How Cosmetology Affects a Person's Self-Esteem

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How Cosmetology Affects a Person’s Self-Esteem
In today’s society, it is part of our human nature to strive for perfection. By doing this, a majority of women worldwide use the power of cosmetology, hair and facial cosmetics, to enhance their natural beauty in order to feel better about themselves. However, the use of cosmetology has not always been used only to boost one’s self esteem. Laws were also enforced against the use of cosmetics.

History
During ancient civilizations, Egyptians used scented oils as healing solutions. Cosmetic products eventually found their way into ancient Greece and Rome, where women strived to be considered “beautiful.” However, in Sparta, it was believed that the use of makeup represented “superior beauty”. Therefore, women in this area were prohibited from wearing makeup. Similar to what we are familiar with today, baths, spas, manicures, and hairdressing came from ancient Greek customs. During the expansion of the Roman Empire, Greeks developed their own customs which included cosmetics (A Brief History of Cosmetology). Soon, prices inflated and rich women gambled to have the best of the best. This lead to the prohibition of any sort of cosmetics (Chaudri S.K., Jain N.K., 2009).
In ancient China, pale skin and white teeth were considered fashionable. For centuries, women would use powdered lead in order to lighten their complexion. They also used rouge to redden their lips, and eventually they changed to use black makeup to darken their lips. This technique was adapted and utilized in Japan, where they also darkened their teeth by using soot and ash. It was also important for women in Japan to take good care of their hair, usually long, silky hair was the style (A Brief Histo...

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Does Makeup Affect Women's Self Esteem? (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2013, from http://m.refinery29.com/makeup-self-esteem History of Cosmetics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2013, from Cosmetics History and Facts: http://www.historyofcosmetics.net Twist, M.-A. (2010, October 18). Retrieved December 13, 2013, from Back To EurekAlert: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-10/uocp-hdb101810.php Uku, A. (2010, April 2). A Timeline of Beauty Defined Through the Ages. Retrieved December 12, 2013, from thefashionspot.com: http://www.thefashionspot.com/beauty/82016-a-timeline-of-beauty- defined-through-the-ages/ Valentine, L. (n.d.). Beauty Through the Ages. Retrieved December 12, 2013, from Recapturing Beauty:
https://recapturingbeauty.byu.edu/topics/timeline.php

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