Is Our Obsession With Beauty Services Performative?

One scroll on X and you're bound to see signs of beauty fatigue. For members of Gen Z, usual trips to the salon — sometimes referred to as "girl maintenance" online — have turned from a ritualistic act of self-care to a mentally draining chore. Amid turbulent times, a multitude of internet users have come to the conclusion that beauty services are no longer worth the financial burden. However, for other users on the platform, the widespread rejection has become a much larger takeaway about whether or not our obsession with nails, hair and skincare is merely a performance of femininity.

After several posts expressing beauty fatigue surfaced on the website, a handful of netizens were quick to fire back — claiming that society has brainwashed women to see salon visits as a necessity rather than a genuine interest. "I promise you don't need to do any of that to affirm your femininity," one user writes. Although the sentiment that grooming comes from an oppressive, patriarchal force is far from new, our ever-evolving attitude towards beauty isn't as clear-cut as it once seemed.

well maybe you should stop doing it then https://t.co/QEq6V1LvaB pic.twitter.com/vqsmeiJXfH

— jules