Mirror, mirror…on the wall. Who is the fairest of them all?
Well, who is the fairest? People Magazine recently published their 2012 Most Beautiful Women issue. And you wouldn’t be surprised to find out what women were in the running. These women are usually canonized in the media for their good looks and unblemished bodies. And even if they are not as beautiful as the plastic surgery, airbrush, and make up would portray… These women create America’s ‘standard of beauty’.
At some point you have to stop pointing the finger at the ‘media’ and admit to yourself that you also may find those typical features represented in magazines as beautiful. Looking at myself, for years I covered my natural hair with 14 inches on Indian Hair because I felt like it enhanced my look. I still think I look better with long, straight, dark hair although my natural hair is quite the opposite. But who’s to blame for this European complex? I would cover up my need for weave by saying ‘I like having different looks’ or ‘I don’t like doing my real hair’. When the truth was, I didn't know how to do my own hair, because I was always running from it. I didn't think my natural hair was beautiful. I was seeking maximum beauty potential and weave did that for me. Yeah, I’m cute with coily hair… but it was something about that long, straight, dark brown hair following in the wind that made me feel beautiful.
With plastic surgery becoming more acceptable, people are completely willing to change themselves to fit the standard of beauty. This is what I would consider a First World Problem; we see where our priorities lie as citizens in America. We don’t have to worry about our next meal, or shelter over our heads, so we worry about more arbitrary things… like ‘is my butt too big?’ For example, I know for sure, there isn’t a woman in America who hasn’t been concerned about her weight. Rightfully so! It’s important to be healthy. But these obsessions with beauty aren’t motivated by health, but rather meeting a standard. We are using someone else’s measuring stick to measure ourselves.
WHO’S MEASURING STICK ARE YOU GOING TO USE TO MEASURE YOURSELF?
If only we were more concerned with changing our insides, rather than what is visible on the outside. If it were the option of beauty vs heart, beauty would win every time. And at the end of the day, this alteration of self is done to please others. To be considered beautiful amongst your peers. It’s a good feeling to be desired. To have someone tell you that you are the most beautiful women in the room… but where is the heart in that? Beauty (not considering weight) is something given to you… you didn’t have to work hard to be beautiful… it just so happened that way… some were born with good looks and some had to purchase it. GOOD GENES or GOOD DOCS. But a good heart, that requires a bit more than inheritance.
It could be possible that the next generation of young women will be dealing with insecurities as a learned behavior. I remember growing up and hearing older woman complain about their bodies and what they didn’t like. I felt like this was their way of acknowledging the elephant in the room, even when there was no elephant to be acknowledged. It’s a defense mechanism. There have been times where I would have a blemish on my face and believed that everyone I encountered that day was looking directly at my blemish. So, in order to acknowledge the ‘elephant’ in the room, I would mention the blemish on my face casually. Usually the person on the receiving end would respond with ‘I didn’t notice it… but now that you've said something, I can see it.’ They didn’t notice it until I brought it to their attention. Which reminds me of the saying ‘You are your biggest critic’. We over analyze our bodies and at times, we make up problems that do not really exist.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric term for a person who exaggerates a problem with their body to the point of delusion. They might perceive a minor flaw as a hideous disfigurement, and become fixated on it. According to Hullet, a cosmetic procedure may expose an existing issue or possibly even trigger one. ‘They develop a new obsession’ he says. ‘They get the nose fixed, and then it’s the eyebrows. They fix the eyebrows, and then it’s the ears. The perceived abnormality keeps moving.
What we aren’t cognizant about is that from puberty to the age of 18, children are especially vulnerable to body image issues, says psychiatrist Hullet. If they don’t fully understand the reasons and observe a family member take the drastic step of an invasive surgery, they may learn a skewed lesson about the importance of appearance. A teenage girl who sees her mother undergo a breast augmentation, for example, may then view her own small breasts as deficient or unattractive, affecting her confidence or future behavior. Plastic surgery doesn’t change your genes, so it’s likely that your children will have the same (or a close resemblance) physical features that the parent may have considered ‘abnormal’. So, how does a parent tell their child that their nose is beautiful, after they had plastic surgery on their own nose?
And plastic surgery isn’t a walk in the park… which is why I don’t understand why so many people opt to do it. When you go under the knife to alter your appearance, your body goes through trauma. Serious physical complications like any surgery, it is a major stresser to the body and needs to be taken seriously," says surgeon Wallace. "People think it's like going out to lunch." Many may not be prepared for a lengthy recuperation that entails fatigue, swelling and scarring, or are not thoughtful about the potential risks, like damaged nerves, infection or bleeding. There is also psychological trauma. Frequently have unrealistic expectations and become deeply disappointed if the result isn't "perfect," even if it is an improvement.
It’s understandable to be concerned about your appearance. You appearance tells people a story about you without using words. But the obsession of ones appearance is the line drawn, indicating an unhealthy perception of self. Struggling with my own insecurities, I decided to let it go. I have been living with my body for 26 years… it’s about damn time I start loving it since it isn’t going anywhere. I considered cosmetic surgery… but I knew that would be the definition of vanity. I truly believe that God didn’t give us this body on earth to be BEAUTIFUL (although it is a plus). This body is a vessel, temporarily loaned to us during our tenor on earth. Our focus should be on mankind, loving our neighbor and becoming the best person we can be.
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7
Recommended reading and source of quotes used in this article was taken from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2011/06/16/hidden-dangers-of-cosmetic-surgery/
