Cosmetics Procedures Yes or No? Woman’s Body and Self Perception

The Impact!

I have some facts to highlight the impact our self-image has on our overall health.

A recent survey by Girlguiding showed some concerning statistics: over half of the surveyed 11-21 year-old girls stated “they wish they looked as they did with filters on social media,” a third feel the pressure to use these filters and nearly half “would feel safer online if there were more unedited images and content.” The pressure on our young girls to look “right” is palpable and overwhelming.

The Love Island Contestants described looking as they do on the programme as “Punisher days”.  A study from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), that coincided with the new season of Love Island, found that body image is the leading source of self-esteem issues for women, with 61% citing it as a reason for low self-esteem.

There are two sides to the influence of our self—image on our health decisions.

On one hand, a positive perspective can bring about such happiness and contentment. A study showed that happiness is significantly and positively correlated with sexual attractiveness, weight satisfaction, and physical condition. We tend to eat more healthily, sleep well, and have a better outlook on life. Our body image is a major contributor to overall life happiness in women.

On the other hand, negative self-esteem could lead to onset of eating disorders, extreme dieting, over exercising. Additionally, the use of laxatives, diuretics, smoking, and dietary supplements to control weight gain. Women compare themselves with others more than men do, this can lead to feelings of not enough and a focus on perceived weaknesses rather than their strengths.

Some of us feel the need to make ourselves look as young as possible hence cosmetic procedures. Our sense and choice of fashion is dependent on how we see ourselves.

Sadly some women struggle with social interactions and miss out on great professional opportunities due to lack of confidence. In addition, they develop mental health issues, anorexia, bulimia and including self-harm. 

Cosmetic Surgery, Yes or No?

Katie Price, a model and TV personality, bare it all out during an Entertainment podcast interview (as reported in BBC). She said, “People don’t realise that when you have surgery and stuff, you only see before and after. You don’t see the in between – when you’ve had it, the pain and the cleaning, the stitches out and the bed rests. “Therefore, I would love to educate people about it and how it’s damaging to your body”

Cosmetic aesthetics doctor, Ed Robinson, had this to say after the most recent series of the Love Island, “I saw a dramatic increase in younger, mostly women, requesting dermal filler packages, wanting to achieve a Love Island look as they had seen people on TV,” he said. “Cosmetic procedure requests went up 12-fold, and by very young women”

The global data company Experian found that in the past five years the number of beauty salons offering treatment increased by 31%. In Scotland, they jumped by 42% and in the North of England there was a 46% rise. A former contestant on the ITV dating show, Malin Andersson, believes cosmetic surgery can become an addiction.

To balance the cosmetic procedure discussion out, I had the great privilege of an informal chat with a nursing colleague who worked extensively as an Aesthetic Nurse, in Nigeria, Ada Ukaulor.

Mostly 20 to 50 year-olds would access their cosmetic services due to varied reasons to include:

1. Boosting their self-esteem by enhancing their beauty
2. For their husbands to pay more attention to them.
3. Post-partum body changes and perfect some defect.
4. Peer pressure
5. To promote their business and products especially those selling slimming products
6. To attract high paying clients in their line of work as sex workers, as the case may be.

Ada said, “On average, they had about 50-60% returning clients for repeat procedures. They desire to maintain the well turned-out results of looking more beautiful, with an increased level of attention on how good they look”.

Ada emphatically said she would recommend cosmetic surgery, especially depending on the modifications. For instance, liposuction and tummy tuck for patients who struggle to lose all the post-partum weight and breast reduction procedures for women with large breasts causing severe back problems and incessant pain.

Despite her encouragement for some cosmetic procedure, she raised a few cautions, which women need to be fully aware of before making a decision:

• Infection, Pain, and Scarring
• Allergic reactions, fat embolism and in some instances leading to loss of life

How Do We Improve Self Esteem?

Not all we see on social media is how it looks. In the age of Artificial Intelligence, photo shopping and face swapping, our young girls need to urgently understand and be educated in this: we all have different body types and appearances. It is imperative to highlight positive role models of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds.

“Self-esteem is often influenced by negative core beliefs. It is important to recognise our negative core beliefs and understand how they were formed. Please see the first blog post on what drives our core beliefs. Negative core beliefs may include, “I am not good enough,” “I am not pretty enough,” or “People who love me will leave me.”

Once you have identified your negative core beliefs and their origins, then the work to change them to positive ones begins.

1. Listen and pay attention to your inner conversations
2. Writing down affirmations that you can read daily.
3. Make a list of your positive qualities and achievements, no matter how small.
4. Reflect on these regularly to reinforce a positive self-image.
5. Regular journaling can also help you gain better understanding into how your thoughts affect your emotions and actions.
6. Treat yourself with the same kindness you afford others, think on how you would comfort a very close friend who is hurting.
7. Consciously talk positive and be gentle to yourself.
8. Be grateful and receive gratitude.
9. Look after your body – eat healthily and regular physical activity for health rather than appearance.
10. Add on self-care that promotes overall well-being.

It is okay to have a support network that encourages positive self-image and esteem. Let’s be careful about airing our opinions on how people look, obese, thin, disproportionate etc because trust me they know, and it is a personal struggle they are dealing with. If they talk to you about it then explore it further with them.

Professional help like the Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), can be utilised by those with deep-seated psychological issues. Talking to a dear trusted friend can be invaluable for women to develop healthier self-perceptions.

 Let’s have a realistic portrayal of women in our society to help foster a healthier self-image amongst women. Whatever our reasons are for choosing to enhance our looks with cosmetic procedures, it goes without saying that extensive research is much needed. Make safe and informed decisions, prioritising your health and wellbeing.

And to wrap it all up, the path to developing positive self-esteem goes way deeper than our looks and how others see us. We rather need to love, appreciate who we are and celebrate our beautiful features on a daily basis.

Much love

Yemisi x