Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t change what you don’t like about yourself or improve the parts that you do like. Doing so will not make you self-involved or selfish, especially if you’re doing it to become more comfortable in your own skin.
People are perfectly imperfect. They are flawed, they make mistakes, and they are vulnerable to the standard society has set about what it means to look beautiful. This kind of thinking is something that has to be unlearned because it has burrowed deep within each person—and it has to be changed.
Caring about how you appear not because society tells you to do so, but because you want to feel beautiful in your own right is not a selfish act. In fact, it’s a big part of loving yourself for all your flaws and imperfections. But you should know that you shouldn’t change who you are and what you look like to satisfy the desires of other people.
There’s a fine line between making the changes for yourself and changing to fit better in society. You must know that if you’re going to make permanent changes to your body, then you should be doing them for yourself and not for anybody else. That being said, here’s what you can improve to feel more comfortable in your own skin:
Your Teeth
Many people are embarrassed to show their teeth when they smile because they don’t have porcelain whites or perfectly aligned teeth. These can be a result of limited access to proper dental healthcare or because of financial constraints as they were growing up.
It’s sad to see people prohibiting themselves from smiling widely because of something as superficial as teeth, but it’s also understandable. That’s why cosmetic dentistry is getting the hype it has now because it offers people the ability to improve their teeth so that they can finally smile without getting embarrassed.
If you have a problem concerning a missing tooth or discolored teeth, then you can get dental implants or teeth whitening sessions, respectively. Doing so won’t make you a bad person for wanting to have a complete set of whiter teeth, especially if you’re using your own money to make the change happen.
Your Skin
With beauty and skincare products becoming more accessible to the public, taking measures to improve the skin seems like a no-brainer. This is especially true now that many skincare routines are popular because they are proven to work wonders for those dealing with acne, dry, or oily skin.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with not having clear skin. But there’s also nothing wrong with wanting to lessen the blemishes on your face or reducing the inflammation caused by acne. Besides, not everyone was gifted with the ability to have clear and plump skin without exerting much effort.
Desiring to have good skin is not something to be ashamed of, especially now that information about how to properly take care of your skin is abundant on the internet. In addition to that, reliable skincare products are within arm’s reach thanks to online shops that can deliver straight to your home.
Your Body
Having the perfect body is among all the things that people will have to unlearn in the beauty industry, particularly if the basis for this is the unattainable bodies of models in fashion magazines. It’s difficult to exist as a regular person in a world that constantly puts thin bodies at the forefront of beauty.
Instead of trying to achieve the model’s body and pressuring yourself to resort to starvation, you should be trying to develop a healthy lifestyle. That can begin with establishing a good relationship with food, wherein you won’t limit what you consume, but rather carefully decide what you put in your body.
You should steer clear of any pressure that forces you to succumb to the thinking that if you don’t look a certain way, that you aren’t worthy of being loved for who you are. Unlearning this deeply ingrained thinking can be gruesome, but it’s necessary if you want to feel comfortable in your own skin.
Having a good body that you can be proud of begins with letting go of your unhealthy habits and transitioning to healthier ones. This healthier “you” can take a lot of time and effort before manifesting, but it can be a worthwhile experience to loving yourself without the added pressure of society.
It’s always easier to find reasons to hate than to love yourself, especially if you’re used to listening to other people’s perception of you. This can lead to making permanent decisions that aren’t really for your benefit, but for others. So if you’re going to change yourself, be very sure that you’re doing it for yourself and not because other people pushed you to do it.