The beauty standards in society are really hard, especially for women. Long hair, sharp features, body shape and weight have always been important parameters to determine the beauty of women which creates toxic expectations and pressure, often fatal and dangerous for mental and physical health. Society tries to fit women in the perfect mould when […]

The choices that a woman makes must define her life, not the aspects of her beauty or marriage.

We need to remember that pop-culture beauty standard is impossible to achieve in real life.  It is an ideal. And in case of women, we all know who sets the ideals.

Why do people feel entitled enough to pass comments on my body structure? I am not a product displayed at a shop that needs to be rated and I won’t let them make me feel so.

India’s obsession with fair skin tone is limitless. And the number of girls who have been the victim of this obsession is countless. The idea that fair skin is more attractive and superior was perpetuated and strongly reinforced by colonialism. And since then the society, Bollywood movies, television ads have left no stone unturned to constantly remind how bad it’s to have a dark skin tone.

This incessant addiction with looking “beautiful”, has given serious mental health issues to many. Low self-esteem, lack of confidence, depression, and anxiety are common among those who are not happy with how they look.

Many women have embraced their bodies, but have they stopped desiring stereotypically beautiful (read slim) bodies?

A study also found that women who are unhappy with their breasts are far less likely to check them for changes.

Women themselves have internalised these standards to such an extent that we feel hideous if we simply the eyebrow and upper lip hair grow out. I guess the conditioning is too strong.

Feminists have always challenged the “restrictive beauty culture” of stilettos, sculpted brows, cosmetics and sexy lingerie and society’s preoccupation with perfectly air-brushed women’s bodies. But body hair seems to have become a fashion statement now.