By Syeda Fatima Shahid
Beauty standards are all about body types, facial features and overall physical appearance of women. These standards evolve with time and vary across different cultures. They are significantly influenced by old trends, cultural beliefs, and how the media represents them. Beauty standards often lead to discrimination of certain racial and ethnic features resulting in unrealistic definitions of beauty. The growing expectation of impractical beauty is causing mental health issues and societal pressure on women. This complexity is deeply rooted in our society. Women are expected to be beautiful according to the preferences of those hiring them for a job, seeking a partner for marriage, or influenced by media portrayals, among others. Do women really need to be perfect in every way? Are we not supposed to be valued if we are not beautiful enough? Is beauty more important than mental health?
Let’s take a closer look at how beauty standards affect women’s lives!
Beauty Standards and Their Impacts on Women’s Lives
Workplace Standards
There are some industries where physical attractiveness is often valued and prioritized explicitly which could be related to fashion, media or modelling. Although in corporate environment professionalism must be more important than beauty but, still there are unspoken expectations to look polished and well maintained. In such situations, women face the pressure to meet the beauty standards like having a certain body type, wearing makeup, dressing stylishly and in well fitted clothing. These demands are generally perceived as professionalism and those who fail to do so are considered less competent. Moreover, appearance biases are often subconscious which can favor only those women who perfectly fit in the beauty aesthetics. This even effects the hiring and promotional decisions because they recognize attractive women as more confident and likable. As a result, discrimination leads to unfair judgments in terms of their work ethics and abilities which hinders their work opportunities and career progression.
Beauty Standards in Marriage Proposals
As women we all have heard something like this before, “lose some weight or the dress won’t fit on your big day”, “go to the gym men like slim girls”, “you have so much acne how will you get glowing skin on your wedding day”, “everything is fine its just your daughter is too short and her nose is too big”. It is true that beauty standards apply to both men and women but women are often forced more to meet the needs. When they feel pressured to lose weight and change appearance for marriage then it can cause body image issues and stress. Bridal industries also play a huge role in creating unrealistic expectations, making women invest heavily in their appearance. Moreover, we all know how fair skin is considered the most desirable trait for marriage. Even today in many cultures, lighter skin is equated to higher status. This is how it directs women to get skin lightening treatment which is harmful for their physical health. “Bridal glow” is nothing but an added pressure for women which makes us conscious to look flawless and energetic. These beauty standards surrounding marriage reflect how complicated things have been made by society and how it treats women as an object.
Media Influence
How does celebrities have such a clear skin without any scars or textures? Media has set the bar very high by creating the “perfect” skin standard. It makes women feel insecure about their natural skin. By showing fair skin, straight hair and toned body as a norm media marginalize other forms of beauty. It does not portray diverse ethnicities and natural features of women. The social media platforms inculcate various filters and editing tools which digitally enhances body shape, facial features and smooth skin. Although, this makes women feel unsure about how they naturally look. Idealizing the beauty of media and its constant exposure could be really dangerous as it can lead to self esteem issues. Representation of beauty in media is often linked to consumerism in which they push cosmetics, skincare, weight loss program and clothing to help people achieve those standards.
The Impact of Beauty Standards on Mothers
Motherhood is an exceptional yet a beautiful journey but sadly, beauty standards affect mothers too. While fitness can be empowering, where we celebrate when mothers achieve a slim body after childbirth but there are many women who cannot meet these standards. It can contribute to the feelings of insecurity for mothers because of time, energy and health constraints. They are expected to bounce back with their previous weight and appearance just after some time of childbirth. However, it is again an unrealistic expectation because pregnancy, delivery and then postpartum is not at all an easy process. We have celebrity mothers who make it all seem so easy to achieve by photoshopping themselves and portraying the “perfect” motherhood. This does not reflect the reality of most mothers making them feel doubtful and unhappy about their journey. Moreover, their focus on appearance instead of health could impact their confidence and add to their postpartum depression.
The Impact of Criticism on Women
“Think before you speak” is advice our society should follow because we never know how our words could affect someone’s life. Commenting and criticizing women constantly for how they look are more likely to experience anxiety, depression and chronic stress. The pressure to change the way people want you to can cause strict dieting which may result in eating disorders like bulimia and binge eating. Moreover, when women compare themselves with idealized images then it can cause lower self-worth and self-esteem. They isolate themselves and avoid social interactions for fear of judgment. All these societal expectations and the pressure to achieve it can be really exhausting mentally and physically.
Women must understand that no one can define what beauty is because everyone is beautiful in their own way. We need to accept who we are and be confident in our skin. These barriers can not restrict us from feeling good about ourselves instead all of us should break such stereotypes and support each other. Moreover, as a society we must become inclusive by accepting and embracing the natural beauty of all cultures and ethnicities.