Blind Beauty Race

Cosmetics, beauty treatments and other beauty products form a big market in USA and Europe. Beauty care companies mainly offer services and products for Skin, Hair, Teeth and Eyes. But a complete list of services and products is likely to cover each part of your body. The revenues for some of these companies in over a billion US$.

Around a decade back, these companies had set their eyes on Indian Market (there are 1 billion customers after all). The first step in this direction was to create an awareness about beauty in India. This was the time when Aishwarya and Sushmita wore the crown of Miss-world and Miss-universe (that is how these companies plan to enter any country). The life style of Indians has drastically changed from there on. Now there are skin care saloons, slimming centers, hair care centers, and other beauty shops, in each part of Indian cities. Also there are hundreds of options available for cosmetics (these options were very few 10 years ago).

It was a great achievement for India to get the crown of Miss-universe and Miss-world. As a result, today all Indian woman want to look fairer, silkier, slimmer, younger and sexier. There are external and internal treatment available in market to achieve these goals. But none of us care (or are not aware of) about the side effects of these treatments. One of such treatment is “stomach stapling operation” which helps obese people to become slimmer after an operation which reduces the size of stomach (and hence food intake). Apparently some people have already lost their lives after such operations and those who survive are like to suffer from depression. Do we really want to look beautiful at such a cost?

I feel that Indian Woman are following a blind race for beauty. They need to understand that beauty is not skin deep. The thick layer of cosmetics on your face does not really make you young. Rather than focusing on your shape and looks, you need to focus on your health and mental stability. I am worried at the thought, what will be the fate of our country, if our kids are bought up by beauty fanatics.

I am not against beauty or against cosmetics or against any beauty treatments. But we need to be rational enough to understand what cost should be paid (definitely life is a unreasonable cost) for becoming beautiful. And we need to be aware of side effects (in short term or long term) which these cosmetics or treatments will have on your body. Do you ever ask such questions before any treatment which you receive? Even if you ask, you are most likely to get wrong information. Make sure that you receive any information (about the side effect of treatment being taken) in written before you take any beauty treatment next time.