Beauty is Skin Deep

by Nilma Dole

More often than not, we all try in vain and go through endless pain and torture to look extremely beautiful. When we show ourselves to the outside world, we need to feel confident and make sure everyone likes looking at us, hence we change our image to suit the stereotyped perception.

Whether it is a special occasion like a wedding or just a dinner outing, looking beautiful really counts in this modern era.

Why do we go to extremes to look like this? Why aren't we happy with ourselves? Why can't we live with our own beauty and be happy with what we possess? We are easy prey to what the media highlights. Be it on television or on the internet, we are influenced by what fashion experts comment.

If 'thin is in' then young girls will go through starving and rigourous exercise where the consequences are illnesses like bullimia and anorexia, an obsessive desire to lose weight.

If a beauty magazine say that a particular figure, frame or face is beautiful then we will believe it, work and act accordingly. If they say rebonding or thinning your hair makes you look beautiful, they never tell that it makes your hair fall for when you are 30 years, you will look 75.

If they tell you that baring your breasts and bottom is the fashion, they don't tell you how much thats bad for your character. As for guys, they tell that hair gel is a fashion fad but they don't tell that it is the cause of dandruff and premature greying.

This was not done in the intention of shutting down all those beauty parlours and beauty care centers because even though such opinions are expressed it will not reduce the slaves of beauty from venturing there. It is for people to be happy with what they possess because inner beauty is more important than outer beauty.

This is a true account of a girl who turned beautiful after being ugly.

My story has never been beautiful for when I was growing up. I was a short-haired, extremely dark, fat and short-sighted girl with the hideous glasses on the face of the planet. I was also the rear-end of the jokes in school and at home because I couldn't control the pimples on my face.

However, as time went by, a sudden change transformed all that and before I was in my 20s, I was beautiful. I did believe that fairytale where the ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan. I went to college in contact lenses, a more lighter tan, had long-hair and had a figure to die for. It even helped in getting things done.

Compared to the other girls who a door was never opened or a chair was never pulled, I was now center of attention. Even though I knew on the outside I was beautiful, deep inside low self-esteem gripped me as I remembered the bullying when I was growing up.

I respect a girl who isn't blessed with beauty for brains and a good heart rules exterior beauty.

Today, I hope to acquire brains and respect as opposed to the beauty part. I know its a bad thing to wish for but I really wish I wasn't this beautiful. Members of the opposite sex tend to make passes more than you can handle.

You attract attention everywhere, you can't live in peace for someone is bound to be tied to you, privacy is a problem.

The worst part of being beautiful is the misconceived image of you. People think you are more 'open' when in fact, you are not and they always try to take advantage of you.

The side effect of being beautiful is doing the job of fending off unwanted attention. The most beautiful people in the world are the most troubled and reckless people around. If you possess beauty and a good head, then take beauty lightly as it comes for remember, beauty doesn't last long.

Be happy being the beautiful you deep inside and not what people want you to become.