By: Hannah Scott
Beauty is a fickle thing. Every society attempts to define it, and every subsequent society rejects the definition given by its predecessors. A thin body type was fashionable towards the end of the 1900s. Whereas the beginning of the 2000s gave way to healthier curves. Some beauty trends uphold fuller faces as the ideal, while others focus on visible cheekbones and jawlines.
These standards change not only over time but also with space. What’s beautiful in Chinese or African culture may not necessarily be considered so in Western society. Some cultures prize long, straight hair, while others prefer curly, short hair. In other words, beauty remains amorphous and indefinable, changing quickly over borders.
Contrary to beauty, the human need to fit in remains incessant. Everyone wants to be accepted, loved, and praised. People want to, in true terms, belong to the society they live in. Hence, they religiously try to follow the beauty ideals set by their society.
A major reason behind this is celebrity culture. Popular celebrities of all time who are considered “beautiful” are also believed to be the standard of beauty. Take the example of Marilyn Monroe. She was the very ideal of beauty in the 1950s. Hourglass figures and curves were all the rage at the time. Ads promoted weight-gain supplements, advising the public on how to gain “glamorous curves.” This seems unimaginable in our time when all the fuss is about losing weight.
Why Appearance Matters?
This leads to the question: Why do appearances matter so much? Shouldn’t people be judged by their personalities and attributes rather than what they wear?
The fact is that we see a person before we ever get to know them. And despite warnings to the contrary, we tend to form first impressions. “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is rarely practiced in actual life. We look at a person and notice what they are wearing, the color of their hair, and the shape of their face. This is before we know what kind of a person they are. Are they rude or polite? Kind or Cruel?
Most interactions in our daily lives are short and impersonal. It is impossible to get to know people in such a short span of time. So, we judge what kind of person they are by how they look.
The Halo Effect:
This phenomenon is the answer to our previous questions. When we judge someone, we don’t neglect to consider their positive personality traits. Instead, we infer the personality from how a person looks. So, we will naturally attribute positive traits like kindness and intelligence to someone we find attractive, even though we have never seen them exhibit those traits.
This is why people consider celebrities kind, smart, and generous despite not knowing them in real life.
Role of Social Media in Propagating Beauty Standards:
Social Media plays a vital role in spreading the beauty standards. It generates and propagates stereotypes about what is beautiful and what is not. For instance, the trope of a “nerdy” girl who wore baggy jeans suddenly becoming attractive because she removed her glasses was popular among 2000s films. This generated the stereotype that only nerds wear glasses, which is unattractive.
Online media is also filled with highly edited and photoshopped images presenting ideals that are impossible to achieve. Seeing perfect bodies and flawless skin makes people insecure about their own bodies, and they start striving for an ideal that is impossible to achieve.
Enter Cosmetic Enhancements:
This presents one of the primary reasons behind the increasing number of cosmetic treatments. In this age of Instagram, people are beginning to take drastic measures to achieve the beauty standards set by society.
However, this does not mean that cosmetic enhancement is inherently something to be criticized. It is high time people dropped the stigma related to such procedures. Skin is an organ like any other. In fact, it is the largest organ of the human body. Why should taking care of it be any different than caring for the heart or the lungs? What is essential is to do it for the right reasons—not because anyone tells you to, but because you want to do it yourself.
Looking Good to Feel Good:
How we look affects not only how people perceive us but also how we perceive ourselves. The roots of our self-esteem and confidence are intertwined with how we feel about our appearance. It is hard to feel confident in a situation where you constantly feel like you are being judged for how you look. Children often experience bullying at schools because of their appearance. They carry their injured self-confidence later into life, which can affect their lives, from higher education to jobs and social relations.
It is imperative to counter this negative perception to live a healthy and productive life. Taking charge of your appearance helps with tackling these issues. Dressing up in your favorite color and leaving the house satisfied with how you look can set your entire mood for the day. You’ll feel like you can achieve anything if only you look like you can achieve it.
This does not mean that only those suffering from low self-esteem should focus on their appearance. Fashion is also a form of self-expression. The way you dress up can communicate a lot about your personality, interests, and even mood. We should embrace this simple truth instead of criticizing people for judging appearances.
Feeling good in your skin is vital for a happy and healthy life. So, if dressing to kill makes you feel good, go for it.
Many celebrities nowadays are also stepping up as body positivity advocates. Lovato has said, “Don’t work out because you think you ‘need to.’ Do it because your body deserves love, respect, and healthy attention.”
Beauty Comes in All Forms
People must remember that beauty comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Just because someone is believed by the masses to be beautiful does not mean that theirs is the only kind of beauty to exist.
Nonetheless, if you are conflicted between changing your appearance and staying true to yourself, this is for you. Both these things are not contradictory at all. How you look is how you express yourself. Just because you have looked a certain way all your life does not mean you’ll be betraying your true self by adopting a different appearance. So, let go of the fears and do what feels right. What feels like you. And you’ll be happier in the end than when you began your journey of self-transformation.
Author’s Bio
Virginia Salem is a cosmetic surgery specialist with an extensive medical background. She pursued education and certifications in both pediatrics and OBGYN. In 2022, she founded VSS Body Sculpting Lab, a clinic renowned for non-invasive cosmetic procedures. At VSS, Virginia applies her medical expertise to offer a personalized approach to body sculpting, focusing on techniques that enhance both aesthetics and patient well-being. Her work is dedicated to providing clients with safe and effective treatments, aiming each individual to achieve their desired results through the advanced technological methods available.
Published by: Khy Talara
