“When you feel beautiful, you look beautiful”

As part of Dove's long-standing philosophy in championing real beauty, appearance anxiety was the topic of a recent discussion, attended by — among others — Kaniz Almas Khan, the CEO and the Managing Director of Persona.

As a reigning beautician, she has had a remarkable role in the salon industry of the country, catering to every woman's needs.

According to her, beauty should not have a narrow set of standards.

"Our society is blinded by some ideal beauty standards and discrimination is just the other side of the same coin. No matter how beautiful a person is considered according to these prevalent standards, what matters more is their personality, their values and their qualities," says Kaniz Almas.

As a mother, Kaniz Khan has always tried to instil a firm sense of self-reliance and self-confidence in her own child.

"I think in order to make a girl feel confident we should highlight the good qualities that they possess. Instead of pushing them towards getting a zero-size, we should encourage them to be fit. It is crucial that they understand that however they are — they are beautiful!" she said.

In order to handle this problem of discrimination and low body esteem, it is important that our society becomes aware of the gravity of the issue.

"We are surrounded by people, and to some extent, their words do affect us. People therefore need to be more careful with their words, which might illicit negative reactions among young girls struggling with self-confidence," she said.

Khan also feels that schools and media play a big role in educating the society regarding this issue and continued —

"As I have grown up, my biggest support has been my family. They raised me in a way that gave me the confidence to believe in myself. Their words and encouragement has taught me to shrug off the negative judgments and focus more on my qualities and capabilities," said the renowned expert.

When parents fail to do so, children often seek validation from other sources, which at times, leads them down the wrong path. There is no limit to how much a person can beautify oneself in the inside, taking all the positive things in life. So, it is extremely important to value what is inside. What you do is what makes you feel confident. And from this confidence, you feel beautiful. When you feel beautiful, you look beautiful," concluded Kaniz Almas.

Photo: Rashed Shumon