Society has been known for its harsh critiques of women’s beauty standards. Constant media ads paint women as perfect models who are always sporting glamorized looks and magazine smiles. When women are marketed with flawless makeup and perfectly styled hair, it creates a facade of the ideal women.
This painfully effects the youth by making them want to apply makeup to cover up any perceived imperfections and makes them feel insecure if they do not. This guarantees make-up and other health and beauty product companies a nice steady income, knowing they will have a solid customer base, while adding on teenagers and young adults as well.
Another negative beauty standards thanks to the Hollywood are Photoshop and surgeries over natural/realistic looks. This promotes a negative mentality to youth and women that if they aren’t happy with their appearance, they need surgery, or to hide behind a camera filter to modify their looks. Why diet? Why change your lifestyle? Why eat healthy foods? Why exercise, just pay a surgeon and hope it works out for you.
Even if one gets surgery, some quick fixes will not be maintained if they do not change their lifestyle. They will probably revert back to their old ways, and perhaps recreate the problematic issues that they were trying to avoid.
As a result, they have wasted their money and have exposed themselves to the many complications that can come from that elective surgery, perhaps with no gain.
On the other hand, there are some positive take-aways from today’s beauty standards and trends. A little bit of make-up can go a long way. Make-up is great to enhance your features. Just don’t let it define or limit you. One of the benefits is that you can use beauty products to reflect your mood and express yourself.
One beauty standard that is getting revolutionized today is the modeling industry which is becoming more welcoming to women of various cultures and body shapes. This is a great improvement by allowing women and youth to see that anyone can be a model. Body shaming should never have been a thing, and it is nice to see people rejecting it and allowing people to love themselves and others without harsh judgement.
One trend that has a positive effect on both beauty and the body is the bralette. This undergarment is to be worn in place of a standard bra. It is scientifically proven that bra’s lead to back pain and discomfort, but by wearing a bralette it reduces the pain and allows women to be healthier to their body.
Another beauty standard that has been transformed is the acceptance of tattoos. Once associated with criminals and bikers, now it is fashionable, and a meaningful way to express yourself. It used to be something that people kept hidden, or even had removed.
Now everyone can use their body as a canvas for ink art. Whether celebrating an accomplishment, a life, favorite characters, or sharing a favorite quote, people are wearing their lives on their sleeves.
The beauty standards of today are changing and for the most part, for the better. It is great to see more shapes in models rather than be “an ideal woman.” Also comfort of a beauty trend rather then something altering ones shape.
The acceptance of tattoos is also a step closer to overall body positivity. Although Photoshop and unrealistic standards are still an issue today, there are steps of acceptance fixing such problems.
PHOTO TAKEN by Alexandria Afanador
