Aimee Lou Wood Says She's "Very Anti-Botox" And Won't Get It For This Reason

White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood appeared on Vogue’s The Run-Through to share her takes on Botox.

According to the English actress, freezing her face wouldn't be good for her career. “I saw these women in an elevator yesterday. It was these women who do Botox,” she said. “We were talking about how it's obvious I haven't had it. I'm like very anti-Botox. People can do whatever the hell they want, but for myself, because, you know, a lot of my career relies on these facial expressions. So I can't start freezing my face. It needs to move.”

When you watch her act, you get exactly what she means. The third season of the HBO hit series was a joy to watch as I witnessed Wood’s many expressions.  In case you missed it, Wood has also resisted the veneers. Hollywood is full of copy-paste smiles, so seeing Wood and her adorable smile has been refreshing.  Not unheard of for a celebrity to have their natural set of teeth, obviously, but rare enough that people – even major publications – have noticed.  

What’s with Botox?

The general narrative we’ve been sold is that there’s no catch with Botox. Just a little sprinkle between the brows. It’s a quick fix. 

However, Botox works by blocking signals between nerves and muscles. This means your muscles atrophy if you keep shutting those signals down repeatedly. One 2010 study found that even animals injected with Botox showed muscle weakness far from the injection site. Then, of course, as Wood said, the popular “tweakment” can lead to a frozen face that’s not fit to go on screen.

Most of us aren’t sifting through neurology journals in our spare time, so when we’re told something’s “safe,” we usually take it at face value. But just because we're told that side effects are rare doesn’t mean they’re non-existent. 

There are gentler options. Facial acupuncture, cryo facials, gua sha, red light therapy, face tape, collagen-rich foods – you get the point – these are all tools that don’t involve injections or paralysis. Even just sleeping well, drinking water, and actually moving your face (imagine that!) can make a difference.  

Alas, the breakout star gets it. Her job isn’t to look Instagrammable or perfectly filtered on screen. Wood’s job is to make people feel something. To inhabit every emotion a scene demands: fear, disgust, hatred, love, sadness, joy, even peace. And my goodness, does she nail all of that so beautifully.

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