Is dying your hair and using make up in the same ball park as plastic surgery?

A conversation I had last week with a mother of a teenage daughter shocked me when I found out that teenage girls as young as 12 from "elite" schools were having plastic surgery performed to fix their imperfections. This sparked a lot of thought within me, these girls before even reaching maturity are getting nose jobs, removing freckles and trying to remove stretch marks before they've even had a chance to fade. Their bodies are in a peak of growth and development and their true shapes haven't even been formed yet. What on earth is compelling these young girls to go to such extremes? More importantly, do they see it as extreme?

The last decade has brought a whole new meaning to the illusion of perfection with plastic surgery and " cosmetic treatments" becoming something that is not only affordable to the masses but also acceptable to many. The so called role models of the world proudly boast their new boobs, chin or nose. Once upon a time getting work done was taboo however now in many circles, (particularly wealthy and famous ones) one could be ostracised for not having work done, as though just letting yourself grow and age naturally is actually offensive.

If you can look back and remember your adolescence and see how much your body was changing, feel all the hormones moving inside of you and causing you to make some interesting new choices and hear all the pressure that your social circles put on one another, no wonder we were confused, not much made sense in those years.

For me, those years were well over a decade ago and I am trying to picture what it is now like to be a teenage girl in a world that seems to be driven by even more perfection. Young girls seem to be getting older at a younger age. Mobile phones, Facebook accounts, fashion, accessories and makeup are being used by girls at a very young age.

I have seen girls as young as 8 in full faces of make up and even further than that, there are beauty pageants for little girls and even babies where they have spray tans, false teeth, full faces of make up and hair pieces all in the name of " beauty"

So my question is where is the line? Where is the line in the sand that separates a woman wearing make up or dying her hair and getting cosmetic surgery. Is wearing make up just as false as getting a face lift? Is dying your hair the same as removing your freckles?

To me it comes down to what is happening inside.If a woman is searching to love herself by means of external  factors such as make up, hair dye and plastic surgery then there is some soul searching that needs to take place, to find what's really missing. Every cosmetic procedure that's gets done as a way to make a woman feel better is only ever temporary if the cause of her low self esteem is never addressed. We are teaching our daughters that perfection is something to strive for, that air brushed can be obtained as we walk down the street. Isn't it time that all our beautiful imperfections that make us all perfect are on display for each other to see? If I accept my freckles, then you can accept yours.

 As a woman getting all "dolled" up with a face of make up can be fun, like playing dress ups as a kid. Dying  my hair is a way to express my creativity and try on a different look to see how it makes me feel. I believe that a woman should be able to stand natural and love the skin we are in, no make up , no hair dye, no hair removal, no waist controlling knickers, no manicures or pedicures and still say " yes! I am beautiful."

So for the sake of the beautiful women that you have in your life, tell yourself how beautiful YOU are because that gives permission for them to do the same.

Share the love ladies and spread the word. You can follow this blog by clicking on  the right hand side of the page that says " join this site" and please share this to as many beautiful women and young women as you know, they deserve to feel beautiful today and every other day too.

You are beautiful whole and complete just the way you are!