To straighten or not to straighten? That is the question…

Model advertising straighteners

 As I sit here in my living room with no make up on and “un-straightened” hair,  I have begun to notice that I feel strangely uncomfortable and very aware of my lack glamour. I have no one to impress, I am not going out anyway, yet I have this feeling of ‘ugliness’ and the urge to hide away. Even though most people wouldn’t bat an eyelid at seeing me in this state (well I hope) and I know it doesn’t alter the person that I am. But even with these thoughts in mind I still uphold this insecure feeling, almost as though I was standing naked in a field and everyone laughing at me.  

 Is the reason for this due to peer influence, magazines such as ‘Vogue’,  television or all elements of the media? Personally I’m going with the thought that it is because of the media. Girls in today’s society have the constant need to ‘doll’ themselves up,  to be thin, and groomed.  We are bombarded with models in magazines, how celebrities are stigmatised for putting on weight but congratulated when they lose weight and woman in music videos. Now thinking about it I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman bigger than a size 10 in music videos. It is even becoming apparent that younger girls are now having to deal with these insecurities too, rather than like i use to, run about in park getting messy and not caring that I had “un-straigtened” hair.    

It was only the other day, when I was watching ‘What Katie did next?’ with Katie Price (aka Jordan), that I realised how extreme the importance of looks had become, in particular with Katie’s daughter Princess Tiaamii. Katie Price seemed to think it was acceptable to straighten a 2 year old’s curly hair.   

Princess Tiaamii with straightened hair

The gorgeous little girl is soon to grow up with insecurities if she is put into the environment where perfection is the ideal. Katie Price had too put make-up and fake eyelashes on the two-year old. Personally I think this is disgusting behaviour of a mother! I’ve never not like Katie Price, I’ve always admired her for being a strong independent women who does well to deal with the press and publicity, yet she has taken beauty too far with her daughter. If this is what young girls are being shown no wonder girls have such low body image perceptions. It sickens me to admit that I am one of those girls; I could never leave the house without a face of make up and straighten hair. Am I as bad as Katie Price? Maybe not, yet it seems society may be moving into the direction that beauty is determined by how you look not who you are.