Despite his highly-publicised overtly-macho escapades in the Russian wildernesses, rumours that Vladimir Putin maintains his vital complexion with a little aid from some Botox injections have been gaining ground in recent weeks.
Talk of the Russian Prime Minister's relationship with the cosmetic enhancement reached fever-pitch last month, when he launched an annual televised question and answer programme with remarkably wrinkle-free forehead and eye areas.
The consternation among the Russian public at the statesman's appearance let to a flurry of activity on social networking sites across the globe. On Twitter, the hashtagged words of #putin and #russia were used far less regularly than the word #botox, which was bandied around by many Russian nationals in relation to Putin's looks.
Putin – who is good friends with heavily cosmetically enhanced former Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi – first 'faced' rumours that he had taken a little work to his visage in October, when a huge bruise around his eye set tongues wagging. The non-denial issued by the spokesman for the Prime Minister did nothing to dampen the rumours, stating, "It's probably just how the light fell. The prime minister is tired."
Liberal Russian magazine, the New Times, surveyed fur plastic surgeons for an article in a subsequent issue, all of whom said that he had probably had cosmetic surgery. They stated that Botox was probably just the tip if the iceberg, however, and that it also looked like he had invested in an eye-lift on his lower lids as well as having firming fillers put into his cheek bones.
Putin launched the national address as part of his campaign to regain some of his flailing popularity and win back the Russian presidency during elections next year. His apparent efforts to maintain his youthful looks – to match his ultra-fit and adventurous physical activity – could be his way of showing that he still has what it takes to run the superpower.
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