The feminine beauty ideal is a specific set of beauty standards regarding traits that are ingrained in women throughout their lives and from a young age to increase their perceived physical attractiveness. It is experienced by many women in the world, though the traits change over time and vary in country and culture.
The prevailing beauty standard for women is heteronormative , [2] but the extent to which it has influenced lesbian and bisexual women is debated.
With fairy tales, mass media , advertisements, fashion and beauty-centered dolls such as Barbie dolls playing a prominent role in women's lives, it adds to the pressure to conform to the feminine beauty ideal starting from a young age.
Handling the pressure to conform to a certain definition of "beautiful" can have psychological effects on an individual, such as depression , eating disorders , body dysmorphia and low self-esteem that can start from an adolescent age and continue into adulthood. The idea of what is considered the ideal of beauty for women varies across different cultural ideals and practices.
Additional rings are added to the girl's neck every two years. This practice gradually deforms the clavicles and placement of the ribs through the weight of the rings to create the illusion of a longer neck. These women eventually carry up to 24 rings around their necks. The older generation seems comfortable and proud of their beauty by wearing rings as tourism booms in eastern Myanmar, but younger women and parents of young girls face a choice between observing an ancient cultural tradition, or being able to fit in better if they pursue education or employment outside of their community.
