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Chapter 9: - Self-“Improvement”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2024

Charlotte Markey
Charlotte Markey
Affiliation:
Rutgers University, New Jersey
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Summary

  • It’s understandable to care about your appearance and invest some time, energy, and money into looking your best given the appearance-focused culture we live in. Don’t feel bad for caring about how you look.

  • Before trying to alter your appearance – especially in any permanent way – you should question why you want to invest in your appearance, for who, and what you expect to result from this investment.

  • It’s important to appreciate that your physical appearance is only one part of who you are and altering your appearance will not necessarily improve your life in meaningful ways.

Keywords

adaptive appearance investmentbeauty industrybody autonomybeauty sicknesssocial comparisonbody surveillancebody modificationpiercing and tattooscosmetic surgeryinjectibles
Type
Chapter
Information
Adultish
The Body Image Book for Life
 , pp. 161 - 180
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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