Being a woman is tough. With constant changes in beauty standards, and societal pressure and restrictions, it is difficult to not be frustrated. Your weight is everyone’s business, and the list is contradictory and insane. In this Reddit thread, women come forward to tell us the various beauty trends and standards that bother them.
1. “My favourite is the hilarious and wrong idea that men are visual creatures which is why women are held to such high beauty standards. And also as justification for porn.”
2. “Flawless, airbrushed, skin. No acne, no wrinkles, no stretch marks, no body hair, no pores. If you don’t look like a walking blurring filter, your skin is ‘gross’. Also, not being allowed to age past 30.”
3. “That women shouldn’t have any body hair. It’s totally natural, we all have it. The pressure to remove all of it takes up both actual time and mental space worrying about it.”
4. “That as men age they are considered more attractive. As women age, it’s considered the opposite.”
5. “Body types being trends.”
6. “That you’re immediately unattractive if you are fat.”
7. “That our clothing has to have sex appeal. Women are expected to sexually entertain men with their clothing choices. Also high heels.”
8. “Our genitals needing to look like little slits. No lips, no anything. Just like a razor cut. Otherwise, it’s gross'”
9. “This whole ‘glass skin’ social media construct. IT’S NOT REALISTIC, PEOPLE!”
10. “No stomach. It bothers me because it’s the one thing I just can’t get over myself. Every time I put on a crop top or tight dress I feel fat even though I have a perfectly normal body.”
11. “That hourglass body shape is the only body shape that is perfect.”
12. “Have to be skinny but not too skinny. Have some tone but don’t have too much muscle. Have to have curves but not cross into ‘fat’ territory.”
13. “Anti-acne. It hurts, they hate it, and society tells them they should do everything they can to get rid of it. It’s associated with being unclean, unhealthy, ugly… All-day long, beauty adverts for getting rid of acne. Get rid of it. You don’t want it. It’s gross.”
14. “The idea that cellulite is gross and should be hidden. Women naturally have cellulite because we store more fat than men.”
15. “White skin. No pores. Slim face. Slim nose. Slim body. No eyebags/ no dark circles.”
16. “Unnaturally large lips aka the overuse of fillers in the lips. I have nothing against naturally big lips or fillers.”
17. “Makeup as the baseline for being acceptable in public.”
18. “That we are expected to wear a bra.”
19. “Women are not really supposed to be human at all. Everything is supposed to be neatly trimmed and tucked, restrained, smooth firm and odourless. And if it isn’t we are supposed to be embarrassed about it.”
20. “Literally every aspect. The money and mental space it costs to find the right makeup and clothes, to shave body hair and paint nails, to go to a salon. The pressure to conform to trends.”
21. “Large perky breasts, a small waist with a flat stomach, and a curvy butt.”
22. “Colourism. It’s inescapable throughout the world because western beauty standards permeate so deep.”
23. “HEIGHT. Literally, something you cannot control whatsoever yet men/women are penalized for being too short/tall. Ridiculous.”
24. “As a plus-size woman I’m extremely annoyed that the beauty standard for fat women is basically the same as other women; hourglass.”
25. “Fake eyelashes being needed for every makeup look. Makes normal lashes not look good enough.”
I am waiting for the day when society will just let women be.