I know that appearance is a primary basis for self-evaluation and low satisfaction with one's looks could result in having low self-esteem. Especially for African women- unrealistic beauty standards reflected in modern foreign society and the obvious inability to keep up results in low self-esteem.
The effects of low self-esteem can be drastic, ranging from skin infections to eating disorders to depression based on the different steps taken by people in a bif to enhance physical looks while trying to increase self-esteem.
I think it is needful for there to be a seismic shift in the scale of beauty. Africans for instance, must see that it is ridiculous to judge themselves by western beauty standards.
Not only was the system of western beauty created without the faces and bodies of African women in the equation, a single monolithic standard of beauty makes no sense.
Nature is diverse and people come in varieties- shapes, sizes, colours. So should the assumption of beauty.
How can a bunch of people claim that some young, thin, light skinned lady is the perfect model? How can a bunch of people accept the ideology and strive to beat their biology to that model?
I think we should explain stuff to our young girls, accept ourselves and others; give compliments freely.
I think we need to define value not by how we look, but by WHAT WE DO.