A Good Base Makes for a Great Face
When I mention a good base, I'm not talking about skincare products that de-texturize your skin, or a flawless foundation that gives you an effortless glow. You are your own base. The way you feel about yourself is evident on the outside, that's why it is so important to embrace your inner glow. No amount of makeup or moisturizer is going to make you feel as beautiful as the words you tell yourself.
Social media no doubt plays a major role in our self-image and self-esteem. A lot of what we see on social media is filters, photoshop, and strategic posing to look a certain way. While for a lot of us this may be known, there are still a lot of people, young and old, who may not know what is real and what's not. Plastic surgeons on YouTube and Instagram, such as Dr. Gary Linkov, have been noticing a high number of patients who present their face with a filter on and ask for those changes to be done on them. Dr. Linkov, a board-certified plastic surgeon, talks about a trending facial procedure in which the buccal fat, or the fat under the cheekbones, is removed and results in more hallowed-out cheeks, giving that "supermodel" look. While it may be in style right now, Dr. Linkov mentions that as you get older, the fat in your face lessens and if you already had a buccal fat removal procedure, the individual will begin to look sickly and very skeleton-like.
It's quite heartbreaking to see individuals, particularly women/young girls, not feeling confident about themselves and constantly comparing themselves to what they see on a screen. People are forced to believe that the body there are in and the face they see in the mirror does not exceed, or even meet, what "beauty" is. The digital distortion we are made to believe is real has a strong negative affect on how we see ourselves, causing many people to want to edit themselves or physically morph their bodies into unrealistic changes.
I have taken quite a few breaks from social media to protect my mental health and self-image. And while on social media, I've unfollowed people who made me feel bad about myself because I know comparing myself to other women is only going to harm myself and give me a negative outlook on social media entirely, but it can have its positives. It's taken me a long to understand how to protect my self-esteem and how I view myself in the world around me.
What I'm trying to say here is, nothing is worth disrupting your inner peace. Follow people who make you laugh, who make you feel good about yourself, and who have a contagious attitude. Alter the delivery mechanism of social media and cater it to you, not to what the world has been force-feeding you for all these years. You are beautiful because you are one of one: there is quite literally no one like you, and that's pretty cool.
Hey Christine! I think that you are bringing up an extremely great point and it is something that really needs to be said in today's society. It is crazy to see how everyone's ideas of beauty change based on what what is trending on the "Explore" and "For You" pages. It's a really good reminder to girls of all ages that it is okay to unfollow someone when they start to catch themselves playing the comparing game and that their mental health should always come first. I loved your post, great job.
ReplyDeleteHey Christine, I really enjoyed reading your blog! I have always been a huge supporter for being yourself and embracing they way you are no matter what the societal standard is. I think it is so important in todays social media climate that we remind everyone, especially young girls, that we are not all supposed to look the same and have the same facial features. Humans are meant to have individuality and we should learn to embrace it. Sometimes I wish we could time travel back to before social media and stop it all together in order to protect future generations. We all need to remember that social media is a highlight reel and is full of fake filters and posing. Embracing who we are naturally will yield great happiness. I loved everything you talked about and how you emphasized that beauty is from within and we need to learn to embrace it.
ReplyDelete- Kaylynn Lambert
Wow, I couldn't agree more with your take on embracing our inner glow and self-worth! It's so true that no amount of makeup or skincare can compare to the beauty that comes from within. Social media has definitely played a huge role in distorting our perception of beauty, with all those filters and photoshop tricks. It's heartbreaking to see people feeling insecure and constantly comparing themselves to unrealistic standards. Good on you for taking breaks from social media and unfollowing those who made you feel bad. It's all about protecting our mental health and surrounding ourselves with positivity.
ReplyDeleteHi Christine!
ReplyDeleteI want to start off by saying I absolutely adore your blog and its purpose. As women (girls too) we are unwillingly subjected to unrealistic beauty standards, and much of our value is tied into what we look like. I have had a long battle with my perfectionist nature, and while I have always valued my brains, I have fixated on my looks in the past (sometimes present). I appreciate your message, and I hope that self love is a narrative that we can push for the future generation of girls. I was told I was beautiful from an early age (compliments that only acknowledged what I looked like, but I ate it up every time), but then I was also made fun of for my nose. Whenever my peers wanted to make a jab at me, they would refer to my nose. What did I do? I got a nose job at 21 years old. Looking at old pictures, I see it was different than the typical "beautiful" nose, but it was not as ugly as I thought it was when I looked in the mirror. While I do not regret my choice, I do not know if I would have made the same decision had I not been subjected to the same harsh criticism and beauty standards we as women are faces with every day. I can't wait to read more from you.
Hi Christine!
ReplyDeleteI agree that social media has such damaging effects on our youth today. Although social media has the ability to bring people together and helps you learn so many new things you didn’t know before, I believe that there is so much unforeseen damage that is going to have an impact on the future generations. I personally don’t have a hard stance against plastic surgery as long as it’s done very safely with the patient in mind, but I do agree that these trending procedures are sad to watch. I personally think that following such trends without thinking much about the effects on your later self is just so unfortunate. I am so against trending body types and facial features because everyone is beautiful in their own ways. We should all try to work on healing our inner selves and improving self confidence. Great post, I really think that your advice is really helpful for us readers!
I really loved your post! It is a very important message that you are talking about. It is important for woman to know their worth and beauty. Every woman is beautiful in every shape and form. Social media is really hard for woman and their body image. There is a lot of editing that celebrities and influencers use that is fake. People on social media mostly just post the best photos and highlights of themselves. I have unfollowed people on social media as well who make me feel bad about myself. I really look forward to reading more of your blogs.
ReplyDeleteHi Christine!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post!! The significance of embracing one's inner beauty and the negative impacts of social media on self-esteem are both brilliantly highlighted by your post. It's depressing to see people continually comparing themselves to skewed images on screens, especially women and young girls. Online representations of unattainable ideals frequently result in bad self-perception and a desire to physically transform oneself. Prioritizing inner tranquility is key, as is surrounding oneself with optimism and sincerity!