Unrealistic Beauty Standards for Women
- Aradhana Anand
- Mar 5, 2025
- 4 min read
The concept of beauty standards has existed for thousands of years. The first ever recorded one was created from the Venus of Willendorf (25,000 BCE) which is a faceless sculpture that emphasized specific bodily features of a woman. Ever since then, beauty standards have been making way into our societies and defining what is and isn’t considered attractive. However, something that started as an inspiration has turned into unattainable toxicity.
Beauty Standards: What are they?
Beauty standards are societal expectations of what kind of features are considered attractive. Such a range of expectations can be exemplified from the 14th-17th century Renaissance period ideals like having pale skin, and a more voluptuous figure, in comparison to the 1980’s-1990’s promoting extreme thinness. Though these features aren’t realistic to all women across the board (as not everyone has them) our current world has many resources to “help” women into fitting these criteria such as social media platforms like TikTok or Insta tutorials, or products that can give women the look they desire like makeup, plastic surgery, etc..
Recently though, beauty standards have become almost impossible to achieve. Due to social media, peer influence, as well as industries that profit off insecurities, women have been receiving so much criticism on their appearances which cause detrimental negative effects towards their mental and physical health. Some of these effects include:
ED’s & Body Dysmorphia
Overdoing cosmetic procedures
Cultural Erosion
Eating Disorders (EDs) & Body Dysmorphia
Cause: Unrealistic beauty standards, particularly the emphasis on being thin and having "hourglass" proportions, contribute to body dissatisfaction in many women, especially young women. They feel pressured to conform to these ideals, leading to eating disorders (like anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating) or body dysmorphia, where individuals obsess over perceived flaws. According to the National Medicine Library, a 2018 study found a very strong correlation between time spent on social media, negative body image, and disordered eating. “Out of the population with disordered eating attitudes, 16% of them present overeating, 20% purged by vomiting, and 61% food restraining [9]...Moreover, recent data have discussed the increase of how the minimum age of the people with disorders is around 12 years of age and decreasing.” This was especially true if participants were scrolling through appearance-related content, like the account of a fitness instructor or model on Instagram.
Solution: Promoting body positivity and self-acceptance through media campaigns, education, and support systems is really important. Schools/organizations can bring in experts like dietitians and nutritionists to come talk about the importance of balanced eating which may encourage having a healthier lifestyle. Media industries like Hollywood should be representing all body types to make all kinds of women feel beautiful. Social media should also be filtered to a point that the content is still intuitive while being respectful. Access to therapy and support groups should be made freely available for those struggling with body image issues.
Overdoing Cosmetic Procedures
Cause: Unrealistic beauty standards often drive people to undergo multiple cosmetic procedures to achieve a specific look (such as perfect skin, facial symmetry, or an "ideal" body shape). This obsession with perfection can lead to excessive surgeries or treatments which at one point, can be terrible for your body. A prime example of this is the overuse of BBL after 2010 when influencers like Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B became popular.
Though it did seem quite persuasive to get this surgery for many since it is the most natural way to increase your curves, (as it is taking your own fat and tissue and inserting it back into your buttocks) there have been plenty of drawbacks to the surgeries as well, including death. According to a Hermitology.me article made in 2023,, “1 out of every 3000 people die from BBL surgery…this year alone 455 people have died from BBL surgery…”. This is because of the fact that If you inject fat into the butt muscle, the gluteal muscle, there are large veins there, that if the fat were to get into it, it would go right to the heart and lungs and can kill you very quickly.
Solution:
Though we cannot stop people from getting procedures done, we can encourage altering our proportions in a healthier, more natural manner. Instead of injecting curves, something that people can do is increase intake of food with more protein which can increase overall muscle and emphasize curves. Workouts that again, increase muscle growth can create an appearance of “fullness” that people desire with BBL’s. Schools can Provide education about the risks and potential consequences of overdoing cosmetic procedures. Encourage the celebration of individuality and diversity in beauty, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Cultural Erosion
Cause: Global beauty standards, heavily influenced by Western ideals, often diminish traditional cultural aesthetics. People from diverse backgrounds may feel pressured to conform, leading to the loss of cultural beauty practices and identity. Indigenous and local beauty traditions, such as natural hairstyles, traditional attire, or unique skin adornments, may be looked down upon or replaced by more dominant Western trends. This leads to a gradual erasure of unique beauty customs, leaving little room for cultural pride and authenticity. Furthermore, the pressure to conform to globalized beauty standards can cause internalized self-rejection among individuals who no longer feel that their natural features are valuable. A study from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health Says, “Historically, American beauty culture has often favored Eurocentric features, leading individuals from diverse backgrounds to feel pressured to conform. This pressure results in the loss of unique cultural beauty practices and identities, as people may abandon traditional aesthetics to align with mainstream ideals.”
Solution: Representation of diverse beauty standards in media, fashion, and art can help preserve cultural heritage. Encouraging local designers, influencers, and artists to embrace and celebrate their own cultural beauty can combat homogenization. Schools should integrate cultural appreciation programs that highlight different beauty traditions worldwide. Communities should create platforms for people to share and educate others about their unique beauty customs. Policies should be implemented to protect traditional beauty practices from being erased by globalization.
Very interesting perspective! Thanks!