From hairline plucking in the Middle Ages to the “heroin chic” of the 1990s, society has rarely been without problematic beauty standards. There seems to be no end to the relentless stream of new styles and trends, all arriving with the expectation that we’ll adopt them without question or hesitation. There’s barely enough time to take a breath before the next big thing arrives.
Toxic beauty standards can cause serious problems, including poor physical and mental health, risky cosmetic procedures, and financial hardship for those who feel pressured to achieve impossible ideals. Social media and traditional news outlets have worsened the issue, making beauty standards a significant and hotly debated topic.
Here’s a sampling of the beauty standards we need to let go of.
Lip Filler
While full, luscious lips seem alluring, what it takes to achieve this look is a lot less appealing. Lip fillers work by injecting a gel-like substance (typically hyaluronic acid) into the lips to add volume and shape. The hyaluronic acid integrates with the surrounding tissues, attracting water and swelling the lips to create a plumper appearance.
Sounds fairly harmless, right? Not so fast. Although popular, lip fillers can lead to numerous undesirable outcomes and complications. These can range from minor inconveniences like bruising and swelling to more serious issues such as infection, tissue damage, vascular (blood vessel) compromise, and even necrosis (tissue death).
Lip filler is also prone to migration. This is when the filler moves away from the original injection site and into other areas of the lips or surrounding tissues, causing visible lumps in other areas of the face. To make matters worse, filler migration may not go away on its own, and having the filler dissolved professionally may not fully correct the problem.
Buccal Fat Removal
For the uninitiated, buccal fat removal (or buccal lipectomy) is a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the fat pads in the cheeks, creating a more sculpted, defined facial appearance, with more prominent cheekbones and a more chiseled jawline. A favorite among supermodels and celebrities, this procedure has surged in popularity in recent years. But while buccal fat removal may have a desirable effect for some, it’s important to consider its long-term consequences.
Over time, facial anatomy naturally undergoes various shifts due to aging, lifestyle factors, and genetics. In midlife, the loss of facial fat from cheek reduction surgery, coupled with changes in skin elasticity, may alter your face in unexpected ways. It’s possible to experience a hollowing effect in the cheeks, giving your face a gaunt, haggard appearance. Some patients may even experience facial asymmetry, with slight differences in fat removal on each side of the face becoming more noticeable over time. It’s also possible to develop premature fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth and eyes due to a lack of structural support.
The worst part? Buccal fat removal is permanent. Once the fat pads are removed from the cheeks, there’s no going back. The procedure is irreversible, and once the fat is removed, it cannot be restored, replaced, or regenerated.
Glass Skin
It’s natural and normal for skin to have texture. However, the K-Beauty-inspired “glass skin” trend, known for its smooth, dewy, and reflective look, may have you believing otherwise.
The glass skin trend has received significant criticism for promoting unrealistic beauty standards and encouraging excessive skincare routines. From a health perspective, striving for glass skin can lead to overexfoliation, excessive product use, and dependence on potent active ingredients, which may compromise the skin’s protective barrier. Critics (including myself) argue that this trend highlights a look that many can’t attain, especially those with mature skin or common skin conditions.
Overdone Brows
Eyebrow maintenance can be a slippery slope. Anyone who has ever had a serious brow mishap can tell you just how dramatic a change it can make.
Fortunately, fuller, more natural-looking brows seem to be making a comeback. Still, procedures like waxing, tinting, laminating, and microblading remain popular, and troublesome. These techniques can result in an extreme look, making brows look unnatural and overly sculpted.
To be fair, if dramatic brows are your thing, there’s no need to give up your signature look. But brow styles and trends come and go just like fashion. Because there can be lasting consequences from practices like overplucking, it’s important not to experiment too much. Do yourself a favor and learn to love your natural brow texture and shape.
Anti-Aging Rhetoric
There’s no denying it. Sometimes, there’s little fun to be had in getting older. But obsessing over every line and wrinkle is no way to go through life. After all, aging is natural.
Skintuition believes in a positive approach to aging. The misconception that aging is undesirable and something to be fought is reinforced by the false idea that youth equals beauty. The truth is that beauty is timeless. Instead of focusing only on “anti-aging,” we should expand our perspective to include overall skin health and well-being.
Gendered Beauty Norms
Beauty is not defined by gender. It is something that belongs to all of us. When beauty standards are constrained by gender-specific conventions, it reinforces prejudices and excludes those who don’t fit into established gender roles.
Everyone benefits when traditional beauty standards are broken, as it encourages diversity and inclusivity. Promoting gender-neutral beauty standards enables people to express themselves freely, regardless of social expectations. By embracing a range of gender identities and expressions, we can foster an empowering and authentic beauty culture.