Written by Shina Tan and Ong Natalie
March 29, 2022. That was the day when wearing a mask outdoors in Singapore officially became optional. Yet, the streets of Singapore are still filled with people with half their faces concealed by the blue and white polypropylene fabric.
In the span of two years, we have grown accustomed to mask-wearing. Be it out of habit or wanting a more desirable appearance, indisputably, masks still inculcate a sense of security within us. It is as if wearing a mask has become a way for us to feel more confident in our own skin, but are we ready to feel comfortable without them?
(PHOTO: Shina Tan)
Masks: the new security blanket
The masks we wear help to hide the “imperfections” on the lower half of our faces. It is the little, miscellaneous things that we nitpick about ourselves; acne, scars, birthmarks, how our nose is a little crooked, or perhaps how our teeth are jagged or even the shrewd smile that we might have – everything we were insecure about was out of sight and out of mind from the rest of the world.
“I always feel uncomfortable with my awkward smile, but when I wear my mask, I feel more confident, and I won’t be so conscious of how I talk, smile or laugh. I can just be me.” Samantha Ming, Year 1 student from Common Business Programme, said.
(PHOTO: Soufi Adelia)
While gradually adjusting to the new norm of not having to wear masks outdoors may sound like celebratory news, it is a double-edged sword for many. The shift from mask-wearing to without will lead to unforeseen circumstances such as decreased confidence and mask-fishing.
We might be reluctant to lose our masks as we presume that people look more alluring while wearing them. We might believe that by using cosmetic products on the top half of our faces and covering the bottom half with a mask, we appear to be more physically attractive because it shields our blemishes and imperfections that we wish to conceal. Due to these reasons, mask-wearing boosts our confidence to meet other people and socialise.
(PHOTO: Shina Tan)
However, we might start losing our sense of security in ourselves when it is no longer mandatory to wear masks which will, in turn, result in lower self-esteem; believing that we are not on par with society’s beauty standards. As we come across more beauty videos on social media, we wrongly perceive that a large nose, thin lips or acne are traits that we should be embarrassed by. Only a slim face, perfect jaw, tiny nose, and plump lips are considered beautiful. These unrealistic expectations of beauty lead to more significant problems as we try to change ourselves to suit societal standards and will not bear to let go of our masks.
(PHOTO: Soufi Adelia)
“I think society views beauty as having a slim body and a perfect smile without any flaws, which will create an inaccurate perception of ourselves, which could be unhealthy, especially for youths who are often on social media. So letting go of the habit of mask-wearing will become a challenge for the youths today,” said Samantha.
The mask fishing phenomenon
The prevalence of wearing masks has also led to an increase in mask-fishing. Since only our upper facial features are displayed, attention is drawn automatically to the alleged, most attractive facial feature – the eyes. Mask fishing is described by Urban Dictionary as a phenomenon where “a person appears to be more attractive because they are wearing a facemask”.
Mask fishing gives rise to a more severe issue on hand, which is the draining of one’s self-esteem levels. Typically, victims of mask-fishing suffer from self-pity or doubt about their physical appearance. On a more extreme level, one could fall into depression or anxiety. Conversely, we may also encounter mask-fishing as we meet new people. As humans, we wish to portray the best sides of ourselves that will impress others and stow away our “flawed” sides. Despite that, when meeting someone for the first time, perhaps for a date or social gathering, we might get disappointed or even shocked when we find out that someone does not turn out to be what we imagined.
“I have the habit of imagining what someone will look like when I first meet them. Sometimes, when strangers remove their masks, I would not expect the true looks of the person as they look different from their profile pictures and Instagram posts. However, I don’t think it is right to get disappointed or shocked by how they look,” Alyssa Wong, Year 3 student from the Diploma in Communications and Media Management, said.
Building your confidence
To overcome any feelings of insecurity, feeling confident without a mask is up to us. There are a few ways to step out of our masked comfort zone.
Firstly, we can focus on the positives and eradicate the negatives. Each of us has talents and beauty, whether on the inside or out. If we divert our attention to our positive attributes, we can grow to become more optimistic about our natural beauty. Beauty is subjective, one person may look jaw-dropping to us and not so to others. We all have different notions of what we perceive as beautiful. Ultimately, it boils down to how you see yourself.
(PHOTO: Shina Tan)
Secondly, we can focus on improving ourselves and working on things we like. When we focus on things that we enjoy and work on ourselves, we can become better people. Namely, working toward a healthier lifestyle, simply eating better or having a workout routine. Consider investing in yourself, perhaps learning a new skill on YouTube or reading a new book on self-improvement. We will then be able to enjoy life’s every aspect, which will naturally make us look good, feel good and do good.
Lastly, we have to love ourselves. If we don’t love and take good care of ourselves, we will not be able to enjoy life to the fullest extent and will only concentrate on the downsides of life. However, once we learn to love ourselves, we will feel empowered to overcome any insecurities without a mask.
As Singapore divests itself of its endemic status, we should also take a step closer to developing a stronger sense of self-confidence to become the most authentic version of ourselves. Slowly but surely, the moment we begin to feel the most confident, free from fear of judgement imposed by others, only then will we appear the most attractive, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
(PHOTO: Shina Tan)
