Two Day Magazine

Men are pressured to look good, too, you know...

“Imagine a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety.”

That’s how Dove — the personal care products maker — introduces their “Movement for Self-Esteem” promotion.

Take a moment to think about that kind of world — where people can be who they are, look how they want and not worry about fitting some stereotypical mold of what is beautiful.

If we lived in that world, you, me and so many others like us probably wouldn’t encounter the people throughout life who think judging us is OK because we are not an “ideal” weight or our hair color is wrong or we don’t wear the latest fashion trends.

We’re pressured into believing we have to look a certain way, use a particular product and dress exactly how the store mannequin is displayed. If we don’t, we’ll never fit in.

I’ve known for a long time I never was going to grace the cover of GQ magazine. In the eyes of the powers that be, I’ve got nothing they want — no sex appeal; no light, blond hair and no six-pack of abs.

It didn’t take me too long to get over the fact that my face wouldn’t have the chance to be on a glossy magazine cover on a bookstore shelf.

But, it has taken awhile to get to where I am in terms of accepting that I don’t need to look like a GQ cover model.

If you’re wondering if guys are self-conscious about their looks as much as women, the answer is yes. And, we can thank women for that.

For most women, even a quick trip to the grocery store involves make up and coordinating clothes.

So, somewhere along the way, men were forced to think about hair, clothing styles, accessories and, yes, even make up.

It’s really sad, when you think about it. On one hand, we encourage people to be who they are and not to worry about fitting a mold or blending in with whatever the popular trends are. But on the other hand, we’re buying hair products, skin care and all sorts of stuff we don’t need.

This sounds cliché, but it’s not what’s on the outside that matters. You can be as hot or sexy as the best looking model out there, and buy the best beauty care products and clothes money can buy, but none of it matters if you’ve a poor personality and character.

I could lose weight, care about the clothes I wear and buy hair gel, but I’m comfortable with who I am and what I’ve become. I haven’t always been comfortable in my shoes, and there certainly are moments where I wish I looked different.

That’s not to say I don’t care about things I could change. I could stand to lose weight — if for nothing else to be healthier.

But, losing weight to look better is something I’m uncomfortable with. I lose 5 pounds, 20 pounds or 50 pounds and I’m still me — nothing about who I am changes.

Beauty is about being happy with yourself, your life and who you are as a person. To me, feeling sexy is about being confident, passionate, caring and genuine.

People with those beauty marks are more than just runway models and magazine covers, they’re role models.

There’s no doubt beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A world of confident people of all shapes, sizes and styles is much sexier than a world of department store-looking mannequins — complete with plastic personalities.

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