The Price for Beauty, At Any Cost!!!!!

THE PRICE OF BEAUTY, AT ANY COST!!!

By: Jenna Marie Christian

I am sure many of us have heard or read about the very recent news regarding Tameka Foster-Raymond (Wife of R&B Singer Usher) who recently went in to cardiac arrest after having complications from a cosmetic Surgery. This is the second public figure to suffer almost fatally. I am sure many of also remember Donda West (Mother of Rapper Kanye West) Who passed away due to complications from cosmetic surgery. These two unfortunate turn of events just made me even more disgruntle about the American Beauty Standard and the affect it has on impressionable young girls, teens, and adult women.

It is perfectly normal to want to feel as though you are a beautiful person (no arrogance intended). It is second nature to want those around you to also view you as sexy and gorgeous. It is just so unfortunate that Today's Society has allowed the medias ideologies of beauty to saturate the minds of so many, leading many men and women to think that Beauty only appears in the form of Beyonce, Halle Berry, Alicia keys, Tyra Banks, and Heidi Klum Clones. Which Then forces women into a battle of endless insecurity, unhealthy dieting methods, fasting, pills, laxatives, and now the most drastic Cosmetic Surgeries.

In past years Cosmetic product companies have always been a very lucrative business between eye shadows, lipsticks, cleansers, and age-less skin creams, these companies bring in more than $ 7 billion dollars a year. Now women are starting to spend more and more money on cosmetic surgical and non surgical procedures. In 2008 over $5.3 billion was earned in the US for cosmetic surgeries. People are getting work on their nose, chin, eyes, stomach, buttocks, liposuction, fat transfers, and breast augmentations. Girls as young as 18 are beginning to get surgeries as gifts for birthdays and graduations.

It is so sad many women and teens are turning to these surgeries to increase their beauty and sex appeal. I find it so sad that due to this unrealistic standard of beauty it is has become so common to be discriminated against based on your physical appearance by men, employers, and even those that may serve the public. It is common today to see that someone may be receiving better service due to being "beautiful". It becomes even more depressing when I think about how the discrimination goes on within the African American Community alone. It is so disheartening to think about all of the African Americans that play into the Beauty Standards and discriminate against those that view dark skin as unattractive (but I digress).

Women and Young Girls Are literally killing themselves just to fit some bogus beauty image that many of that are seen in these commercials, magazines, videos, and film. I wish we would all realize that we are beautiful. The awesome part to that is that we are all "uniquely" beautiful. I cannot be you and you cannot be me, but I can still respect, admire, and appreciate everything about you without feeling inferior about myself. There is no reason to take such risky methods that may cost a person their life. That is such a high price to pay. There is anything wrong with wanting to be beautiful , shake a few pounds, and do the things that you desire to increase your self esteem, but please try and find safer methods to go about getting the desired results. Also, focus more on accepting yourself the way that you are, loving yourself the way that you are, and all of the extra things that you do will just be an added perk to make you even more fabulous. Don't risk paying such a high price that may cost you your life!!!!!

Sending Caramel Kisses,

Jenna Marie