Mony Aramalla investigates the evolution of beauty standards shaped by rising cosmetic interventions and their impact on societal pressures and ideals.
In a world where beauty is becoming a matter of pixels and procedures, cosmetic interventions and technologies are not just reshaping our faces and bodies, but the very standard of what it means to be beautiful.
Cosmetic surgery and other beauty-enhancing procedures were once the domain of the wealthy, but with the help of social media in promoting unrealistic perceptions of beauty, these procedures have gone mainstream. Whether it’s subtle procedures like Botox and fillers, or more invasive surgeries like rhinoplasties and facelifts, the desire to alter and improve physical appearance has brought beauty standards into question. From drugs that alter skin pigmentation to gene editing to design a baby’s appearance, the possibilities of scientific developments seem endless. But as these interventions continue to evolve, they bring into focus deeper issues, such as their impact on racial beauty standards and the ethical dilemmas they pose for society.
In 1975, a product called ‘Fair & Lovely’ entered the market and promised a way to lighten skin. Their dominant market has long been South Asia, where lighter skin is idealised. Marketed as a solution to achieve fairer skin, this product reinforced an ideology that fair skin is equivalent to success, desirability and higher social standing. Despite the research that shows ‘Fair & Lovely’ to have Hydroquinone, which causes skin irritation, and mercury, which can cause liver and kidney damage, skin-lightening creams became widespread. However, with growing popularity came valid criticism that this practice discriminates against those with darker skin tones within ethnic groups. Uproar over harmful stereotypes resulted in the removal of the word ‘Fair’ from the product, being renamed ‘Glow & Lovely’. But, this didn’t address the fundamental colorism as the product still promotes the ideal of achieving lighter skin.
While lighter skin is an emerging ideal in Asia, tanning culture is starting to emerge in the West. One of the more recent innovations is ‘MelanoTan’, a synthetic hormone that is designed to stimulate the production of melanin. Melanin, the pigment responsible for tanning, is usually a result of prolonged exposure to the sun. ‘MelanoTan’ is a perfect solution—quick, artificial tan with significantly less UV radiation and it makes it very appealing for anyone seeking the bronzed look without the associated health risks.
But the rise of this drug, along with ‘Fair & Lovely’, begs the question: Why do we place such high value on skin colour? Tanning culture promotes darker skin tones, as opposed to lighter skin tones—but only when achieved artificially. As ‘MelanoTan’ receives widespread popularity, it contributes to the wider normalisation of racialised beauty standards, making characteristics like skin colour turn into nothing more than a cash grab process, while also setting unattainable and demoralising beauty ideals.
We’ve heard the phrase, ‘The Future is Now’ and we need to start believing in it. Perhaps the most futuristic and controversial development thus far in the beauty space is the potential use of CRISPR, a gene-editing tool that can cause an emergence in ‘designer babies.’ Initially developed to treat genetic disorders, CRISPR offers the ability to use genetic engineering for good, providing tools to easily manipulate DNA and decrease the number of genetic diseases suffered by many today.
In theory, this tweaking of DNA also makes it possible for parents to change genes to produce desired traits like eye colour, hair texture, height, or even facial structure.
Clearly, the rapid advancement of cosmetic interventions is transforming beauty standards worldwide. These changes come with significant ethical, social, psychological and, occasional health implications. As society continues to embrace these interventions, we have the crucial responsibility to reflect on their broader impact, particularly on inclusivity and self worth. With the pressure to conform to ever-narrowing beauty ideals, we may need to realise that every solution developed isn’t without unintended and unknown consequences.
While this might seem like something straight out of a science-fiction or dystopian novel, the implications for beauty standards around the world are quite profound. The beauty industry produced an annual revenue of $625 billion in 2023, and this number is only predicted to grow. A world where genetic makeup can be altered to customise physical features leads to an even narrower definition of beauty. There’s another problem associated with it - access to these technologies is likely to be expensive, making it only readily available for the wealthy. This further reinforces the class divisions in the world of beauty and appearances. As ‘designer babies’ become possible, one might wonder if we’re moving towards a very restricting ideal of beauty - one that could potentially worsen existing racial hierarchies by favouring particular traits over others.
The alteration of physical traits is not a new phenomenon. Plastic surgery is now a widespread practice, no longer confined to celebrities. From rhinoplasties to facelifts and enlargements, people are turning towards plastic surgery to alter their physical appearance to align with their personal or societal views. While it can be argued that these procedures can boost self-esteem, they raise concerns about the need to conform to specific beauty standards, especially those seen in the media. The global rise in demand for plastic surgery just highlights how beauty ideals differ across the world, and how the artificial expectations are coming at the cost of embracing our natural selves. As more procedures become normalised, we must ask ourselves, is there an ethical concern that we are overlooking?
In South Korea for instance, cosmetic surgery is so ingrained into their culture that it’s almost a rite of passage. The Korean beauty standard emphasises features like a V-shaped jawline, large, round eyes and smooth, fair skin. Many people feel pushed to get cosmetic surgeries, such as jaw-shaving. Media portrayals contribute to this problem. As it becomes more and more accessible, it opens up very critical conversations around the ethics of body modification and the psychological impacts of these interventions.