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Ask Ugly

Ask Ugly is the Guardian US's beauty advice column, written by Jessica DeFino

  • An illustration of a person with a small mirror reflecting part of their face

    Should I let my nine-year-old daughter wax her moustache?

    Teaching body positivity is one thing. Helping a child navigate social pressure – while preserving agency – is another
  • Illustration of a woman complaining about her insecurities to a friend

    How do I respond to my friends when they criticize their own weight and looks?

    These negative comments about bodies and faces permeate society and could lead to some tough talks with friends
  • a cadaver in a syringe

    Would you use cadaver fat for a boob job or butt lift? Some people already do

    Cadaver fat from organ and tissue donors is being used for cosmetic procedures – and yup, it’s legal in the US, writes advice columnist Jessica DeFino
  • ‘For the time being, consider covering your spots with pimple patches or Band-Aids before you pick.’

    I can’t stop picking at my pimples. How do I break this habit?

    Treating the underlying acne can help. But stress relief measures like meditation can too – and may depend on the severity
  • ASKUGLY lolabeltran innerbeauty 250126 (1)

    Can you become ugly if you have ugly thoughts?

    Our perception of a person’s physical beauty is colored by our perception of their behavior – but what if we divorced inner and outer beauty?
  • A woman with a skeptical expression surrounded by skincare products.

    I’m over useless skincare. But how can I take care of my face?

    Enter what I call ‘no-skincare skincare’ – things that support the skin without disturbing it
  • FACELIFT ASKUGLY LOLABELTRAN 191125

    Is it weird facelifts are becoming normalized, or am I being too judgmental?

    It is a little weird that beauty culture is convincing people to surgically saw off their facial skin and sew it back on tighter
  • ‘We’ve collectively flushed $85.6bn down the toilette this year, cost of living crisis be damned.’

    I’m sensitive to the scents my children’s friend brings into the house. What do I do?

    You can set boundaries for your health in our perfume-obsessed world – but you should be extra considerate
  • ASKUGLY VAGINAFACIAL LOLABELTRAN 010925

    Does my vagina really need a ‘facial’?

    The idea that your vagina should smell as fresh as a daisy or look like a doll’s is an insult to your humanity and a hazard to your health
  • Graphic of woman in red and purple holding drink

    My scar makes beach outings an ordeal. How can I care less about it?

    You don’t need to love your scar to feel confident – but you can retrain your brain to care about it less
  • GIVINGUP lLOLABELTRAN ASKUGLY OPTION1

    My co-worker thinks her single friend should lose weight. Is not caring about looks ‘giving up’?

    If ‘giving up’ doesn’t sit right, try thinking about it as getting something back: time, money, energy
  • ‘You’re wading into the dating pool when the most powerful men in the world are arguing that women exist to serve men.’

    Every time I meet someone new, I worry they’ll find my scarred face hideous

    You don’t have to fix a single thing about your face to find love, writes advice columnist Jessica DeFino
  • The dream of a beautiful smile can become a nightmare when discount orthodontia is involved, and there’s a chance you’ll end up worse-off, or nostalgic for your old teeth.

    I have gap teeth. Should I fix them?

    What do you think being ‘prettier’ will bring you? Belonging? Self-assurance? Relief? Perhaps there are other ways to reach those goals
  • an illustration of a cake with a bride and groom and a hand with a brush

    I don’t wear makeup but my wedding is coming up – can I go bare-faced?

    It’s radical to choose to cry, laugh and hug without regard for running mascara, writes advice columnist Jessica DeFino
  • Girl with hair in ponytail looks down with a background of red tomatoes on vines

    When I blush, I get so red that people point it out. What should I do?

    Going red in the face is on trend. People pay $25bn a year for the look, writes advice columnist Jessica DeFino
  • an illustration of a man with a manifying glass inspecting a young woman

    My father had plastic surgery. Now he wants me and my mother to get work done

    The cosmetics industry has been reeling men into its multibillion-dollar empire in recent years, writes advice columnist Jessica DeFino
  • An illustration of someone taking a photo of a woman on a cellphone

    Photos of myself make me shudder in horror. Does that mean I’m hideous?

    Obsessing over pictures of yourself isn’t necessarily superficial. It’s almost inevitable, writes advice columnist Jessica DeFino
  • An illustration of a girl reading a book titled 'Being That Girl'

    I want to ignore beauty culture. But I’ll never get anywhere if I don’t look a certain way

    Beauty improves only some qualities of life and demands high investment of time, money and energy, writes advice columnist Jessica DeFino
  • An illustration showing mirror images of a woman, one her normal self, the other with her face covered with a mask and pills flying out of a bottle held in the palm of the hand

    Ask Ugly: I was prescribed medicine for a zit. Should I take it?

    Acne medication can be effective. But watch out for ‘beauty culture masquerading as health’, writes Jessica DeFino
  • An illustration of a woman slightly frowning. Her hair appears to be turning white and there are bolts of lightning over it

    Ask Ugly: all of the ‘iffy’ comments about my gray hair bother me. Should I start dyeing it again?

    In her monthly column about beauty culture, our columnist talks about our desire for ‘outside approval’ and letting silver take over
About 29 results for Ask Ugly
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