Is Being Perfect Still Powerful? The Future of Aesthetic Operations

In a media landscape filled with shiny images and crafted looks, actor Aimee Lou Wood has become a symbol of a much stronger quality: authenticity. Wood is known for her warmth and natural presence on screen. Her smile is charming and relatable. This has sparked discussions in beauty columns and cultural articles. Rather than chasing symmetry or shine, she reminds us that the faces we remember most aren’t always the ones edited into uniformity.

A Brief History of Beauty Standards

Beauty has always been linked to power — and it has shifted constantly throughout history. In Ancient Greece, beauty was defined by:

• Proportion and symmetry

• A straight nose

• A balanced forehead and jawline

• A healthy appearance

In medieval Europe, beauty was seen as:

• Very fair skin

• A high forehead

• Thin lips

In the Ottoman Empire, ideals included:

• Thick eyebrows

• A small mouth

• Full cheeks

The early 20th century celebrated:

• Curves, like those of Marilyn Monroe.

In the 1990s, the emphasis was on:

• Being extremely slim

By the 2010s, the trend had shifted to:

• Full lips

• A pronounced chin

• A sculpted facial structure

Despite all these changes, one thing has remained constant: youth is still widely considered more beautiful than age.

Changing views on beauty

When we look back at old photographs, it becomes clear that the definition of beauty is never fixed. Different eras have admired both:

• Thinness

• And fullness

Our idea of what is beautiful is shaped by many things:

• Culture and religion

• Social norms

• Economic conditions

• Media and celebrity influence

• Technology

• Politics and ideology

• Globalisation and collective traumas

As society evolves, so do the economic forces behind these ideals. This article explores how money and perception shape modern beauty.

The Economic Psychology of Aesthetic Trends

The Value of Scarcity

We tend to desire what is rare. In earlier years, aesthetic treatments like Botox were inaccessible to most — making them more desirable as luxury markers.

The Veblen Effect

According to the Veblen Effect, people often associate high price with high status. We’re often drawn to things that are expensive because they’re expensive. But when something becomes commonplace, it loses its symbolic power.

From Elite to Everyday

Aesthetic treatments that once belonged to the elite are now accessible to the wider public. As a result:

• Their exclusivity has declined.

• The sense of prestige attached to them has faded.

• The market is full of options — but lacks uniqueness.

Diminished Satisfaction

The law of diminishing marginal utility tells us that repeated use of the same thing gives us less joy over time. In aesthetics, this has led to fatigue:

• Perfect faces now feel repetitive.

• The appeal of overdone beauty is wearing off.

The Rise of Natural Beauty

For now, at least, the natural and imperfect face seems to be making a quiet return.