How Much is Too Much? -Body Image

I have always considered that body image, or at least how you look and present yourself, is important. I could never have a relationship with someone who just doesn't care about how they look.

As a baby boomer, there are aspects of modern body image that I do not understand. I am not condemning them or passing judgement. Everyone has the right to their own body. I just don’t get why someone would want multiple piercings or cover their body in tattoos.

Aren't those rings in your nose or lips, or even the balls in your tongue, uncomfortable?

The wearers clearly think they look great. More power to them. Being a practical kind of guy, what happens when you have a cold or runny nose—doesn't that just get in the way?

What if you cut down on the ball tongue? That would make a horrible mess of your mouth and/or your teeth.

Self-expression or not, I just can't come to grips with an entire arm, leg, or whole décolletage covered in tattoos. I simply don’t find it attractive. I get self-expression and free will.

Research shows that about 38% of American women have at least one tattoo, compared to 27% of men. The trend is strongest among young adults: roughly 56% of women aged 18 to 29 have a tattoo.

Women are also having more body piercings. Females are the main clients in professional piercing studios. They often make up over 90% of customers. Women have a higher rate of non-earlobe body piercings than men. Over 50 percent of women aged 16-24 have a body part pierced that isn't their ears.

I will return to the reasons these trends have shifted toward women. Women have historically done some weird things in the name of beauty. As men, we should be grateful for what women go through in the name of beauty. Waxing is one area I won't go into (in this story anyway), but women who get waxed deserve a medal.

Pre-Revolutionary French women donned hairstyles 1 1/2 times the height of a person’s face. Pyramidic wigs topped women’s heads. They were decorated with cushions, pins, and feathers.

In Tudor England, when Elizabeth I ruled, women blackened their teeth. They thought this was better than having bright white smiles. Sugar was a luxury. Some women blackened their teeth to mimic their queen and flaunt their wealth.

Elizabethan women also had a noble (although dangerous) approach to hair removal. They would burn their hair with a combination of arsenic and quicklime. Women in Renaissance Italy had a bold way to enhance their eyes. They used techniques to make their pupils appear larger and more attractive. They squeezed drops of poisonous Belladonna (“Beautiful Woman”) into their eyes. It dilated the pupils, which created the desired effect. However, long-term use caused blindness.

In earlier times, Greeks embraced a truly low-maintenance beauty look: the unibrow. No need for tweezers back in the ancient days. A single stretch of hair was highly sought after because it showed intelligence. So, people even used kohl, dark pastes, or glued-on animal hair to connect their separated brows.

Ancient Roman women washed their faces and whitened their teeth using urine, especially aged urine. Ammonia in urine works as a natural cleanser and exfoliant. It is thought to brighten skin and whiten teeth. Ancient elite Egyptian women wore facial masks. They made these masks from crocodile dung mixed with mud and fermented wine. These strange blends were believed to have anti-aging and purifying effects. They were used in ritualistic or spa-like baths.

One key area that has affected female body image is weight. Women in the 1800s were encouraged to ingest tapeworms to become slim. The promise of weight loss wasn't a complete lie. But side effects like meningitis and epilepsy made it tough to enjoy the benefits.

A recent report suggests we may not have moved as far along as we think in beauty trends. Matilda Baxter is a social media influencer. She has spent hundreds of thousands to improve her looks. She has spent thousands on “improving her body image."

Pretty much everything you can imagine. Well, maybe not. Her latest claim to fame is getting a "Barbie Waist" in Bali. This rib remodelling procedure breaks two or three floating ribs. Then, the ribs are moved to a new position and held there to heal. Patients wear a waist trainer that is tightened over 12 weeks.

Women choose to express themselves through tattoos, body piercings, and beauty enhancements. This includes nail polish, bold haircuts, and more extreme styles. Societal stigmas have also dramatically changed. What was taboo ten or twenty years ago is now generally accepted. In fact, 80% of people now accept visible forms of body art.

Maybe it is just me, and I wonder what is next and where it will end. So, to all those ladies out there, help me understand more. Once again, I am not judging. 😊😊

[A/n:  This is one of my stories on my quest to write for each of the Vocal communities. This is number 40; 8 left to go.]

Till next time,

Calvin