The Poisonous Nature of South Asian Beauty Standards
”Beauty is subjective”. How many times in your life have you heard or read this phrase? But how much truth does this line hold? Since we all are unique individuals with different cultural backgrounds, upbringings, experiences we tend to have variations in our personal preferences. Someone you deem beautiful may not be attractive to another person. But beauty is more objective than we realize; our society has brainwashed us all in terms of what is considered beautiful.
These beauty standards exist all around the world, albeit they differ depending on geographical area and culture. However, this does not diminish the implications of having such unrealistic expectations. Tan complexion, bigger lips, a sharp jawline, a cinched waist, and an hourglass form are the contemporary beauty standards in the West, but fair and clear skin, soft features, straight black hair, and a skinnier shape are favoured in Asia. Ironically, the beauty standards that women in the West undergo through cosmetic treatments to acquire were the same features that were frowned upon a decade ago. Trends do go through a whole cycle. Women of colour were often chastised for having fuller lips or bushy brows, but these are now popular trends.
Have you ever wondered where beauty standards come from and how they become so ingrained in our culture? Let us discuss beauty standards in Asia, more especially in southern Asia. India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, The Maldives, and Sri Lanka make up South Asia. Beauty standards here are a bit different than the west and even other parts of Asia. South Asia is obsessed with fair skin, with the markets being dominated by facial creams that claim to whiten your skin tone and skin bleaching being a frequent beauty procedure that is carried out. This is primarily due to the colonisation by the western countries that has led us to believe ”white” as being superior and privileged. The colour of one’s skin is still a symbol of wealth and power.
People with dark complexion are stereotyped as uneducated and even referred to as “dirty.” Discrimination based on skin colour has resulted in dark skinned people having lesser possibilities in the same sector as their light skinned counterparts. As a result of the effects of imperialism and racism, individuals are undergoing illegal procedures that promise to give you that look.
Our hair is the crowning glory of our heads.. As women we possess emotional ties to our hair. It undeniably affects our self-esteem and confidence. But how would you feel if your hair type was constantly being portrayed as unprofessional?
Nepal is a diverse country with different caste groups each possessing unique features so it is not a surprise when two people belonging to the same country look different. Throughout Asia, straight jet-black hair is considered as a symbol of femininity. Our hair type and texture are taken as a medium of measuring how much of a woman we are. As absurd as it sounds, it is true. The backhanded comment that your friend makes saying that you look prettier with your hair straightened is not actually a compliment.
Talking about hair, south Asian women are being constantly compared to bears in a derogatory way. Biologically we possess more body and facial hair than other races and we are constantly made fun of that. We also are more prone to having dark circles due to the amount of melanin in our skin. This prompts questions such as, ‘are you tired? Did you get enough sleep?” I have been asked these questions so many times that I just say yes.
Often times the first criticism we receive in our life is from our family members. The main reason why girls avoid family gatherings is because we don’t wish to receive comments about our weight by some aunty. As the rest of the world, south Asian beauty standards also favour slim people. But what is considered as slim? Thin people and plus size people alike are body shamed for their appearance. This leads to body dysmorphia amongst young girls who never feel comfortable in their body.
One of the major factors responsible for distorting our mindsets regarding beauty is social media. Social media has pervaded our lives and changed our perception of beauty. Young women are constantly trying out these trendy looks regardless of how unrealistic they might be. The heavily edited and seemingly perfect faces and bodies of Instagram models and celebrities has led us to believe that if you don’t look like that then you are worthless. Some people that are hooked on the look, they even go as far as plastic surgery and injecting fillers. Another thing that adds to body dysmorphia is how these super fit, tall and beautiful celebrities endorse potentially harmful products such as slim fit tea which is nothing but laxatives and sugar bear gummies which are just sugar capsules. Their impressionable young fans buy such products in the hopes of looking like them and they don’t even realize that they have fallen into addiction. Countless studies have shown that social media can negatively impact our lives so it is important to be critical about the content you consume.
Men also have to adhere to the beauty standards though not as strictly as women. They are expected to be the breadwinners of the family and look like one. The ideal man is supposed to be someone who is tall, tan, a well-built body with a full-grown beard, overall, somebody who is very manly. Men that do not possess such features and have more of softer features are referred as being feminine, they have to uphold such toxic standards of society and this in turn makes their masculinity more fragile.
A recent phenomenon that I have noticed, especially on the internet, about what identifies an attractive person has surprised me. A conventionally attractive person is one who conforms to beauty norms. The closer you are to meeting these norms, the more attractive you are. But I’ve discovered that the more you don’t appear like you belong to your ethnicity, the more appealing you are. Nepali girls with western features are seen to be more attractive than those with more traditional attributes. An unconventionally attractive person is someone who does not meet society’s beauty standards but nevertheless looks great. Even for you to be considered an unconventionally attractive person you must possess features that are extremely rare and stand out from the crowd. Because of this strange phenomenon, a normal person who has regular features can never be deemed as beautiful.
To conclude, such beauty standards have existed throughout history and will continue to do so. They might change over time but they will still be deeply rooted within our society. There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel and look pretty but such desire should come from wanting to improve yourself rather than the need to fit in. Nonetheless society’s definition of beauty still continues to negatively affect our self-confidence and esteem. The need for young girls to feel comfortable in their own skin now is higher than ever because of the social media boom. Impressionable youths should develop a habit of not believing everything on the internet and we must encourage them to do so. It is very important to remember that having pores, hair, scars, stretch marks, acne, dark spots and cellulite are incredibly common and it’s just a part of being human. Men and women, regardless of their age should not feel pressurized with looking beautiful.
(Atithi Thapa: Student of Kathmandu University.)
REFERENCES:
https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/style/unrealistic-beauty-standards-in-asia-12550800
https://www.heremagazine.com/articles/five-global-beauty-gurus-break-down-beauty-standards-from-around-the-world