Women should be embracing their flaws, says Heather Broome
Feminism may have come a long way in the last 40 years, but it is a depressing truth that women have never been under as much pressure to look good as they are today. The advent of social media and the comment boxes under tittle-tattle peddled by the likes of Mail Online mean that women are scrutinised more publicly than ever before.
Misogynistic remarks once made privately between pals in the pub are now posted on the web for the world to read, in 140 characters or less.
The obsession with celebrity culture means cosmetic surgery is no longer the preserve of the rich and famous. Women from all walks of life are having breast implants, nose jobs and facelifts – and feel compelled to do so. They are allowing poison to be injected into their foreheads to stop them showing anything remotely resembling an expression. They are getting lip filler injections, eyebrow tattoos and veneers on their teeth. And in time, everyone will start to look the same. How boring.
I know what I'd look like if I had my lips done, as I once had a nasty bout of hives after an allergic reaction and wound up with a rather impressive trout pout. I looked like Ronald McDonald. I scared myself, not to mention several small children. I also know that I could spend thousands of pounds on cosmetic surgery and I still wouldn't conform to any conventional notion of beauty – there would still be something to criticise in the Mail's sidebar of shame.
And so I embrace my physical flaws as being part of me, and what makes me unique. The problem with plastic surgery is more often than not, instead of looking younger or more desirable, you just look like you've had work done. And while you might get away with going under the knife once, there is a real danger of getting bitten by the beauty bug and taking things a little too far. Bride of Wildenstein, anyone?
I love character in a person's appearance. Character, not symmetry. Guess what? You're beautiful. Yes, you, reading this. You might not think you are, but there is a part of you that is unique to you – it might be a little dimple when you smile, or a twinkle in your eye that you don't see when you look in the mirror. A bit of sparkle that you won't find in a chemical peel or at the end of a surgeon's scalpel.
It might even be something that you think is an imperfection, like a wonky nose or a crooked tooth. Whatever it is, your friends and family love you for it, because it's you. My husband tells me I have a cute little nose. I know this is not true – it's certainly not little – but if he says it's cute, then I'm not going to argue with him. We should all be happier with our lot.
Good health and good friends are all you really need to find contentment, and laughter is the best way to melt away any fears about whether your bum looks big in that dress.
