
Global Beauty Standards

Left: A woman sent her photo to 25 different countries and asked people to photoshop her to their view of body and face perfection. Here is a comparison between the original and the photoshopping done in the United States (25).
United States of America
The United States of America is first on this list, because it has proven to be not only extremely influential on beauty standards in North America, but around the world. Many of the "ideal" attractive traits in different countries can be traced back to Western influence, whether it be through social media, movies, or advertisements.
Beauty Standards for Females
The United States is notorious for having strict beauty standards for women. Women are constantly appraised, analyzed, and rated to see how attractive they are. While the idea of the perfect blonde, blue-eyed, busty yet lean, pale but sun-kissed, with broad white smile still exists as the ideal woman, the United States has seen a change in who is defined as beautiful. The number of mixed-race marriages and consequently, the birth of children of mixed heritage is on the rise. In Allure's 20th Anniversary Beauty Survey, sixty four percent of respondents believe that women of mixed heritage are the most beautiful (6). This is extremely different from the 1991 survey, where the majority of respondents selected a perfect blonde as the ideal beauty.
While the United States appears to believe that mixed heritage women are the most beautiful, another type of synthesis is believed to be gorgeous. Unfortunately, this synthesis is extremely difficult to attain naturally. It is that of a small, almost stick thin body but with a large bust. Because of the promotion for very thin bodies, many women in the United States struggle with their body image. In the United States, being lean and lithe is seen as ideal.
Summary: The ideal woman is seen as slightly tan, with light hair and a lean but busty and curvy body, with long limbs.
Beauty Standards for Males
It is not extremely difficult to imagine what the ideal body is for the male in the United States. One just has to turn to the plethora of Hollywood movies filmed over the decades, starring a tall, muscular, and hairy man. Unfortunately, male beauty standards have not been studied as extensively as female beauty standards; thus, there are not many references to aid in the formation of the "ideal male". In studies, men have said that they feel extreme pressure to have the "perfect" body (all muscle and no fat). The most popular look at the moment appears to be the "lumbersexual," a muscular and bearded man.
Summary: If you are tall, muscular, and preferably bearded, the United States will most likely consider you attractive.

Above: The "lumbersexual" look is becoming more and more popular in the United States (11).
Kayan Tribe
Located in Thailand, this tribe is well-known for its very distinct beauty standard that is perhaps one of the clearest in terms of what is seen as beautiful and what is not. Interestingly enough, the standards of beauty for males in the Kayan tribe have not been studied or specified. Thus, this website will talk simply about the beauty standard for females within this incredible culture.
Beauty Standards for Females
In the Kayan tribe, the more brass rings one can wear on their neck, the more attractive one is perceived to be. The rings begin to be put on at the age of five, and continue throughout a woman's life. They are seen as part of the body, and are extremely prided (12). Though the rings appear to elongate the neck, they actually push the clavicle and the ribs down from their intitial location. A full set of rings is made from three separate coils, one for the main neck, a wider one near the shoulders, and a small coil wrapped around the latter at a ninety degree angle. This full set weighs about 10 kilograms (13).
Summary: The greater the number of rings a woman wears, the more beautiful she is perceived to be. The Kayan women wear their rings with pride and elegance. They view it as a measure of their beauty, and take pride in the number of rings they can wear. The longer the neck, the closer you are to achieving the Kayan tribe's ideal standard of beauty.


