The modern beauty industry profits by fuelling fear, perfection, and obsession with youth, disguised as self-care.
Remember the early 2000s, when skin whitening products dominated the beauty aisles and ‘Fair & Lovely’ was a household name? The beauty industry, as ironic as it sounds, has been profiting off the ugliest tactics, including the narrative that beauty is something that is attained rather than embraced. By inducing a potent motivator. Fear, people are manipulated to feel that they are never quite enough without a particular product. The fear of not fitting into society, of being looked down upon, or not meeting a certain beauty standard has been gradually fed into our systems, slowly poisoning our minds into seeing beauty through their eyes.
Since Gen Z claims to be ‘woke’ and is actively embracing, promoting, and pushing self-love and inclusivity, thus whitening creams aren’t best-sellers anymore. The rise in cancel culture has led some of them to rebrand themselves. But the beauty industry is still soaring. So, what’s working out for them? Which insecurity are they targeting this time? Let me make it easier to crack. Have you ever felt like you’re missing out because you haven’t had a hydra facial, or skin tightening, prejuvenation treatments, or any other ‘non-invasive’, ‘minimally invasive’ procedure yet?
Ladies and gentlemen, the fear of the decade award goes to none other than the fear of ageing. With a society so focused on awareness and self-care, the manipulation tactic is still the same, but has taken a new form: the promotion of ‘prejuvenation’. Think of it as the middle ground between prevention and rejuvenation. It is known to be a proactive approach to ageing that focuses on maintaining youth rather than fixing signs of ageing after they appear. Simply put, it’s all about keeping the clock from ticking too soon.
The biggest and most notable shift in the dermatology industry for the last two decades has been the rise in reversal treatments for Millennials and preventive treatments for Gen Z. With the latter generation finally coming into buying power, a few critical questions arise. Growing up watching advancements in aesthetic dermatology and knowing exactly what it is capable of (thanks to the normalisation online), will the obsession with holding age markers at bay go haywire? Are wrinkles and fine lines truly the worst things that could happen to you? If you’re in your 20s or 30s, take a moment to rethink. When did the fear of ageing start to outweigh the risks of injecting your body with harmful toxins? It’s time to ask what’s scarier: the lines on your face or the invisible dangers beneath the surface?
Wait, toxins? How could anything go so wrong with just a facial or a non-invasive treatment? There is more than one answer to this. Did you know that Retinol, widely celebrated for its anti-ageing benefits. It is a Vitamin A derivative, belonging to a family of compounds called retinoids. Which, when used in higher concentrations can disrupt hormone levels and impact reproductive health. A recent article published in the Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists called “Rising Trends of Cosmetic Procedures: A Forewarning of New Addictive Behaviour” highlights a case study performed in Taxila with 112 participants between the ages of 18 and 65 who had gone through some cosmetic procedure in their lifetime. 52.3% of the candidates displayed mildly addictive behaviour while 18.4 – 29.3% showed moderate to severe addictive behaviour, very similar to the ones associated with substance abuse. The study also introduced the concept of “perceptual drift,” illustrating how exposure to augmented images on social media reshapes individuals’ expectations of natural facial appearance.
Another example is Botox, which is widely used to smooth out wrinkles, but it works by injecting a neurotoxin into your muscles to temporarily paralyse them. While it’s generally considered safe when administered by a qualified professional, misuse or overuse can lead to side effects like drooping eyelids, uneven facial expressions, or even muscle weakness. And that’s just the beginning. Treatments like Botox, dermal fillers, and chemical peels may promise quick, easy results, but the risks can be hidden in fine print. Botox, while effective for wrinkles, can sometimes cause severe allergic reactions, bruising, or even permanent scarring, if not administered properly.
Interestingly, the direct advertising of Botox or Botulinum toxin directly is restricted. Which leaves the brands with one last resort, which is no other than; influencer marketing. These influencers, undeniably have substantial power over their audiences, making them the perfect tool for subtle marketing. What happens when you set unrealistic beauty standards? People would be willing to pay a fortune to become that standard, to be envied and looked up to. Aestheticians claim that people are now coming to their clinics with a broader knowledge of the available treatments. However, with this extensive information, comes the threat of the dissemination of misinformation and exaggerated effects. Just because something worked for one person, it does not guarantee the same results for someone else. But to understand this, one also has to know that anything posted online by an influencer has a motive, be it a monetary incentive or to gain popularity.
Social media platforms have become breeding grounds for trends like these. Influencers, dermatologists, and aesthetic clinics regularly showcase their preventative skincare routines, often including Botox, fillers, and high-tech facials. Their posts emphasise “glow-ups” and “preventative measures,” making these treatments seem necessary in a modern self-care routine. This isn’t about drastic transformations. The appeal of prejuvenation lies in its subtlety, in small, incremental steps to maintain a fresh, youthful appearance. For instance, ‘glass skin’, a Korean beauty term, is now caught on by the rest of the world, resulting in the hashtag #GlassSkin accumulating 3.9 billion views on TikTok worldwide (Source: TikTok). Every skincare brand made it a point to market their products with the glass skin narrative.
At the end, it’s not merely about the adverse effects of certain beauty products and treatments. The rise of prejuvenation reflects the beauty industry’s ongoing ability to sell us fear. The question is, are we truly willing to sacrifice our health, wallets, and sense of self for the fleeting illusion of perfection? Perhaps it’s time that we start seeing beauty, not as something to be fixed. But as something to be celebrated in all its stages.