Why do women have so much pressure to look good?

Question

I mean, I realize everyone should put effort into themselves, but it seems like the world defines a woman's worth based on her looks.  Women with good looks are highly praised, & other women want to look like them.  Not to mention, women are constantly getting plastic surgery to improve their looks, while you don't see men doing cosmetic procedures like this.  While men may try to look good, they don't have quite the high pressure on them to be attractive.  But most of things women are supposed to be focused on is related to their looks: hair, clothing, make-up, etc.  You don't hear men talking about these things, just women.  Women also fear getting older because their looks will fade.  Why can't our lives be more than just looks, we have more to offer to the world.

beans · Accepted Answer

Apparently in the last few years, there has been almost as many men getting plastic surgery as women. Most common surgeries for men are liposuction, tummy tucks and chest reduction. What about all these steroid cases that are constantly on the news? Obviously, the meathead community has been doing it for decades, but steroid use is very widespread nowadays, amongst regular gym-goers, who 'just want to get bigger faster'. Especially for men who were twigs before they started working out. What about all these adverts for men's cosmetics, hair dye to diguise grey, stuff to encourage hair growth and reduce balding, anti-ageing creams? Men over 40 running to the doctor straight away after it took them 3 minutes to get hard instead of 2 for Viagra, to keep the woman in their lives satisfied? Men dread growing old just as much as women do.

Basically, the media instead of letting us forget about our looks for a while, they're trying to level out the playing field for women. They trying to encourage men too to make sure they don't sag, flop, bald, and whatnot. Instead of embracing what we are, we should just keep improving ourselves until we die, non-stop. Both men and women. No way we should accept how we look. Then we'd have to deal with real problems.

Then again, you're only part of this, if you choose to be.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I kind of feel like I'm the exception because I don't spend much time worrying about my hair or make-up or clothes. My hair is either up in a pony tail or I just brush it and leave it down. To me, taking my time to do my hair involves blow drying it before I go to bed so it's a little bit straighter the next day or if someone offers to do it for me I might take them up on the offer. Anything else takes too long and I consider it to be too much work...it's just hair. I hardly ever wear make-up because I think it's a waste of time and money...you just wash it off at the end of the day anyways. I'm not saying I never wear make-up but I think it's been about 2-3 months since I last wore it. On to clothing...I make sure I'm dressed for the occasion. If I can get away with shorts and a t-shirt then that's what I will wear. If I'm going to work, I'll make sure to dress up and wear nicer clothes. I just don't care much about how other people view the way I look. As long as I look clean and I'm happy with the way I look, then anyone who doesn't like the way I look can just go jump off a bridge for all I care.

Universe · Accepted Answer

I've always been pretty confused why so many people seem obsessed with outer appearance. My parents and the rest of my family put the least emphasis on looks and the most emphasis on giving back to the community and doing "the right thing" so I've always been pretty lax about my appearance and don't put much effort into it. And none of the people I interact with a lot seem to care too much about theirs or my appearance...or if they do I'm completely oblivious to it, ha ha.

I think it's pretty awesome that you're willing to address this issue and help women ^_^ I tend to admire the women who give so much back to the community the most (Jane Goodall, Temple Grandin, and other people just in my community) so it's nice to see other people do the same (or at least want to do the same) thing too.

Delaisback · Accepted Answer

I think this is a common complaint but men also have pressures to look good as well and I think that this pressure is for the competition for "mates."

If a guy wants to get a girl he has to look good, and although that doesn' t mean doing his hair and looking for the latest fashion, he has to work out, groom all excess hair that girls don't have to deal with, and get turned down a dozen times before he gets a girl that will give him the time of day (no matter how good looking he is, it's hard to approach girls).

And unlike girls who can look good at a much higher body fat percentage, guys have to get incredibly low body fat to have the abs that are crucial to being considered attractive.

So I think it goes both ways. Though you've only experienced what girls go through, remember the grass is always greener on the other side.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Who cares?  Do whatever you like that makes you happy.  If you'd like to focus on your looks, do it.  If you want to focus on something else instead, do that.  If a bunch of other women are focusing on being hotter, that's really their business/problem, isn't it?

7gnat · Answer

The media. Plain and simple. And men and women get caught up in all of it. We would all be healthier(mind and spirit) if we didn't have all this media showing us what is important when in reality living your own life, being healthy and good to people is all that matters. Most people with good hearts are not looking for "plastic" people.

udolipixie · Answer

Men. Guys may go for a less attractive girl but after they hit & miss with a more attractive girl or because they fear rejection with the attractive girl. The media. Other women.

Hyped_up_on_coffee · Answer

Blame the media and other women because to be honest men don't want a girl that is too caught up on their appearance to be in to them, however it never hurt anyone to look good.

DocClassic · Answer

haha if that is the biggest pressure on your life, consider yourself blessed

actricalian · Answer

Just because you don't hear men talking about these things doesn't mean we don't think about it.  Why do you think there's a gym every five feet in suburbia?

Shaun · Answer

Because of other women.

Why do women have so much pressure to look good?

Most Helpful Opinions

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said