Renowned for its unconventional approach to promoting beauty, Smart Aging Clinic has launched a new social campaign titled "Beauty is not copy-paste." The essence of this campaign was a panel discussion on female beauty, held at Concept 13 restaurant in Vitkac, Warsaw.
Underlying the campaign initiated by Smart Aging Clinic owner, Klaudia Witczak, are primarily women's stories. Drawing on her own experiences and interactions with clients visiting the clinic, Klaudia Witczak aims to debunk harmful standards and establish new, healthier ones. She began her mission with the #unbotoxed campaign, excluding the use of botulinum toxin and fillers from her treatments. It is these procedures largely responsible for distorting the self-esteem of increasingly younger women, creating unrealistic beauty standards. Replicating and striving to achieve these standards can diminish one's sense of uniqueness and lead to insecurities.
Recent statistical data indicates that modern aesthetic medicine puts pressure on ever-younger generations, predominantly women. According to a report by Laboratoires Vivacy Polska, 23% of women undergoing aesthetic procedures are aged 18 to 30, with procedures involving botulinum toxin (commonly known as Botox) accounting for 92% of all performed treatments.
"I created this brand out of concern for all women, especially the very young ones, who often, out of shame and feeling inadequate, allow others to push their boundaries in order to earn someone's acceptance or belong to a group. I hope initiatives like this, as well as the podcast series 'Conversations Without Corset,' which I co-created with Joanna Heidtman, will become safe spaces for discussions on the foundations of female self-worth. And through them, instead of feeling inadequate, there will be kindness towards oneself," Klaudia Witczak shares about her efforts.
Smart Aging Clinic's goal is to spread the idea of beauty based on a sense of uniqueness, self-assurance, a sensitive perception of oneself, and abandoning the pursuit of artificially created standards.
The focal point of the meeting was a panel discussion on the canons, foundations, and consequences of perceiving female beauty. The discussion was moderated by journalist Anna Jurgaś. Participating in the discussion were model, activist, and one of Piotr Stokłosa's photo subjects, Marta Dyks; psychologist and sociologist Joanna Heidtman; actress Olga Bołądź; and Smart Aging Clinic owner and initiator of the social campaign "Beauty is not copy-paste," Klaudia Witczak.
The panel guests touched on many issues that daily determine how women perceive themselves. Questions revolved around what beauty means to them and when they themselves feel beautiful; panelists also shared their experiences of femininity. It turned out that the foundation of self-perception and inner and outer beauty often lies in experiences from their family homes.
Marta Dyks emphasized the importance of abandoning double standards imposed on girls and boys from a young age. Psychologist Joanna Heidtman admitted that stereotypes instilled in children from an early age can effectively block their developmental potential. The same goes for the sense of self-worth - instilling in girls the necessity to please others and impress with their beauty has specific consequences in shaping their values, self-perception, and role in society. Olga Bołądź and Anna Jurgaś also discussed the impact of unrealistic beauty standards on socio-cultural issues shaping women's roles and positions.
Each of the panel guests sincerely admitted that in today's world dominated by social media, it is impossible to avoid comparing oneself to others. Though, as Joanna Heidtman added, this can have not only negative but also positive aspects. It is important not to lose oneself in the creation of beauty. Therefore, initiatives such as the social campaign by Smart Aging Clinic, "Beauty is not copy-paste," are much needed today.
The space of Concept 13 restaurant, where the discussion took place, was filled with exceptional photographs. The photo shoot, by esteemed photographer Piotr Stokłosa, is part of Smart Aging Clinic's social campaign "Beauty is not copy-paste." Models Angelika Wierzbicka and Marta Dyks, who eagerly participate in actions with significant social messages, appeared before his lens. These photos exude a belief in female beauty stemming from uniqueness and diversity.