Left: The images show how Kayan tribe neck rings look normally, as well as in an X-ray (13).
Mauritania
An Arab Maghreb country located in West Africa, Mauritania is one of the few countries where women eat more food than men on average. A generation ago, the practice of force feeding, called "gavage" was incredibly popular as a way of becoming more beautiful. In Mauritania, women seek to be big, because it is adored by men.
Beauty Standards for Females
In Mauritania, the bigger a woman is, the more attractive she is percieved to be. This is because wealth has always been associated with size in this culture. Thus, if a woman is thin, she is not wealthy, and is not suitable wife. It is believed that the amount of space a Mauritanian woman occupies in her man's heart is measured by how much space she takes up in his bed (14).
Although the practice of force feeding now only occurs in around 1 in 10 girls, there are alternatives that have begun appearing in Mauritania. These come in the form of hunger-inducing pills that trick the brain into believing the body needs to eat, or bloat the body to create the illusion of more weight. Unfortunately, although many of these pills are not meant for human consumption, and are intended for animals, Mauritanian women still take them. Any effort to lose weight is deeply frowned upon, and men are known for divorcing their wives if they lose weight, because they are no longer seen desirable.
At first glance it may seem as though the standard of beauty for females in Mauritania could be easily achieved and is healthier than more western ideals that emphasize thin bodies. However, that is not the case. From a young age, girls are forced to eat huge meals and are beaten if they throw up (14). Women make themselves ill with the amount food they eat, and will do anything they can, including take pills intended for animals, to make themselves larger. Although recently, health has become more of a concern in Mauritania, many women suffer from extreme obesity, simply for beauty.
Summary: In Mauritania, the bigger the woman, the more beautiful she is.



Above: Mauritanian models provide an example of the ideal body type for this culture (14.
Japan
An island located in the Pacific Ocean, Japan has very defined beauty standards for both men and women. Due to its very distinct and proud culture, many of the beauty standards of Japan can be traced back to the very beginnings of this culture.
Beauty Standards for Females
One of the most coveted features in Japan is white, smooth, and completely blemish free skin. It is extremely common to see Japanese women wearing visors, hats, arm covers, gloves during the summer months, so as not to get tan (17). Women also use a vast amount of skin lightening cream. There are debates about how the obsession with white skin came to be in Japan, and the most plausible has to do with white skin as a sign of wealth. Historically speaking, if one was tanned in Japan, it meant that one was a peasant who worked outdoors. If one had white skin, one worked indoors and was typically wealthy.
The next trait that is seen as extremely beautiful in Japanese women is that of a small, slim, "V" shaped head. Japanese celebrities have taken to social media, posting pictures of their faces at an angle to create the illusion of a V line. If one is not born with a V-line, there is an abundance of products advertised to help trim down the jaw and face fat. Jaw surgery is also readily available (17).
The ideal body type for Japanese women is very thin and lithe. Japanese culture is not as interested in curves as most of the western world. However, it is difficult to measure just how sought after a body with or without curves truly is in Japan, as it mostly boils down to personal preference.
A trait that has been influenced by western ideals is that of the double eyelid. Having double eyelids make the eyes look bigger, which is seen as incredibly attractive. Many celebrities get plastic surgery to achieve this standard, while others opt for double eyelid tape (18). This body alteration is one of the most popular surgeries in Japan, and many believe that it is due to the desire to look more western.
Summary: The ideal standard of beauty for Japanese women is to have flawless white skin, a slim V-shaped face, a thin body, and double eyelids.
Beauty Standards for Males
Interestingly enough, many of the female beauty standards of Japan are also becoming male beauty standards. Japan has seen a dramatic increase in male grooming salons, hair removal creams, and face firming masks. Many men carry beauty pouches around with them, equipped with lip cream, tweezers, a mirror, and other beauty items that may come in handy throughout the day (19).
The ideal Japanese male is described more as "beautiful" rather than "handsome". While a chiseled body is certainly seen as attractive, male faces that are more feminine, with eyebrows that are done and sometimes even makeup around the eyes, are seen as ideal.
Summary: Perfect white skin, no body hair, a chiseled body, a feminine face, and well-defined facial features are seen as the epitome of beauty for males in Japan.

Left: The Japanese female ideal standard of beauty created through the use of makeup and plastic surgery (20).
Right: Japanese men are desirable with more feminine facial features and white, unblemished skin (21).

