Alicia Kaur is a supermodel based in Mumbai. She has Australian roots and is becoming more and more successful in the Indian fashion industry. Recently, she talked about her path to accepting herself.
In a talk with ANI’s Smita Prakash, Alicia shared how society’s ideas of beauty made her decide to get breast augmentation surgery last year. “I used to be involved in sports. So, I have a muscular body and I don’t need to work hard to keep it that way. But for me, being a woman also means having a curvy body. I wasn’t happy with myself. Every day when I looked in the mirror, I felt bad about myself because I didn’t feel womanly enough. I felt more like a man. This bothered me for many years.”
She also said, “These ideas are deeply in our minds.” When Prakash was surprised that Alicia felt so insecure about her body, Alicia replied, “This happens all the time. One of the things I’m trying hard to do is to love myself. But I’m also worried that self-love might turn into being too confident or arrogant. So, it’s a constant struggle in my mind.” Kaur showed her breast augmentation surgery on social media. Then she was asked why she decided to have the surgery. “I was tired of looking at myself in the mirror and hating what I saw. I didn’t want to live like that. Since I was 14, other girls were developing, but I wasn’t. And I was told that I might have to have children one day for my body to change. But right now, having children is not in my plans as I’m focused on my career.
When I had the surgery, something amazing happened. All of a sudden, I felt like a real woman. I don’t know why, it’s just how I feel in my mind. I’m really happy with my decision.”
Although Alicia made this decision for herself, she knows that models often face pressure to fit the fashion industry’s ideals. She stressed that it’s important to make smart choices. She said, “It’s very important to set limits. I liked women with fuller figures, and I wanted my result to look natural. I think it turned out really real-looking.”
But how do these pressures change how we see ourselves? And how do we know where to draw the line between our own choices and what society wants? An expert has something to say.
Psychologist Rasshi Gurnani said, “The most important thing to deal with this pressure is to accept yourself. Women should decide for themselves what being a woman means, instead of letting society tell them how they should look. Finding groups that like all body types, being with people who support you, and loving your own unique beauty can help you change your view.” Alicia has been open about using Botox. She said she uses it not just to look good, but also for medical reasons. Gurnani said, “When we talk about cosmetic procedures, we need to find a balance. We need to figure out where the line is between improving ourselves and giving in to societal pressure.” She also added, “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look better, but the key is to do it for yourself, not because of impossible beauty standards. Loving your body means liking your natural self, and making changes that make you happy, not just to fit in. If cosmetic procedures start to feel like you’re just trying to meet others’ expectations all the time, it’s a good idea to stop and think again.”
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