Session 9 – Body Modification

Women have bodies, each unique and amazing. But we live in a society that tells us that we should hate our bodies.

We’re encouraged to bleach or dye our hair, straighten it, perm it, cut or grow it. To wear make-up and use tweezers, threading or wax on our eyebrows and other facial hair. To use moisturiser to avoid wrinkles.

If the hair on our arms is visible, we’re told to bleach or wax it. Our nails must be grown, painted or covered with acrylics. Our armpits must be shaved or waxed.

Our breasts must be perky, through push up bras, underwires or surgery. Our stomachs must be flat, even after having children. We are told to use tummy control underwear, to starve ourselves or to have surgery.

We are told to change how our genitals smell, to shave or wax our pubic hair and to have surgery if our vulvas aren’t neat or our vaginas aren’t tight.

We’re told to shave or wax our legs, while our feet must be squeezed into high heels that are damaging and unhealthy. If our skin is light, we’re told to tan it with sun beds or tanning lotion. If our skin is dark, we’re told to bleach it.

And in the end, there’s nothing left of us.