About a month ago, The Health Ministry decided to put a stop to doctors offering patients a range of controversial, unproven beauty treatments such as fat-busting injections and “whitening” treatments. When The New Paper interviewed Ms Elsie, a 47-year-old mother of 2 daughters, whose husband is an owner of a fashion label, she said that she goes for such treatments to look good for her husband. However, when probed further by the reporter, she said that since her husband is constantly surrounded by beautiful women such as actresses, models and young pretty things, while she only manages her home, daughters and 3 maids, she does not want to end up as a “huang lian po”. She added that she cannot imagine herself being caught on camera with 3 bulges from “her breasts, her tummy and the space between them”. In her view, it’s not about what she wears, but most importantly it’s about how she carries herself and what she looks like.
According to her, she has spent about $700,000 on “all forms of beauty treatments and therapy” and to date, she has had regular botox, collagen and filler injections, intense pulsed light (IPL), liposuction and even the latest fat-busting treatments. While other tai-tais get around the world for the latest fashion accessories, she goes to France, Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand for aesthetic retreats and detox spas.
In this article, I see the extent of which a person would go to maintain one’s appearance self-esteem, which is defined as an individual’s satisfaction with him or her physical looks. Given a choice, I would rather spend $700,000 on a trip round the world than to subject myself being poked by needles or whatever gadgets being used to make me look pretty. Reading this article also reminds me of my friend who ended up with a drip in the A&E as she was having a really bad gastric pain due to her constant skipping of daily lunch and dinner and eats only when she feels hungry to maintain her slimness. Though reminded by the doctor and friends around her, my friend till now, is still constantly skipping her meals to keep herself slim.
I agree with the textbook, that women tend to be more dissatisfied with their physical appearance as compared to men. This is so, as women are constantly exposed to unrealistic standards of thinness from the media, thus, at least for me, it seems more common to hear girl friends around me complain that they are fat as compared to guy friends, though I do have a guy friend who keeps complaining that he is fat when he really isn’t.
3 comments:
The lady is married to a fashion label she could have received comments from people that she has put on too much weight and does not look nice. She might have internalized their views about her looks (looking glass self) and with a low self-esteem she could have spent so much of money to enhance her beauty.
Most females tend to be more aware of their body image as compared to males. Though males are said to be catching up soon by investing on facial products etc... Anyway, it seems innate for females to be more aware of themselves especially when people starts "discussing" about their appearance. Therefore, this might result in them spending large amount of money so as to keep youthful, pretty and confident all the time.
according to the waist-to-hip ratio rationale, it seems that women with slender waists are more attractive. plus the media has overrated the ideal looks of a woman. i do think it's kinda sick though, that women have to upkeep a slender image just to be more socially desirable to others.
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