Dixya Poudel

Beauty is a highly regarded aspect of human life. However, despite the glamour of beauty, it is said that beauty is only skin deep. A hollowed out nature eventually sees the harsh truth as the outer beauty ultimately fades with time.
Yet, beauty is a much sought-after quality. And societies across the world have their own ideals of beauty. For example, the West aspires for a tanned skin as compared to the East which covets a fairer skin. Every culture requires a meticulous approach to beauty particularly in women. The female of the species is very often set against the high bar of appearances. Glossy hair, attractive features and well-proportioned figures are the hallmarks of splendour. The world certainly reveres good looks which lead to a higher status and often a lucrative career in fields such as fashion and beauty. Indeed, an attractive appearance can give us more leverage and advantage in life. And a symmetrical face is considered as the ideal look. The allure of beautiful appearance has evolutionary purpose as well since it is likely to ensure a healthy progeny. Likewise, nature is in itself entrancing that has inspired human beings to artistic endeavours.
People, especially women, compete with one another for an attractive outer appearance. Hair is straightened, curled, coloured and styled in a myriad of ways. Skin is scrubbed and cleansed to perfection and further lathered with toners, potions, lotions, creams, gels and serums. The body is kept fit through a rigorous fitness and exercise. And now that the social media is at the pinnacle of fashion and beauty trends, women increasingly tend to compete for virtual attention. It has led to a competitive market in cosmetics and beauty products. Further it has caused a steep rise in sales of smart phones that capture images with the highest definition. The world has become increasingly focused on the pursuit of beauty even though it is well-known that beauty is ephemeral. And the vanity ascribed through such momentary attribution is mostly fragile.
The pursuit of perfection when it comes to outer appearance can lead to despair. Not everyone is born with a symmetrical face, ideal body shape and height. It is important to accept the physical appearance that nature has bestowed upon us with gratitude. When beauty is approached in a subjective manner, it becomes more than the physical demarcations. Beauty can be seen in imperfections as well. It can extend beyond what the eyes see and instead can be evident in the way one feels. Today there is much pressure to adhere to societal norms of beauty. Women are body shamed just because they don't fit into an ideal image. Indeed the patriarchal societies have many stringent measures when it comes to an ideal appearance. In a way, it keeps women from self-acceptance and self-love and instead leads to anger, frustrations and disappointments. And the photoshopped images that are rife on the media today don't set the right message, particularly for young women.
The reflection in the mirror isn’t the definitive representation of a person and it certainly isn’t the only assessment of a person's worth. Attributes such as kindness, generosity, confidence, self-love and empathy are important as well. It is about time we learn to see beyond the surface and accept the beauty within.