INTRODUCTION
Body ornamentation is the deliberate alteration of the human physical appearance done for sexual enhancement, aesthetics, religious beliefs, and rites of passage. In the recent years, body ornamentation has become famous in the whole world as people tend to identify themselves using different decorations or changes in physical appearances. The practice has been in existence for several years and the most recent ones that have appeared in the society are seen as means of enhancing the beauty of a person. However, it is important to take caution since some of these body ornamentations have negative effects on the human body (Kaplan 43).
ANALYSIS
Colonial gaze and the male gaze both portray men and women in terms of their sexuality. The colonial gaze was a way used by the colonial imperialists to have a sexual connotation that objectified the women especially in the western countries and during the colonial period. The colonial gaze used to identify the colonial women as objects of some particular interests and torture. Gender was thus used during this period as a tool for colonialism in the world. Male gaze on the other hand was used to perceive the world and the visual culture from a masculine point of view. In Male gaze, men’s attitude dominated the visual culture and everything was associated to the males.
New beauty practices
The new beauty practices that have made entry into the human cultures have looked forward to identify people according to the way they alter their bodies. There have numerous beauty practices that have evolved. For instance; hair extension which is used by people with short hair especially women to lengthen their hair and change their appearance, changing a person’s skin color which is mainly done by people in the black race to create a light skin appearance that is associated with beauty and plastic surgery which is a medical procedure that involves altering or restoring of a certain form of the human body.
Comparison
The new beauty practices can be compared to the colonial gaze and male gaze in terms of persons being identified in a particular way. Colonial gaze on women and male gaze on men identified the different genders in some ways to give them identification in the society. The new beauty practices can be termed as tendencies to enhance the visibility of a person mostly. When persons change their skin color, they are looking at increasing their beauty so that they can be noticed easily. In such a way, people with a light skin perceive themselves as more beautiful compared to the ones who have with dark skin in the long run (Kaplan 67).
The difference between the two practices is that, the new beauty practices such as plastic surgery are done out of an individual’s will to alter their way of appearance. The new beauty practices used by women are out of their own will since there is no individual that forces another to change the color of their skin or hair. However, the colonial gaze was an imperialist way of identifying women thus was done through the power that the colonial regime had (Christa 12).
Negative effects
The modern beauty practices have numerous negative effects that might harm the body of an individual in various ways. Some of the few negative effects include but not limited to the following; a risk of skin cancer infection, piercing infections such as HIV, and liver damage. Such negative effects threaten the lives of individuals in the society. The government has worked at fighting disease in such a way that when such cases occur, the fight against disease is slowed down in the United States. On the other hand, there are ethical concerns with regards to the religious views on altering a body part that God created. Religious leaders believe that individuals are not supposed to tamper with God’s creation thus such practices such as skin lightening and plastic surgery are sins against God.
Government intervention
The government of the United States cannot intervene in such issues due to the freedom that every person has. However, the government can act accordingly to prevent infections and diseases that occur as a result of such practices in the country. The government can work with the various states to ensure that all the areas that practice such body ornamentation practices are licensed and supervised by the State department of health. By ensuring such stringent measures are put forward, there will be reduced infections and risks of diseases such as skin cancer which is a problem to the whole world.
CONCLUSION
Modern body ornamentation is thus seen as a practice that related to the practice that was done by the colonialists to show imperialism over women. The practice as much as it is appreciated by different people and different cultures, it has side effects which are dangerous and can lead to deaths in the long run. It is thus important for persons to practice the modern beauty practices with caution observing all the medical rules and regulations to avoid complications in the long run (Wilkinson 70).
Works Cited;
Kaplan, E. Ann. Looking for the other: Feminism, film, and the imperial gaze. Psychology Press, 2007.
Christa, Cuyper. "Dermatologic complications with body art: tattoos, piercings and permanent make-up. Berlin: Springer, 2010.
Wilkinson, Judith. Fundamentals of Nursing. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. 2010.
