Illustration by Ly Ngo.
The pressure to be beautiful is intense worldwide. And, with plastic surgery on the rise in most developed nations, there's no end in sight to the procedures that help tighten, smooth, lift, and generally reshape your face and body to accepted societal "norms." But, with those who might not be able to afford (or, due to age, be approved for) the surgeries, they're turning to other methods at an alarming rate: do-it-yourself facial-modification tools.
According to an article we spotted in The Daily Beast, usage of draconian-looking tools that seem better suited for torture are rising in popularity in Asian nations where intense societal pressures to be beautiful can have far-reaching impact on their societal and economic standing. From girls who are barely in their teens to adults, DIY harnesses and contraptions are gaining popularity for their claims to provide surgery-quality results for procedures like scalp stretching, nose slimming, nose lifts, double-fold eyelids, and face slimming.
We'd say we can't imagine the pressures that would lead women to do this, but with teenagers in the U.S. getting nose lifts for their sweet 16s and a host of surgeries on the rise for a younger and younger (as well as older and older) population, we're concerned for the future we're building. We love beauty, but enhancing what you have is really where it's at for us, especially with young girls whose skin has yet to fully develop. These tools are not only dangerous from a risk of permanent damage on our bodies (and we can't imagine the pain involved,) but the yet-unseen damage to our self-esteem is unfathomable. When will we get to the point where being your own standard of beauty is enough? Because the damage is definitely more than skin deep.(The Daily Beast)
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