- Weight-loss pills with "natural ingredients"
- Supplements that promise to improve our hair and nails (with no real evidence)
- Face creams with more special elements than our skin is able to take on!
- Crazy diets that starve us and cause overly fast weight loss
- Heavy makeup that covers our beautiful (but not perfect) complexion
All these are heavily marketed for women and even teen girls!
Can you think of more examples?
Why do we fall for them? Because they are, as you say so cleverly marketed. Even older women today are under so much pressure to look perfect. I'm not sure if that awful program "10 years younger" is on any more but ugh, it used to make me so angry. First they had to suffer the humiliating guessing of their age by the general public, who at times used to ridiculously over estimate it. Then they would put them through the hell of first accusing them of severely neglecting their looks "like, how could you even think about going out without a bag on your head" and then send them off to have the top layer of their skin sand papered away (dermabrasion) or send them off to the dentist for a full set of dental implants or bridges or some other kind of dental torture. They would then pull apart every item of clothing they ever wore - "darling, how could you even think about wearing this" and so the degradation and criticism went on.
It's little wonder that women start to look at themselves and think are they good enough. Is it really so neglectful to actually have the odd wrinkle? As for weight loss pills and fad diets, I suppose its made to appear simple, whereas calorie counting, points counting, shopping for healthy foods and then preparing healthy meals at the end of a very busy day all seems so much of a drag. Much quicker and easier just to pop a pill or starve for a couple of days a week then eat whatever you want the rest of the week.
Basically the media and the marketeers create the insecurity in people then they turn it round and play on it to use it to their advantage to sell their products. Always best to go by the idea that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
I totally agree 
But, I have to admit to succumbing to vanity and I'm in the process
of having my teeth straightened xB
Hi, sorry it took me so long to reply 
No, its not vanity. You're doing it for you, not the same as doing something because that's what society expects you to do. I think you're very brave to have anything done at the dentist that isn't totally necessary. Scary people dentists, I steer clear unless dragged there 
Simone - a woman after my own heart! At least I now know that I am NOT the only woman who thinks that gimmicks, quick-fixes, cheats, and other ridiculous "beauty scams" are stupid.
You might be interested to know that I've posted several times on this topic - on both my Facebook page, and on my Blog!
Personally (and this is just personal opinion, right!), I tend to think that women are put under intense, overwhelming pressure by modern society to conform to a stereotype of "beauty". Our society is both vain, and shallow - it judges women based on a standard of "beauty" that is both superficial, and fake! There appears to be absolutely NO understanding of the fact that women come in all shapes and sizes; have different colours of skin, hair and eyes; have different tastes, and sense of style... NO! A "robotic", clone-like homogeneity is what society demands!
The messages are EVERYWHERE, and they attack ALL women. No matter how young, or old a woman is; no matter what her ethnic origin; no matter what her sexuality... women in general are constantly bombarded with society's messages concerning what they ought to look like. These messages come via the media most often - on T.V. adverts; in movies; on billboards; in magazines; on Celebrity talk shows; in music videos; in "talent" contests; in newspapers... the list of "assaults" is endless. They are reinforced (HEAVILY!) by the fashion industry, the movie industry, the music industry - and whatever "industry" it is that creates innumerable useless, "Z-list" "S-lebs" via things like "Big Brother"!
WHAT are these messages? Well... they seem to be ALL about turning women into nothing more than silicone-enhanced, airbrushed sex-objects. "Beautiful" women are eternally young, blonde, big breasted, pouting, perma-tanned, taloned, stiletto-wearing "Barbie dolls" squeezed into clothes at least a size (or more) too small for them - and revealing more flesh than Adam and Eve probably thought was decent!
AND the media, the fashion industry, the music industry, the movie industry... endlessly seek to reinforce the message! We are exposed (over-exposed - pun intended!) to "page 3 girls" and "glamour models" baring their enormous, fake breasts on the fronts of "Lads' mags"! We are subjected to the spectacle of painfully anorexic "supermodels" - so thin that their bodies look like the bodies of TEENAGE BOYS - earning thousands per day just for getting out of bed! We are force fed on a diet of celebrities, movie stars, pop stars - all primped and preened beyond belief...
HOW does the message get sent? HOW are we supposed to live up to it? Well, we are daily subjected to endless adverts - "buy this, buy that" - for beauty creams, make-up, tanning lotion, hair styling products, hair straighteners, hair curlers, cosmetic surgery, designer clothing... ON and On and ON... each and ever one of these adverts showing impossibly perfect (airbrushed) "beauties! These adverts come with a subtext... "buy this cream, it will make you look younger"; "buy this shampoo, it makes your hair look thicker"; "have that nose job, it will make you look prettier"... TALK ABOUT "HARD SELL" - THIS IS A RAPE OF OUR SENSES!
The SAD part of it is that some women (possibly gullible, or vulnerable women) fall for it all. I suppose, if you are, say, pasty and freckled, you may be keen to try fake tan. You might think it will boost your confidence. Perhaps the girl who was bullied at school for having gappy teeth will go get those veneers done by the cosmetic dentist! The size 18 woman, desperate to compete with her thinner friends may fall for the ruse of cosmetic surgery, and go get a gastric band!
My point is that what is going on, here, is WOMEN ARE BEING VICTIMIZED - BEING MADE TO FEEL VULNERABLE AND INSECURE - BY INDUSTRIES AND LARGE CORPORATIONS KEEN TO SELL THEM SOMETHING! The more you tell a person they do not match up; they are a failure; they aren't pretty enough, etc, etc... the more you wear that person's self-confidence down. IF the person already has an insecurity (e.g. being overweight, or having spots, or buck teeth - or any other so-called "obvious imperfection") then the job is already half done - the "pressure salespeople" (for that is what the fashion industry/beauty industry are) home in on this "flaw" like vultures in for the kill! They USE women's insecurities to force them to buy things! AND, if women are not appearing insecure - they will CREATE INSECURITY!
THAT'S WHAT I THINK!
If you want to read more, and in more depth, visit me on Facebook (I've posted a number of times on the issue of "fake beauty" - pm me if you are interested. Thanks.
E. x
I will own up to one of those - straighteners. As someone who suffered the annoyance of curly hair most of my life, I have to say that when I discovered straighteners could actually do something for my hair - I invested and have never looked back. I straighten my hair for me, not because anyone says I should - I now have control of how my hair looks instead of my hair having control of how I look. Oh and weighwatchers, because I was overweight and now I'm not and that makes me happy, basically because its healthier.
I have to confess I also straight my hair artificially, but mostly for the convenience (I think curly hair looks great, but takes a A LOT of time to look after it).... as you said " I now have control of how my hair looks instead of my hair having control of how I look"
Tough PCOS
Can’t lose weight
Fibroids
Perimenopause symptoms at 43 
