The self-inflicted punishment of being beautiful the artificial way

If beauty is indeed priceless, why do some women ‘waste’ so much money on products and services to enhance their natural beauty?

Clearly, there is a disparity between the definition of beauty during the Kwame Nkrumah era and now.

‘You are what you eat’, the popular and widely accepted statement goes, so  it can be deduced that if you want a flawless skin; you must include in your diet, foods that make your skin glow; clear black spots; prevent acne; wrinkles and make you look younger than your age.

In reality, ‘depreciation’ or old age is a natural disease; very inevitable. The skin of a 20-year-old woman can never be the same as that of a woman in her menopausal state, irrespective of the food you eat or creams you use.

Some women hardly incorporate skin-enhancing foods such as turmeric, moringa, ginger, avocado, coconut among others in their daily meals but instead buy chlorine based creams, which have flooded the market, to bleach their skin.

They are blinded to the fact that natural food heals, restores and rejuvenates their skin.

Some women may argue that skin bleaching is a personal decision just as a nose job, breast implants, removal of scars or applying of makeup might be.

Some women use milk or parazone, but the latest and weirdest of them all is the use of cement to whiten their skin. Desperate to get light skin, women mix the cement with pepsodent and apply it to their skin regardless of publicized effects such as leukaemia and cancers of the liver and kidneys; as well as a severe skin condition like ochronosis, a form of hyper-pigmentation which causes the skin to turn a dark purple shade.

After applying the potential skin-cancer-causing creams on their body, they scout the market for a wide range of make-ups to ‘paint’ their face.

From concealers to powders, eyeliners to mascara, to blushers, women spend thousands of Ghana cedis on makeup.

Makeup varies tremendously between brands in terms of quality and ingredients and technically speaking the bad brands have the potential to worsen, or even trigger acne in some people.

Some women trade their natural lashes in for false long lashes. The gruesome methods of using glue to apply these lashes are an eyesore.

‘Productive hours’ are spent at the salon to fix ‘mermaid like’ nails. Just for what? Husbands and house helps are now burdened with buckling high heels, clasping necklace and buttons, removing contacts and closing stud earrings.

The belief that applying makeup makes one glow and look extremely beautiful has spread like an airborne disease among many Ghanaian women and the most sickening occurrence is among Senior High School girls, who sneak makeup products to school. This competition among women has increased the prices of these products.

There is mad rush for body shapers such as waist trainers, corsets, butt enhancements. Every woman wants to get slender legs, slim waist, firm breasts and butt to avoid being body shamed.

The public sees nothing wrong with a size 8 woman sharing her bikini photos on social media; but insults rain on plus size women if they dare try.

In reality, women who constantly wear these body shaping trainers can have some serious health risks due to compression of their liver, kidney and other internal organs. It has been scientifically proven that such women are more prone to health risks such as skin infections, pulmonary problems, kidney issues and lung issues.

If some women had their own way, they would wear a 2 yard wedding gown. Women have tagged ‘kaba and slit’ as a style for our grandmothers. 21st century women parade figure hugging dresses, plunging dresses, off-shoulder tops and all kinds of ‘provocative outfits’ in front of men of God in churches.

Comparatively, sewing the old fashioned dress down outfits is cheaper than buying half yard designer clothes.

There is a myth that wearing high heels makes a woman infertile. Regardless, why do some women buy stilettos when they can’t even walk in them comfortably for 5 minutes without changing into flats? Such laughable incidents are most common during occasions like Easter, Christmas and on Sundays.

Why do some women go the extra mile to look ‘beautiful’ the artificial way which has adverse effects on their body and dwindle their purse?

Skin bleaching for instance is time consuming, as it demands efforts and precision to ensure an even skin colour especially at the knuckles, elbow, knee and chin.

It is very embarrassing to suffer a makeup mishap at a gathering especially when you are the host.

Neither is wardrobe malfunctioning like nipple slip, exposing more cleavage or thighs a befitting situation for a woman of class.

“Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” Ladies, if a man wants you to look artificial, tell him to take the lead in doing so.