India, April 25 -- All you need to do to feel worse about yourself right now is to stroll down the beauty aisle. Among the new drops is a roll-on to get rid of "extreme pigmentation" specifically on your bum and thigh. There's another new advanced serum to reshape and firm up the bosom. Hair trimmers come with targeted lights to catch fine strands that the human eye can't see and didn't know existed in the first place. There's a special acid that promises to lighten armpits and reduce sweat odour (something to do with pores and dead cells, as usual). Order now and they're throwing in a freebie: A tube of insecurity. How far we've come! Our parents' generation worried about looking 10X fairer. Our worries go beyond skin tone, and there's a handy little potion for every problem. "These days, the concept of care has become about choosing the right rituals and products," says Chetna Chakravarthy, a relationship coach. If you're not obsessed with your skin, it's seen almost as an act of neglect. Why do you have dark underarms when there's an acid-based product for it? Why are your eyes crinkling up when there's a cream specially designed to eliminate that sign of being human? Why haven't you booked a microneedling or microblading session yet when the Before and After videos have already popped up on your feed? And have you checked your face in the new white-light 5X magnifying mirror? It displays in HD, all the problems that were invisible to you and the world thus far. Beauty has always made the most of human insecurities and self-loathing. What's different now is how specific the problems are and how tailor-made the solutions claim to be. There's a dedicated cream for the elbow and knee, another one for feet, a separate one for hands and nails, a different one for the face, and a different one for body acne. None of these are the right one to use after you shave your legs, though. There's a separate one for that. Take any skincare or haircare quiz. Notice how none of the answers say that your skin and hair are just fine? Every one is lacking, all the time. Besides, what the beauty industry calls concerns, the medical fraternity terms as normal. It's all right for arms to be bumpy, for armpits to be dark, for lashes to be short, for your upper lip to be darker than your lower one. No doctor believes that dyeing greys, extending lashes or moisturising elbows solves any real medical problem. It might actually weaken the job that skin does for the body. Dr Geetika Srivastava, dermatologist, is probably holding your hand as she says this: "Your skin's purpose is to act as a barrier against the environment. Your focus should be healthy skin that prevents reactions and sensitivity." Most of us only need a moisturiser; a high SPF sunscreen, and a face cleanser that is not loaded with acids and active ingredients. Here's a small tip to stay grounded in reality: For every skincare flaw that's made obvious to you, keep a mental note of every feature you also appreciate. "Most people don't want drastic changes in how they look; they want to improve on the little things," Chakravarthy says. "Write down what you want to change about yourself, and see what can be practically changed. Every time you pass a mirror, compliment yourself. Daily habits help build a shield against criticisms and expectations. It helps with your confidence."...