HEALTH Beauty Remarks: Embracing our ‘Imperfections’ “THE IDEAL BEAUTY IS A FUGITIVE which is never found,” wrote Renaissance woman Marquise de SéVingné in a letter to her daughter. Four hundred years ago, Marquise touched on a concept that is still relevant today, as beauty ideals constantly change. When it comes to body image, perhaps the most influential period in European history is the Renaissance. The “Renaissance man” emerged during the 14th century, known for his worldly thinking and artistry. Artists such as Da Vinci, Titian, and Michelangelo created works that set the beauty standard for men and women for hundreds of years to follow. Since then, we’ve seen a great shift in body image, moving back and forth between pale skin and corset-like curves in both the 1910s and ‘50s and boyish figures of the ‘20s flapper and ‘60s icon, Twiggy. Popular culture is constantly adding to an endless list of beauty requirements. In her memoir, Bossypants, Tina Fey says it best: “Now every girl is expected to have Caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose,hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nineyear-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama, and doll tits.” An American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery report reveals the widespread impacts of Tina Fey’s cataloged “requirements.” The number of cosmetic surgeries for youth 18 and under has increased by more than 300% from 1997 to 2007. Also due to societal pressures, nearly 65% of American women and girls, aged 25 to 45, are directly affected by unhealthy eating habits, including binge eating, purging, and skipping meals, according to a SELF magazine survey. And according to Time Magazine, nearly 93% of female college students engage in fat shaming. But women are not the only ones seeking perfection. Often overlooked, men’s body negativity is also on the rise. In their September 2012 issue, GQ Magazine reported that men comprised 5 percent of people suffering from anorexia and bulimia 10 years ago. Today, the numbers reach nearly 20 percent.But from what does this pressure for perfection stem?
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“Over time I grew to see it as proof that I was strong enough to survive something terrible. Now I’m totally comfortable with my scar, in fact, I’ve grown to love it as a unique part of myself. ”-Celina Colby, style editor