With the weather getting warmer, it's not uncommon to hear girls start saying, "Ugh, I need to start working on my swimsuit body." This usually means that people start working out to get slimmer, gaining more muscle, and eating healthier.
Now, this is how some women prepare for the summer, but not everyone chooses to spend March through May doing so.
When we start searching for swimsuits, we usually only see one body type; a super skinny and fit woman with large breast and a round butt. This can cause a girl to not purchase a suit they think is cute because they'd think "oh, that suit is only cute because it looks nice on someone of that body shape".
For a woman, being exposed to only one type of body repeatedly leads them to believe that that is what they need to look like to achieve the "perfect" summer body.
So ladies, let's start to remember what an actual realistic body looks like.
Girls are curvy. Stop letting girls think the only way they can be deemed pretty is if they're sticks. Curvy women can really kill it in a bikini, but for some reason, we shame it.
Girls have stretch marks. This can be from weight gain, weight loss, pregnancy, or for teenagers, growth spurts. These are caused by basic body changes for women, yet we shame them for this.
Not all girls have a huge butt and breasts. I'm not sure why this is one of the things that girls worry about the most during the summer. Not everyone has a butt like Kim Kardashian, or breasts like Kylie Jenner.
"When you go to the beach, pool, or even a waterpark, it's not like you see only one type of girl walking around. No, you see so many different types of women. All of these different types of women your seeing, they're all in their own version of a 'swimsuit body'. So, why can't we just start labeling it like that?"
This was the response of one of my friends when I asked her about the subject. She informed me that she used to struggle over the idea that she wasn't looking like these women that you see in magazines or advertisements, but anymore, she loves the body that she's in.
"Why should I need to be changing the body that I love being in just because it's summer? It's still the body I love being in, so of course, I'm just going to embrace it more in the warm weather!"
Instead of saying "I need to start working on my swimsuit body" and immediately think that this means being super skinny and fit, let's start thinking that every body is a swimsuit body.
Ladies, Plastic Surgery ISN'T Worth The Boost In Self-Esteem And Here's Why
Plastic surgery is just as risky as other types of surgery.
Plastic surgery has been a trend for a while now, but lately, we've been seeing a lot more celebrities come out and talk about the work they've had done. YouTuber and singer, Queen Naija, made two videos about her recent tummy tuck and Brazilian butt lift. Many fans appreciated her honesty and transparency, but others criticized her for sending a bad message to her young and impressionable fans, as well as for going under the knife too soon after giving birth (her son is only three months old).
An even bigger controversy comes from Cardi B, who had to cancel one of her shows due to complications from her recent liposuction procedure. Many of her fans are worried about her health, while others are angered and disappointed that she foolishly had a major procedure so close to one of her performance dates.
Any way you slice it — pun fullyintended — both ladies, and all who decide to have plastic surgery, are taking a major toll on their bodies and health. Celebrities get so much work done that they speak about it as if it is something as nonchalant as buying new furniture.
Cardi B Shows And Talks About Her Stomach & Breast Liposuction Postpartum | Instagram Live |YouTube
But here's the thing... it's not.
Of course, it's always better for celebrities to be transparent about their procedures. It reminds women and young girls that the "ideal body type" is usually unnatural and unattainable. However, with each celebrity that comes forward, plastic surgery is more normalized and seen as desirable, harmless, and natural, although in reality, plastic surgery carries as many risks as other forms of surgery, and requires extensive post-op care and rest and recovery time, something that many celebrities conveniently leave out of their discussions about their procedures.
R&B artist, K Michelle, removed her butt implants after experiencing major complications. In an interview with The Real, K Michelle says, "I did butt, I did hips... and now it's affecting my health... My butt is so big that my legs are not holding it. People don't talk about it. I've gone to doctors who don't want to touch it. I've found one doctor who is going to do it for me, [but] imagine if you don't have the money to get it out?"
Not only that, but a Florida woman died after experiencing a fat embolism (when fat enters the bloodstream) as a result of her Brazilian butt lift. Another Florida woman suffered permanent brain damage after experiencing a lack of oxygen while undergoing breast augmentation surgery. These may seem like outliers, but is the risk really worth it? People who have medical-related surgeries are going under the knife because they need to. They don't get to have a choice in the matter because it's necessary for their health. Women and young girls are putting their health at risk voluntarily. Is it really worth it to risk your life over appearances?
An even more significant part that celebrities omit about plastic surgery is that it isn't guaranteed to make you look better. Sometimes, you actually end up looking worse. Ayesha Curry — restaurant owner, professional chef, and pro-basketball player Steph Curry's wife — recently opened up about her "botched boob job." She states, "I came out with these bigger boobs I didn't want. I got the most botched boob job on the face of the planet. They're worse now than they were before... I would never do anything like that again."
"Botched" surgeries are more common than we tend to think — if they weren't, could there really be a whole TV show about it?
So many women and young girls tend to idealize plastic surgery. They think it will be a quick, magical "fix" to their insecurities and/or bring them more opportunities. However, dozens of women later come out to say that they regret their surgeries, either because it doesn't look good or it didn't accomplish what they wanted it to. Many women end up "botched" or dead because some plastic surgeons trick their patients into thinking they're board-certified when they're not, putting the patient's health and appearance at risk.
Top 10 Celebrities Who Regret Their Plastic SurgeryYouTube
When we spin this narrative around plastic surgery, making it out to be just like any other type of beauty enhancement — or worse, some type of "empowering" action that will fix our problems — we're neglecting to realize how major of a decision deciding to go under the knife actually is. And worse, we're sending the message that to be beautiful and desirable you have to look just one way.
Surgery is meant to correct or prevent a problem — the way you naturally look is never a problem.
Ladies, always remember this: you don't need to look like every other IG model to feel good. And you damn sure don't have to endanger your health (and burn a hole in your pocket), trying to fit into an outdated and ridiculous beauty standard.