When it comes to beauty there are several different theories about what it really is, whether it is something we are born with or it is more about inner beauty that affects the way we look. If you travel a lot you may have noticed beauty ideals vary from country to country which brings us to the question of international beauty standards. Although we live in the age when fashion industry and media create and impact the way people see beauty, the good news is women worldwide still manage to resist this global trend.
Beauty Ideals around the World
Women living in the 21st century are under pressure to conform to certain standards if they are to be considered beautiful. This global influence can best be seen in the rise of popularity of surgical and other procedures women go through to achieve whiter skin, a perfect body, full lips and blond hair as symbols of beauty. Not all women follow this philosophy, many of them keep their natural look even if it is not considered as attractive by the main stream trends. Some international beauty norms may be strange to people living in other parts of the world, but to accept the differences and to love others for what they are is an ideal most people should work towards.
African Women
This is a country of cultural and language diversity it is common for woman to want to be overweight. In many parts of Africa, the more overweight a woman is, the more beautiful she is considered by men. Women of Mauritania either eat too much to gain weight or in extreme cases are taken to the so- called “fattening farms” where they are forced to eat. Another example comes from Nigeria where men love plump, dark skinned women. In Ethiopia women wear a lip plate as a sign or beauty. The process starts when girls are about to marry, they wear a bigger plate day after day until the lip stretches full size. The ideal of beauty in Africa does not end here. In some countries women have amazing and intricate hairstyles with beads or shaved heads like men.
Western Countries
One of the extreme beauty norms in this part of the world is for women to be as slim as possible with perfect white teeth, glowing tan, elaborate makeup and long, polished nails. This trend has influenced girls and women so much that many of them have begun to look alike. These trends are also not to mention how unhealthy it is especially for the young to develop bad eating habits.
Women in India
Indian women are considered among the most beautiful in the world and they still are with their long, dark hair, wide smiles and smooth skin. Though recent international beauty trends have influenced many Indian women to change their views on beauty, some features remain unique. Women of this part of the world spend a lot on hair products, they tend to whiten their naturally soft skin and nowadays pay more attention to making their bodies fit and slim when once Indian women were considered beautiful with well-rounded figures. Most Indian women still wear their traditional clothes as a sign of cultural identity but many things have changed and Indian women are now more pressured to conform to the new images the media advertises.
The international beauty standards may be something most women accept but these should never change the way you feel about yourself, accepting your body the way it is. We are all beautiful as we are, we just need to learn how to accept and love the differences.
