Self-hate, beauty standards: how do we stop the madness?

Hey guys, although many don't go as far as South African artist Mshoza (pictured below), a lot of people still hurt themselves emotionally when they let unhealthy beauty standards (hair, skin color, etc.) become their own.
Just wanted to get the conversation going. Everyone is somehow affected. How do we make sure that women, men, boys and girls get out of this vicious circle? - Lou C-D

Tags: Black, Bleach, Bleaching, Color, Hair, Of, People, Perm, Skin, Straightening, More…Weave

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Comment by urbanwhim on January 3, 2013 at 6:30pm: I'm gonna bite the bullet: Does wearing perms, weaves or even bleaching your skin automatically equate to self-hatred?

Comment by JoSpinner on January 3, 2013 at 4:46am: This woman is seriously disturbed. Check the video where she states she wants to be whiter then white. http://youtu.be/9y3s7qV_wzU

Comment by E.V on January 1, 2013 at 6:31pm: I actually am just shocked that people would bleach their skin. People should welcome the way the are instead of just finding cheap ways to beat their human nature. There are light skinned people tanning themselves in a tanning booth to get darker skin while people with darker skin want to bleach their skin just to be lighter. Practicing such "trends" could damage the epidermis of the person's skin. And the people who do such practices don't care because they rather die "pretty". It is just bad. plain bad. Everyone has their own unique beauty that is natural. Why can't they accentuate that instead of depleting it.

Comment by HeartOfAMetalhead on December 24, 2012 at 11:31pm: Someone should find the article from this magazine. I would love to see what she said about her recent changes.

Comment by Mawsi on December 23, 2012 at 3:24pm: Oh god... Shame on her!!!!

Comment by BK_Malik on December 22, 2012 at 6:49pm: @Nikki Lynette - very much on point!!

Comment by Nikki Lynette on December 22, 2012 at 3:45pm: I had tooooooooo much to say on this, I had to blog about it:

http://www.chicagonow.com/becoming-nikki-lynette/2012/12/why-lighte...

This topic kills me

Comment by BK_Malik on December 22, 2012 at 2:29pm: @Honey... excellent points, I would amend your first paragraph though to say that Black fathers AND mothers (since so many of us are unfortunately absent...) need to tell ALL of our daughters that their hair and skin are beautiful the way they are as soon as they can comprehend it, including all shades and hair textures.

Comment by Larry "Grey Eagle" Beaner on December 22, 2012 at 10:04am: Beauty comes in all colors; especially among our women! Please get that, it's the honest-to-God truth!

Comment by Ta Riq Vladartz on December 22, 2012 at 7:10am: That goddXXn Brainwhitewash.

Most of you AfroPunk fellas will have heared once in a while the non colored folks dissin Michael Jackson for using high-tech medicine to get the looks he wanted to have. I will keep on backin his stance/choice against those accusations.

Nevertheless I prefer colored women who have self-esteem and don't feel bad about their complexion and hair style.

BTW, who of you girls and boys here is not (a bit) nuts for Chescaleigh, huh ??

As Honey Williams, BK_Malik, Indiana, AJ and SKATEXEDGE said well its quite a matter of the individual as part of society (male, female or other partner) to welcome, love, accept, desire people as they are. Despite those backyard ointments and stuff leaves far too many with incurable scars. Shrinks would not only be a proposal to inappropriate partners but first and foremost to product designer and likes who create role models which fit into their narrow media concepts.