Brazil
Located in the eastern part of South America, Brazil is known for its beautiful scenery and incredible parties and festivals, such as Carnival. Brazil is also known for having some of the most beautiful women in the world. However, many of the Brazilian women advertized in films and advertisements do not accurately portray what the typical Brazilian woman looks like. Many have noticed that it is difficult to distinguish Brazilian women in the media from Caucasian or European women. This is slightly confusing, as Brazil is the home of descendants of more than 4 million African slaves. In a survey done on Brazilian women, 65% of them do not identify with the standard of beauty of Brazil presented in the media (22).
Beauty Standards for Females
As mentioned above, there is a division between the media version of Brazilian beauty and Brazilian women's ideal standards. Many Brazilians value curly or wavy hair, and lightly tanned skin. Brazilian women are considered beautiful if their bodies mirror the shape of a guitar, with a small bust and a large bottom. As is true for most of South America, a thin body is seen as the most ideal. Women who are also tall and have long legs are considered especially beautiful. Recently, Brazil and most of South America has seen a large upsurge in plastic surgery procedures as beauty standards become even stricter and less attainable (23).
Summary: While the media promotes white skin and straight hair as the ideal in Brazil, women with wavy hair and slightly tan skin who have a guitar shaped body and long legs truly portray the ideal beauty standard in this culture.
Beauty Standards for Males

Brazilian men believe that good looks lead not only to a more charming and confident personality, but also will help them get ahead in life and work. Hair-styling products, moisturizers, and fragrances, before female-dominated products, are now being taken over by men. Brazilian men are extremely meticulous in their grooming routines, with hair removal becoming extremely popular.
Just as Brazilian women feel as though the media has not accurately portrayed their standards of beauty, Brazilian men are not all white, nor is that necessarily the ideal. Brazilian men who are tan, muscular, with dark hair are seen as the most desirable. (23).
Summary: Brazilian men are seen as most attractive when they are hairless, tan, and muscular.
Left: Model Grace Carvalho, a face that is averaged from the faces of numerous Brazilian women, and television host Eliana Michaelichin Bezerra (22).

Above: The "ideal" Brazilian man (24).
England
Located in Europe, England is known for its kings and queens, princes and princesses. Many consider the current Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, to be the epitome of English female beauty. For men, sports stars like David Beckham are beauty inspirations. What do these icons have in common that make them the definition of ideal British beauty?
Beauty Standards for Females
Due to fairly recent Americanized media influence becoming more prominent in England, the standard for the female body resembles that of the ideal American woman closely. The English woman should be thin, tall, and toned. Now, she ia also expected to have sizable breasts and a round bottom (18). Interestingly enough, there have been many rebellions against the portrayal of women on shopping websites and catalogs, due to the simple fact that the models' bodies are simply unattainable. It is too early to say for certain; however, this may be the beginning of a change in England's female body standards from an entirely unrealistic image to an attainable one.
Studies show that the average woman in England spends around 474 days of her life applying makeup, and spends about $15,000 on makeup (18). This money is spent also on tans. Fake tans have become extremely popular among women in England, due to the fact that the weather is typically cloudy. The belief among women is that with tanning comes flawless skin, a trait that seems to be desired not only in England, but around the world .
Summary: The ideal beauty standard for women in England is to be tall, thin, and lean with big breasts and bottom, as well as tanned skin.

Left: Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is seen as the embodiment of England's ideal female beauty standards (26).
Beauty Standards for Males
It is difficult to precisely describe the ideal standard of male beauty in England, as there have not been extensive studies done, perhaps because the standards are very similar to those in the United States. However, British men have started getting more tattoos and body piercings as a means of expression. Fashion icons such as David Beckham may be behind this trend. English men are also expected to have the sports star physique, with chiseled abs and muscles.
British men have reported that they feel pressured by the media to have the perfect body, which is as unattainable for men as it is for women. With a stronger American influence on England's ideal body standards, it will be interesting to see how the already unattainable standards develop over time.

Above: With his tattoos and athletic physique, soccer player David Beckham is a perfect example of the ideal standard of beauty for men in England (27)