The Sunday News
Eye on Fashion by Rutendo Chidawanyika
IT’S very unfortunate that we live in a world that is obsessed with beauty. People will try to become what they see on magazines because they are not satisfied with who they see in the mirror. Women tend to be more obsessed about their looks than men, maybe because men are rarely judged on looks (mostly on wealth and strength). As a young woman there are societal expectations required from you in order to be considered as attractive. You have to be thin, well developed, have clear skin, shave all body hair, basically you can’t be your natural self.
The cause of this obsession with beauty stems from the media. The beauty, fashion and entertainment industry are famous for hiring women based on their looks. Social media plays the biggest role in influencing this new obsession. The selfie trend seems to be growing, it has even been made taking pictures simpler with the invention of the ‘‘selfie stick’’. We are used to seeing selfies of gorgeous celebrities such as Pokello, Amber Rose and Nomzamo Mbatha on Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat. Seeing these selfies make most people feel the need to improve their looks, as the standard will have been raised.
Another reason for our fixation with physical appearance is our need to impress others. It is when we value another person’s opinion of our looks that we put on the most make up and wear our best clothes. Girls get praised for their appearance rather than their accomplishments. If everyone could afford plastic surgery, we would modify ourselves constantly in order to fit in, in societies standards.
If it wasn’t for the pressure from society, truth is most of us wouldn’t look the way we do. This, however, is not a healthy obsession but a painful one. We spend money on weight loss pills, waist trainers, makeup, anything that will make us feel better and more beautiful. Women tend to hide imperfections under makeup, paint our nails to avoid discolouring. What seems like a harmless habit now, spending a couple of hours finding the perfect angle for your selfie or right profile picture for Instagram, can build up over time making you increasingly self-conscious.
When you spend time focusing on your hair, your skin, or facial features, you end up seeing flaws that do not even exist. You may think that being pretty solves everything, as if beautiful people are happy but they are disadvantages. This is what you will go through:
— Women don’t want to hang out with someone more attractive than they are
— People will just want to be your friend for your looks and not the person you really are
— Being stalked constantly by weird looking guys
— Guys will not approach you because of the fear of being rejected, so you will barely be approached by intelligent and normal people
— People expect you to be less talented or not smart at all
— You feel you always have to be perfect to live up to other’s high expectations
— People will ALWAYS gossip about you
The obsession with physical appearance is harmful to everyone. Happiness shouldn’t be based on how you look, even if you altered your looks you will still find a fault. No one is saying don’t go to the gym, don’t use makeup or look pretty. There is absolutely nothing with that, the only problem is when it becomes an obsession and you go to the extremes, such as surgery or bleaching.
You don’t need surgery or expensive cosmetics to improve your looks. Drink loads of water, it will clear your skin. Get enough sleep, seven-eight hours of uninterrupted sleep at night is recommended to look and feel good. Eat healthy and exercise at least three-four times a week.
Some things can be changed and some can’t be changed, but a great smile is an asset.
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