Face lifts, tummy tucks, lips and cheeks fillers are no longer a privilege that only the rich and famous have. With the increasing number of ‘cosmetic clinics’ springing all over the country, an increasing number of women are opting for these procedures. But are they having these cosmetic surgeries because they are duped by the society-dominated beauty system? Or do they genuinely choose these procedures? Perhaps, the cost by disregarding society based beauty standards is causing more women to opt for cosmetic procedures.
The media has the ability to tell us of what is in style and what we should be doing to our bodies in order to be accepted by the society. This in itself is a major problem. While fascination of celebrities is natural, the media keeps them in constant spotlight. This obsession with appearance is due to exposure of TV shows, photoshopped fashion advertisements and the idea of constantly improving ourselves to look a certain way, in order to fit in.
Media has the ability to tell us of what is in style and what we should be doing to our bodies in order to be accepted by the society
According to a study by Social Issues Research Centre; human gain the ability to recognise themselves by the age of two and all young girls develop a dislike for what they see, only a few years later.It is important for young women to be confident and stereotyping a perfect body erodes confidence. Women are no less beautiful if they are skinnier or if they have curves. Neither is superior to another and as woman, we should encourage one another to be confident in who we are.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colours. I know people get upset when they see fashion shows mostly include women that are tall and slim. So whether you want to believe it or not, those models who walk on the runway are real women, just like us. Yes, they are skinny and absolutely beautiful and if you are curvier, you are absolutely beautiful too. Everyone has their own flaws but don’t let them discourage you. It is easy to get caught up in the way we look but forget about expensive makeup and diet pills, the best way to improve your appearance is to be more secure with how you look.
Published in Daily Times, October 23rd 2018.