I’m getting married again. How do I avoid the pressure to look perfect this time around?

It’s my job to unpack beauty culture – but I’m still not immune to it. Plus, it’s a particularly strange time to be a bride, beauty-wiseMy 91-year-old grandmother had her 1954 wedding album out on her lap when I visited the other day. “I wanted to remember how beautiful I used to be,” she sighed.Every time my mom comes across a photo of her own 1984 nuptials, she says the same thing: “Look at how skinny I was!” (Or, sometimes, “Can you believe Daddy wore a white tuxedo with tails?” Which I cannot.)Why is this column called ‘Ask Ugly’?How do I respond to my friends when they criticize their own weight and looks?How should I be styling my pubic hair?How do I deal with imperfection? Continue reading...