Doctor Love: Defining Beauty

Monica Bellucci

After fixing her hair in front of the mirror, one of my former roommates realized how fun it is to be single again. With a girl like her out on the prowl for the perfect guy –tall, handsome, intelligent, good pedigree and maybe a hint of the usual bad boy attitude women love, many women would be intimidated that she, a beautiful and educated young woman is single and available.

Sophia Loren

Confusion and Doubt: What makes a woman beautiful?

However, like many beautiful women, she does not see herself clearly. In fact, she doubts that she is beautiful.  This brings us to a rather important question, why is it that we can look at other women and say that they are perfect but when we look at ourselves, we see nothing but flaws. 

There are some Filipino women who are exempted from this rule though because some, even the not-so-beautiful, have so much confidence in themselves that one wonders where this confidence was bought.

                                                                         Photoshop Era

This is the era where models and beauty queens are being airbrushed and photoshopped like crazy, and we ask ourselves, what is cute compared to magazine beautiful? Yes, women know that these are unrealistic photos but we all strive so hard to look like we just leaped out of a magazine. Although some would say that they doll up to make themselves happy, it is human nature for women to try to look more beautiful to attract potential mates.

Being beautiful has its rewards but it’s not your makeup or the way your hair is pulled up or curled or whatever that will increase your chances of being deemed as an attractive female.

                       Mankind’s Quest for Beauty

Angelina Jolie

The secret to being attractive has been a part of mankind’s quest for as long as civilization is concerned. Cleopatra for one invented makeup to make herself look more attractive than her peers (or her subjects) while Marie Antoinette bathed in wine to ensure that she doesn’t age. Women and a few metrosexual men spend a third of their yearly income to make themselves look good.

All Comes Down To Genes

Marilyn Monroe

According to studies from a number of universities abroad, certain mathematical facial proportions are considered beautiful but its not just the mere arrangement of eyes and noses or how big one’s chin is that are taken into consideration. The human brain does more than recognizing what is beautiful and what is not because most usually assess emotions, fertility and personality along with beauty all at once.

When judging whether a woman is beautiful, men make a judgment of this woman’s health and vitality. Facial symmetry and how clear and smooth one’s skin is makes one beautiful and also means that a woman with such traits has good genes. You do not have to be porcelain white to be beautiful because beauty is recognized by the male brain across cultures no matter what your color. This however is only the tip of the iceberg.

The Difference between Men and Women

Dita Von Teese

A lot of people wonder why so many ugly men date beautiful girls but it’s not all about the money as one would conclude. A study published in Psychological Science found that women do not place physical attractiveness as very important compared to how their male counterparts see beauty. It was also found that when men are looking for potential mates, they usually do not factor in their looks making it possible for unattractive men to get lucky. 

Here’s a warning to the men out there though, according to the same study, people who have the same level of physical beauty usually date each other or get married but sometimes aspire to date or marry individuals who are slightly more attractive.

Catherine Deneuve

Reality

When reality sets in, the less attractive justify their choice of partners i.e. their less than beautiful partners by saying they are kind or have a sense of humor. Without a background on such studies, a regular person would just say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder but this of course is just bullcrap (excuse the French). 

We don’t just zero in on the face though, the shape of one’s body and the height (especially in men) are things that are also taken into consideration. Women with an hourglass figure for example are the optimal choice for the strongest and most attractive of men.

Since attraction boils down to genetics, it would make one wonder whether that trip to the salon is still necessary. It probably isn’t.

N.B. 

One has to note that there are other things that attract men -it could be your sense of humor, your intelligence, etc.

SOURCES:

Tel Aviv University.(2008). Computer Taught To Recognize Attractiveness In Women.

Botting, K. (1996). Sex Appeal: The Art and Science of Sexual Attraction. St. Martin's Press.

Perrett, D. (2010). IN YOUR FACE The New Science of Human Attraction. Palgrave McMillan.

Photos:

theskinnystiletto.com

blogdolcevita.com

favim.com

whosthegirlnextdoor.wordpress.com

hellogoodbye.com

thelifefiles.com

Article Written By Sigrid Salucop

For more information about the science of attraction, you may refer to the videos below:

E-Cigarettes, Smoking, and Addictive Personalities

By Sigrid Salucop

Photo via publichealthforums.com

We’ve heard this a lot of times before –smoking is bad for you but those who are addicted to smoking just can’t kick the habit. From nicotine patches to chewing candy to pills to quitting cold turkey, what other choices does a smoker have?

Addictive Personality and Smoking

A report by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism titled “Alcohol and Tobacco” says that heavy smokers usually have addictive personalities and that most heavy smokers are likely to abuse alcohol as well.

Another study back in 2007 has found a link between other addictions and smoking. Carolyn Schaefer Placko’s study on smoking revealed that 70% of alcoholics are also chain smokers. Six years before these studies were done, an article on addictive personality was published in the Encyclopedia of Psychology stating that people who get addicted easily use their addiction to soothe anxiety and to drown uncomfortable emotions. If this is the case, is there a possibility for a smoker to quit smoking through therapy? There is no clear cut answer to this question because experts believe that a smoker would have to have the will to stop smoking because if he or she does not want to stop smoking, therapy won’t work. Commitment is a very important thing when an individual chooses to go through therapy.

E-cigarette Review: Is it time to switch?

Photo via e-cigarettez.blogspot.com

E-health cigarette, an electronic cigarette brand sold in the Philippines holds a promise for those who would like to quit smoking. E-cigarettes became popular in the Philippines when many Starbucks branches within the metro banned smoking in their premises.

In the Diliman area alone, many Starbucks patrons in the coffee shop’s Matalino branch started using e-cigarettes inside the café just days after the issuance of the ban. Although these cigarettes look cool, they aren’t like the real thing.

The first thing one would notice is that it is more difficult to suck that nicotine out of the e-cigarette compared to smoking real cigarettes. There is an advantage of having an e-cigarette though because you can finally smoke in air conditioned places without having to worry about non-smokers getting annoyed by you.

In terms of health, switching from real cigarettes to the electronic version is a good thing because one can choose the nicotine content in the cartridges that they buy. Another way to finally get rid of nicotine addiction is to switch from nicotine cartridges to those that do not have nicotine.

If you have seen someone smoking an e-cigarette before, you would notice that there is still smoke coming from the user’s mouth. This is a good thing because it simulates the experience. However, chain smokers do not like it because of the smell. There is also a sweet after taste when one smokes an e-cigarette but this depends on the flavor one chooses.

If you work in an air conditioned place and then go out for a smoke, the contents of the cartridges will “melt” once you step outside. This is a minor disadvantage of course but if you get irritated by it, it is better not to switch.

For those who would like to save money in the long term, getting an e-cigarette today would be a good idea because you’d only be buying your cartridges instead of a P36 pack of Marlboros. The cartridges last a long time and one cartridge is equal to about 10 cigarettes.  

Although those who are addicted not only those who are addicted to cigarettes usually do not know how to stop the addiction, it may be time to look for other reasons other than your own health.