Before And After: 55 People Who Completely Transformed Their Look

Physical self-improvement is a very nuanced topic. It would be naive to say that looks don’t matter (thanks, Halo Effect) because of how much they impact social first impressions. And yet, being obsessed with physical looks alone ignores the importance of your character, behavior, goals, relationships, purpose, etc.

Taking care of your health and looks is something to be applauded, yes. However, if you become obsessed with this and base your entire self-worth on your appearance and looking ‘perfect’ (something that is unattainable), you can seriously harm your mental health, confidence, and even relationships.

People who have body dysmorphic disorder can’t stop thinking about the perceived flaws in their appearance. Often, these flaws are either small or not even noticeable.

This mental health condition makes it so you compare yourself to others and excessively focus on your appearance. You repeatedly check the mirror, obsess over your body image, and seek reassurance.

Individuals with this disorder can spend entire hours every day focused on repetitive behaviors related to their looks.

This obsession with perfection can lead to real consequences, like feeling so embarrassed, anxious, and ashamed that you avoid some social situations and isolate yourself.

“Your perceived flaw and the repetitive behaviors cause you significant distress and impact your ability to function in your daily life,” the Mayo Clinic warns.

“You may seek out numerous cosmetic procedures to try to ‘fix’ your perceived flaw. Afterward, you may feel temporary satisfaction or a reduction in your distress, but often the anxiety returns and you may resume searching for other ways to fix your perceived flaw.”

The features and parts of the body that people suffering from BDD focus on can change over time. However, the most common features that they tend to focus on include their:

1. Face, including the nose, acne, wrinkles, complexion, and blemishes
2. Hair, including thinning and baldness
3. Skin and vein appearance
4. Muscle size and tone, etc.

The latter, an obsession with being too small or not muscular enough, occurs “almost exclusively” in men.

Treating body dysmorphic disorder may require you to undergo cognitive behavioral therapy. In some cases, you may even need medication.

Broadly speaking, this disorder doesn’t get better on its own. You need to be proactive about reaching out for help.

Left untreated, it can worsen over time and lead to more anxiety, severe depression, major medical bills, and… worse.

Other complications from BDD include low self-esteem, social isolation, mood disorders, OCD, substance misuse, eating disorders, skin picking, physical pain or disfigurement from surgeries, etc.

‘The Glow Up’ is an online group that was created in 2019 and is focused on “ruthless physical self-improvement.” At the time of writing, it gets 15k weekly visitors.

According to the moderators who run the group, this is a heavily moderated community that encourages people to share actionable aesthetic advice and to be “kind but honest.”

The focus of the group is entirely on detailed, constructive criticism revolving around physical aesthetics. “No one is perfect, everyone can improve,” the mods stress.

They also emphasize that you should not go around giving unwanted advice. For example, if someone is asking you for insights about their hair, you should not be pitching them permanent solutions like plastic surgery.

Focus on non-permanent solutions like hair styling, make-up, diet, and fitness advice for anyone looking to make small changes in their looks.

According to the mods, their group is not a place for ratings, selfies, validation-seeking, healthy at every size posts, or content related to “you’re perfect as you are” ideas.

What’s more, they emphasize that community is not a place to find dates or any kind of harassment. Nor are you allowed to post any incel-related content.

What’s your perspective? How do you maintain a healthy relationship with beauty and self-improvement?

How do you protect your mental well-being despite the societal pressure to look and be ‘perfect’?

Have you ever had a glow-up, whether accidentally or because you intentionally worked toward it? Share your experiences, challenges, and insights in the comments below.

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