when beauty becomes the beast

What Are Superficial Beauty Standards?

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then why do beauty standards exist?

The media, magazines, fashion, and beauty industry construct a certain image of what a woman is “supposed” to look like, and they have been doing so for many years.

Stay young. Slim but curvy. Big bum. No hair on body. Flawless skin with makeup. Long hair. Fair skin. Full lips. Big eyes and so on.

Funnily enough, these standards are not even considered attractive everywhere and they can change.

Society has been conditioned by different outlets of what should be considered beautiful.

And these standards are not even real!

What we see on social media and magazines is a work of tons of editing, photoshop, professional stylists, and makeup artists.

And let’s not forget plastic surgery.

How Superficial Beauty Standards Effect Society

I would love to say that the focus on physical appearance has a lot of positives. But I can only think of two: being presentable and hygienic.

Regular grooming and having a skincare routine are not so problematic.

However, the focus on physical appearance has overshadowed other qualities and have blurred men’s and women’s beauty expectations.

Many young women and men don’t prioritise seeking good qualities and values when looking for a partner.

They prioritise looks.

Even though there are beauty standards for men such as being muscly, having facial hair, and being 6ft tall – maintaining beauty standards are way more amplified for women.

Wearing various makeup products on a daily basis requires a lot of effort and it’s time consuming but it’s the norm.

A lot of facial products aren’t even good for the skin, causing further damage!

There are too many women and young girls especially, that feel like they aren’t enough, and don’t feel confident in their own skin.

Resulting in mental health issues, low self-esteem, and many insecurities.

Have you ever observed any young girl’s conversations about their appearance or their captions on social media posts?

Most of the conversations are full of critical analysis of themselves and what they would like to change.

Some women/girls post on their social media accounts and caption their selfies with “no makeup” or “no filter”.

This is an indirect message to society that truly says, “look at me I’m good looking naturally” to gain validation.

True acceptance and confidence seem to be out of reach because of fake beauty standards presented by celebrities and Instagram influencers and not having any real role models to look up to.

Comparing ourselves with what we see in media is not just detrimental to self-esteem but can also generate feelings of envy and lead to competition.

As a society we have a responsibility to teach the younger generation values, good qualities, and what true beauty is.

How do you define beauty?

Read, share, comment, and let me know what you think!