From Skinny Waist to a Chiseled Face

Beauty standards have evolved drastically for both men and women throughout the centuries. However, living in the current generation of social media ,we are constantly bombarded with unattainable beauty standards for both the genders but especially for women.

Historically, women have always been forced into conforming to the societal beauty standards. They have been held to a higher beauty standards than men as their worth is significantly based on their physical appearance. With the rise of social media, influencers and celebrities frequently pressuring women to follow fleeting trends, which can range from having a small waist to having full hips in a matter of months. Majority of such influencers attribute their bodies to protein shakes, weight loss gummies, and waist trainers which they are trying to sell to their impressionable young female audience, however, in reality they achieve such bodies with the help of professional nutritionists who monitor their weight, professional editors who photoshop and face tune their pictures and videos and conducting multiple cosmetic surgeries on their bodies. In recent years, cosmetic surgeries have been promoted heavily and have been accessible easily which makes women more prone to fall under pressure and conduct harmful surgeries with some cases of women removing their ribs in order to have a skinnier waist. Beauty standards also vary by culture and ethnicities, in western cultures, women spray tan themselves to have a more bronzed complexion while in Asian and African cultures women are pressured to wear fairness creams and bleach their skin and be paler in order to be accepted by society. Moreover, the most prominent beauty standard which is portrayed through the media is the European beauty standards of blue eyes and blonde hair which often excludes women of color and make them feel unattractive and causes a low self esteem. Unfortunately, I believe that in order to advance to more inclusive and positive conceptions of beauty, it will take a considerable amount of work to question these detrimental beauty standards and break toxic patterns that result in self-loathing in women.

In contrast, beauty standards for men over the centuries have been more consistent. From ancient Greece to the 19th century Europe , the desirable physical features consisted of muscular and athletic build, broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Hence, the beauty standard for men has perpetually been focused more on masculinity such as virility, facial hair, height and strong jawline. However, social media has definitely increased pressure on men to have an unachievable body type of muscular biceps and ripped abs which are impossible to achieve without the use of extreme measures such as steroids . However, there is also growing acceptance of diverse body types and styles, and beauty standards for men are becoming more inclusive and fluid. Men have been seen pushing back on traditional masculine standards by wearing makeup, painting their nails and even wearing skirts. Needless to say, the expectations are relatively less demanding than those placed on women simply due to the fact that a man’s worth is not based solely on his physical features but many other factors.

Beauty standards are harmful, whether it comes to men or women. They cause unattainable expectations and insecurities which can lead to body dysmorphia, low self esteem and even eating disorders. Beauty standards are also limiting as they reinforce harmful stereotypes and cage men and women in restrictive boxes of femininity and masculinity. Although women suffer far more than men due to societal beauty standards, it doesn’t mean that men are not subjected to unrealistic standards which are harmful for their mental and physical well being. Whilst, there is a vast difference between beauty standards and demands for men and women, both the sexes face the societal pressure to conform to these standards equally.