News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 2nd December 2024
The major concern in the world right now is something termed “toxic beauty standards.” What are poisonous beauty standards, and where do they stem from? Beauty standards originate in society, and society begins to establish a sense of beauty by comparing one human being to another, resulting in artificial standards. Why is this a concern, though? The true reason beauty standards are toxic is because they give the impression that “beautiful” individuals are superior to “ugly” people, or that certain traits are more appealing than others. As a woman, I know how toxic these norms can be. I used to feel ashamed of my appearance. But not anymore.
Beauty standards mostly impact women worldwide (but they can equally effect men). Beauty standards might be likened to an impossible mold that you will never fit into. Plastic surgery and makeup are common methods for changing or concealing undesirable traits in order to conform to these norms. Beauty standards are like a sickness that spreads rapidly through people’s minds.
However, beauty comes in different kinds and sizes. I feel that society should embrace all types of beautiful people in modeling agencies while also promoting people who do not meet society’s harmful beauty standards. Beauty is heavily focused on females. Makeup and cosmetic surgery are changing our environment in ways that make women feel self-conscious. In the end, everyone is attractive in their own way, and it is not society’s obligation to determine who is and is not “beautiful.”
The primary issue is society. This is where all beauty standards originate. Every beauty ideal is unique to each country, yet they are all poisonous simply by establishing a “standard.” Some examples of beauty standards include: not being obese, not being too thin, not having acne, cellulite, or stretch marks, and not being too pale or dark. Everyone is brainwashed on what constitutes beauty. Everyone is lovely, but we are deceived by society’s negative attitude toward beauty. Body dysmorphia is a disorder in which some people believe they are unrealistically ugly and despise themselves for it. Toxic beauty standards contribute to each of these issues. Some people believe they are imperfect because they do not meet society’s attractiveness standards. People are sometimes bullied because of their appearance online. This can cause severe anxiety and low self-esteem in children, even leading to suicide attempts.
Poisonous beauty standards refer to poisonous beauty treatments and products. Black women utilize skin bleaching, flat ironing, and chemical hair processors to achieve the standard of light skin and straight hair. Skin bleaching irritates and thins the skin, causing kidney, liver, and nerve damage. Many Black women have been dismissed for growing out or wearing their natural hair to work, while having heat and chemically processed straight hair is perfectly “normal.” These individuals think that natural hair is “distracting” or “ugly.” But do you understand what is not normal? That uneducated individuals claim natural hair is “unnatural.” Even cultural Black haircuts are labeled “ghetto” and “dirty.”
Females should not be subjected to ignorance, poison, or misogynistic notions. We need to educate those who are unaware of the terrible impact that beauty standards have had. Nobody should be oppressed by standards. We need to pave the road for others who are not deemed beautiful by society to show society incorrect. Nobody should modify their wonderful self to please anyone because, as I’ve learnt from my experiences, you’ll never be content. We need to assist individuals who are battling with low self-esteem in loving themselves.
