Michelle Obama: What the US First Lady really thinks about turning 50

The First Lady on confidence, achievement and the all-important issue plaguing the female face of a nation: plastic surgery

No, we’re not sure we entirely believe her. But you’ve got to admire Michelle Obama’s carefree attitude to turning ‘the big 5-0’.

No, we’re not sure we entirely believe her. But you’ve got to admire Michelle Obama’s carefree attitude to turning ‘the big 5-0’.

"I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman," she told Parade magazine in one of many interviews she’s given on the subject – which, incidentally, happens to be the hottest First Lady topic since she got her bangs cut in (then promptly grew them out in August 2013 after an unfortunate blinding incident at the last G8 summit. "You know, it's hard to make speeches with hair in your face," she said of her new side-swept ‘do at the time. And yes, it did count as news).

Part of this new-found confidence, it seems, comes from living a slightly less stressful existence now that husband, President Barack Obama, is out of the candidate race and into his second term.

"That layer is gone now. It gives me a little more room to breathe," she told another interviewer during a conversation with People magazine.

The same interviewer also asked Michelle whether she’d felt she’d "peaked at 50", to which she hilariously fired back that being the First Lady was "pretty high up" as peaks go.

"I've got to keep figuring out ways to have an impact, whether as a mother or as a professional or as a mentor to other kids," she added, on a slightly more serious note.

But the rest of the interview tossed discussion of confidence and achievement aside and focused on the real issue plaguing the female face of an entire nation: plastic surgery.

"Women should have the freedom to do whatever they need to do to feel good about themselves," she said, adding that while she’s more likely to spend today chilling out with Oprah Winfrey and being serenaded by Beyoncé, she’s unlikely to be celebrating it getting a syringe full of botox pumped into her forehead.

"Right now, I don't imagine that I would go that route, but I've also learned to never say never."

So now the important stuff’s out the way, we’d like to say happy birthday Michelle Obama and welcome to 50. As it turns out, you and your great hair are in equally fabulous company:

---