Reflections on Face Positivity: Why It's More Important Than Ever

I am what people call a wearer of many hats - editor, influencer, entrepreneur - though I must admit, some hats fit better than others. There's one hat, however, that I put on every day that isn't always met with the same recognition: the hat of a woman bravely navigating the minefield of societal beauty standards. Like a cat chasing its tail, I've often found myself eyeing my reflection, wondering if I would ever catch up to the tantalizing and somewhat elusive ideals of beauty. Enter stage left: face positivity, our new hero challenging these exact ideals.

What is face positivity?

Face positivity is a movement that has emerged in recent years as an extension of the broader body positivity movement. It promotes the acceptance and appreciation of all facial features, regardless of societal beauty standards.

This means embracing everything about our faces that makes us unique - from skin conditions like acne or rosacea, to features such as freckles, scars, lines, or wrinkles. It also includes features often marginalized or stigmatized due to race or ethnicity, such as certain nose shapes or eye shapes.

Like body positivity, face positivity challenges the narrow and often unattainable beauty standards perpetuated by the media and the beauty industry. It promotes the idea that all faces, like all bodies, are beautiful in their own right and don't need to be altered to fit a particular mold. It encourages self-love and self-acceptance, reminding us that our worth isn't tied to our appearance.

Why Face Positivity Hits Different

Our pursuit of self-love comes with a rite of passage: a face-off (pun very much intended) with societal beauty standards. These standards often seem like a VIP list to a party where everyone else is left standing behind the velvet rope. Face positivity bulldozes that velvet rope, encouraging more inclusive, healthier attitudes towards beauty. It's about understanding that our faces, laugh lines, crow's feet, acne scars, and all, are like pages in our autobiographies, making us beautiful in a way no one else can claim.

The Dicey Crossroads of Plastic Surgery and Face Positivity

The plot thickens when we introduce plastic surgery and non-invasive procedures like fillers, botox, and threads into our face positivity narrative. Let's get one thing straight: I'm all about personal autonomy. If someone decides to touch up their face for their own satisfaction, my respect for that person will not change in any way.

However, it's crucial to play detective with our motivations. Are we standing in the plastic surgeon's office because we want to, or is it the whispers of societal pressures that led us there? Sometimes it’s a chicken and egg situation. This is where face positivity steps in, reminding us we don't need to go under the knife to fit into the mold of rigid beauty standards.

Social Media: A Love-Hate Relationship

Ah, social media - our dear frenemy. It's a champion for face positivity, but it's also an amplifier for harmful beauty ideals. It's a platform for unfiltered faces, but it's also a parade of filtered perfection that leaves us questioning our self-worth.

Having built a career in this digital jungle, I've seen the beast from both sides. There have been moments when I've paused before posting a bare-faced selfie or a close-up shot revealing my "flaws". But every time I overcome that hesitation and hit 'post', I remind myself and others that our authenticity is the secret sauce to true beauty.

The Future is Here: Embracing Diversity, Celebrating Individuality

Leading Project Vanity has taught me that our voice is our superpower. We have the privilege - and the duty - to cultivate a space that champions acceptance and diversity.

So let's start this ripple effect - normalize diverse faces in our media, question the beauty doctrine we've been spoon-fed, and banish the notion that our worth has a correlation with these norms. Here's a reminder: whether we're wearing our natural features proudly or deciding to make a few edits, our beauty is in our uniqueness.

Face positivity, to me, isn't a mere movement; it's a personal expedition of acceptance. It's about seeing our faces as unique landscapes etched with our life's experiences - every line, every scar, every 'imperfection.' It's a revolution I'm ecstatic to be part of, and I invite you to pack your bags and join me. Because in this revolution, our authentic faces aren't just accepted, they're put up in lights and celebrated.