We live in an age where everybody’s perception of the world is affected by social media and television. This applies most of all to how we view women, and what society’s expectations are on how they should look, dress, and behave. This results in creating an unrealistic image of the perfect female body and appearance. As a result, many women suffer from body image issues and a lack of confidence just because they don’t adhere to society’s definition of beauty. It’s become quite the norm to see skinny models as the perfect shape a woman should strive to have, and actresses with flawless skin as the epitome of beauty. That is not true, and more women need to understand that.
These are some common body image issues and how you can deal with them.
Weight problems
This is definitely the biggest of them all, with millions of women around the world being forced to feel insecure about how much they weigh and whether or not they are beautiful because of their weight. You see celebrities and models being marketed as having the perfect physique, and as a result, women struggle with their body image because it just doesn’t adhere to what society perceives as beautiful. You need to work around this, because everyone is beautiful in their own ways.
Here’s how you can face this particular body image problem.
• Stop comparing yourself to women you see on social media platforms and TV. They’re not you, and you are not them. So, forget about the comparison, and start viewing yourself as you should.
• Accept your body as it is, and have faith that you are beautiful in your own way, and you don’t need to comply with society’s perceptions of beauty. When you start accepting yourself, you’ll start loving yourself and in time, you won’t have to deal with body image issues anymore.
• If you feel like you’re overweight, start exercising and dieting, but don’t do it because you want to look like someone else. Do it because you want to become healthy, and more physically and psychologically comfortable in your own body. Studies show that eating healthy food and working out have a great effect on a person’s psyche as well as their physique. So, start doing both, and do them for the right reasons, and you won’t even have time to think about body image issues.
Skin
Another very common problem many women face when dealing with their bodies is the quality of their skin. Again, you watch TV ads with models in them that have crystal clear skin, and they look like mannequins, but that is not what reality is. A lot of technology plays into the final look and how these women eventually appear on TV, so forget about that, and stop comparing yourself to others and start embracing your flaws.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work on improving the condition of your skin though, because that is a way of staying healthy on its own. You need to have a skincare routine that ensures your skin stays hydrated and clear, which will definitely reflect positively on your psyche. According to the people at Vivaa Clinic, there are several treatments that you could do to improve your skin’s condition as well as the general condition of your body. This is important because maintaining a skincare routine ensures that you look and feel young, as well as maintaining that youthful appearance which will definitely help you feel much better about yourself and your body.
Other than skin products and routines you should definitely be using, you also need to work on regulating your sleep cycles. Ensuring you have enough hours of deep sleep reflects positively on your looks, and it can make you look much younger than you actually are.
Hair
Hair problems are also very common with a lot of women, and it’s another stigma that haunts some all their lives. For some reason, women are taught that you need to have straight, long hair that flows seamlessly on your shoulders. As a result, those with curly hair find themselves outcasts who get strange looks just because theirs doesn’t adhere to most people’s definition of what good looking hair should be like. Some even go as far as heat-treating their curls to make them straight, which has some pretty bad effects on the long run and leads to hair loss. You need to accept your hair however it is, and know that whatever your natural look is, it is beautiful. Accept and love your hair, and you’ll feel much better about yourself and it’ll reflect on how you look.
This doesn’t mean you should neglect keeping your hair healthy, though. It also needs routines to stay healthy, regardless of what it looks like. Find out which type it is, and start getting creams and conditioners to maintain its appearance and quality, which will definitely help a lot once you come to accept your hair. Taking care of it after that becomes fun, and you find yourself immersed in the world of hair products, trying different ones till you find the one that works best for you.
It’s very important to take care of yourself, regardless of what body image issues you might be struggling with. Giving yourself a day at the spa or drawing a nice bubble bath with a drink can always go a long way into how you feel about yourself. Do the things that you enjoy, and you’ll find yourself feeling better.
It’s also very important to remember that it’s not a competition, and you don’t need to compare yourself with anyone else. Once you do that, you’ll start accepting yourself for who you are, and you’ll start looking at the positive things about yourself and forgetting the negative. When all that happens, you’ll be much more relaxed and happier to start actually working on getting healthier by eating better and pampering yourself with skin and hair routines, which will eventually lead to your peace of mind.
