Beauty

Extreme Beauty Standards: What Women Do for the Perfect Look

You might not blindly follow fashion trends, but if you care about your image, you likely consider its influence. While magazines like Cosmopolitan offer tips on drawing perfect eyeliner or rejuvenating your face with face-fitness, others like Wonderzine emphasize that every woman’s body is beautiful, regardless of its shape. However, beauty standards vary greatly across different cultures and geographical locations. Here are some examples of how women around the world strive for their ideal beauty:

Thinness

While anorexia is a troubling trend in some countries, others believe that the bigger a woman, the better. For instance, in Africa, larger women are highly valued. Their body shape reflects their lifestyle, ability to bear healthy children, social status, and overall well-being. When a woman marries, her appearance is seen as a reflection of the couple’s quality of life. According to a study by Times Live, obesity among Black women is linked to a subconscious association of well-being with weight gain.

Facial Tattoos

Contrary to the stereotype that facial tattoos signify gang affiliation or outcast status, the Maori people of New Zealand have a rich tradition of chin tattooing for women. It is believed that each woman carries knowledge and memories within her, and when she is ready to reveal them, the tattoo artist brings them to the surface. These tattoos are gender-specific and highlight individuality. Only women with these tattoos feel truly beautiful and self-sufficient.

Single Eyelids

The most popular plastic surgery in South Korea is the creation of double eyelids. This procedure is relatively unknown in Europe or Africa, but in Korea, children are sometimes gifted money for this surgery as soon as they turn 12. Many Asians naturally have single eyelids without creases. For reasons not entirely clear, they believe that double eyelids make them more attractive and successful. This belief is somewhat justified: out of 100 show business stars, only 2 have not undergone this surgery.

Modest Curves

In Venezuela, beauty is a commodity. Women are expected to have very large busts, tiny waists, and wide hips. To achieve this ideal, many undergo numerous surgeries. A few years ago, Hugo Chavez publicly spoke out against this practice, stating that doctors intentionally convince women of the need for surgery. However, little has changed—shop windows still display mannequins with voluptuous figures.

Elongated Neck

Many have seen images of women with neck rings in encyclopedias. This body modification is practiced in Thailand and Myanmar. The heavy rings push down on the shoulders and collar area, making the neck appear longer. Interestingly, women cannot simply grow a long neck and stop using the