iStock.com/asiseeit