As women, we are made aware of our bodies, our hair and our skin on a daily basis. We are forever surrounded by notions of how a woman is ‘supposed’ to look, and at times this can be a hard thing to face. While some of us are perfectly happy in our own skin, others are interested in enhancing and preserving our bodies. I would argue that there is no right or wrong way to be – neither women who want to leave things to nature, nor women who choose the aid of specialists should be judged or made to feel inferior. Each to their own, as the saying goes.

While I am all for celebrating the natural figure and believe that beauty really does come from the inside, I understand the decision many women make to enhance or alter their body. As a fashion and life stylist, I use Vanessa Green’s comprehensive magazine The Beauty Book as a resource for my clients. Focussed on all things related to beauty, this magazine provides readers with up-to-date information on the latest technologies and products. Intended for all women, The Beauty Book informs readers interested in beauty procedures and items which are the best to use.

What is wrong with being interested in preserving your body? Nothing – just like there is nothing wrong with not being interested in preserving your body. We all care about our health; we all go to the dentist and the doctor to improve our bodies in some sense, so why is it frowned upon to go to a skin specialist or plastic surgeon for help? If this gives some women the confidence they need to feel happy in their everyday life then it shouldn’t be criticised. As Green writes in the latest edition of The Beauty Book, “beauty should not be about changing yourself to achieve an ideal or be more socially acceptable, but more about your confidence.” If a woman has an eye lift or a tummy tuck to make herself feel better, rather than to adhere to standards imposed by the media, who are we to judge?  

It might not be for you, but there is a world that exists out there where people are interested in enhancing or preserving their bodies – there wouldn’t be a magazine based around the safest and most effective ways to do this if no one cared. As women we need to learn to appreciate and support the individual decisions we all make, rather than judge them. Women who are against skin alterations and women who are for them are merely different – not ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’