How Have Cultural Beauty Standards Influenced Your Work?
Imagine walking into a room and feeling a sense of harmony in your appearance—this is the power of subtle enhancements, as suggested by an RN and Founder. In the ever-evolving world of beauty, cultural standards play a pivotal role, shaping how professionals approach their craft. This article features five expert insights, starting with the art of subtle balance and concluding with promoting self-acceptance and natural beauty. Discover how these influencers navigate the complex landscape of beauty norms to respect cultural preferences and celebrate individuality.
- Suggest Subtle Enhancements for Balance
- Respect Cultural Beauty Preferences
- Focus on Health Over Weight
- Celebrate Natural Hair Texture
- Promote Self-Acceptance and Natural Beauty
Suggest Subtle Enhancements for Balance
As an injector, I know that what's trendy isn't always what's best for every client. It's all about finding the perfect balance. Sometimes, this means suggesting a more subtle enhancement or even dissolving existing filler to achieve a look that's more harmonious with a client's natural features. Our goal is always to enhance a client's unique beauty, ensuring they leave feeling confident and satisfied, rather than just following trends.
Respect Cultural Beauty Preferences
I've seen firsthand how cultural backgrounds shape beauty ideals at Plasthetix. Recently, I worked with a client from East Asia who wanted a more pointed nose—a feature highly valued in her culture. We carefully listened to her preferences and designed a tailored plan. The result? A happy client who felt more confident and beautiful. This experience taught me the importance of respecting cultural differences in beauty standards.
Focus on Health Over Weight
As a weight-loss coach, I've seen cultural beauty standards heavily influence clients. Many women feel pressured to achieve an unrealistic "bikini body" to match media images of thin models. To help a client overcome this, we focused on her health and strength rather than just pounds lost. She stopped weighing herself and instead used fitness goals and meal consistency as measures of progress. By empowering her in this way, she learned to appreciate her body for what it could do rather than how it looked.
Some men also feel that being overweight makes them seem less masculine or successful. I worked with a male client who was struggling in his career and marriage, believing his weight was the root cause of his problems. We addressed how his self-perception and confidence issues were holding him back more than a few extra pounds. By improving his self-talk and setting small goals, he started advancing at work again and reconnected with his wife, realizing his worth went deeper than his waistline.
Cultural expectations around weight and body image can be toxic. As a coach, my role is helping clients develop intrinsic motivation and self-acceptance. When they stop chasing unrealistic beauty standards, they gain the freedom to pursue meaningful life goals and nurture relationships—which ultimately leads to greater health and happiness. Focusing on these deeper rewards keeps them progressing long after the initial inspiration of weight loss fades.
Celebrate Natural Hair Texture
I worked with a client struggling to embrace her natural hair texture. With Moroccan heritage but raised in the West, she felt pressured to straighten her curly hair. We developed a routine using argan oil and rhassoul clay treatments, inspired by Moroccan practices. As her hair health improved, so did her confidence. The transformation came when we re-created a traditional Moroccan hairstyle for a family wedding. Seeing herself beautiful in a style honoring her heritage was powerful. It reinforced the importance of celebrating diverse beauty standards and cultural expression.
Promote Self-Acceptance and Natural Beauty
As an esthetician, I've seen how cultural pressures to look a certain way impact my clients. Many women come to me seeking eyebrow shaping, worried their natural brows don't match Instagram standards of thin, highly arched brows. I work with clients to achieve shapes they'll feel confident in long-term, not just what's fleetingly "on-trend."
Some clients have asked about skin lightening to achieve a fairer complexion, hoping to match unrealistic societal standards of beauty. I never provide those kinds of treatments, instead focusing on helping clients celebrate their natural skin tone. However, I understand those requests come from a place of insecurity, so I aim to address the underlying concerns through education and empowerment.
On the other hand, procedures like dermaplaning or chemical peels appeal to those wanting smoother, brighter skin for an event or photos, tapping into a desire to put their "best face forward" for social media. Though temporary, these treatments can provide a confidence boost. The influence of social media on beauty ideals is inescapable in my industry.
My goal is helping clients feel comfortable and confident in their own skin on their own terms. I work to counter unrealistic societal pressures by promoting self-acceptance and embracing natural beauty. But I also understand the desire to feel one's best at times, so I provide gentle, natural-looking treatments for temporary confidence boosts as well. It's a balancing act, but the rewards of empowering clients are worth it.
