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    Have you ever stopped to consider how beauty standards are quietly shaping your mental health? In this episode of Therapy for Black Girls, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford sits down with psychologist and author Dr. Allyson Hicks to unpack the science of beauty and the neuroscience of beauty behind the way we view ourselves, and why it matters so much for black women's mental health, self-image, and self-worth. Dr. Hicks shares what inspired her to write The Problem with Pretty, including the alarming rise of looks maxing, Instagram Face, and AI-generated beauty ideals that are accelerating body image issues at a pace we've never seen before. **FIND A THERAPIST** https://providers.therapyforblackgirls.com/ **JOIN THE COMMUNITY ON PATREON** https://www.patreon.com/therapyforblackgirls Dr. Hicks breaks down how beauty standards and mental health are deeply connected — from the brain and beauty link, where our brains release dopamine and beauty-triggered chemicals like oxytocin when we see someone attractive, to how the halo effect shapes who gets promoted at work and who gets passed over. This is the neuroscience of attraction in real time, and it explains far more about our daily lives than most of us realize. She also revisits her groundbreaking dissertation research on black women beauty standards and cosmetic surgery, revealing why cultural identity is one of the most powerful buffers against low black women self esteem and body dysmorphia — a finding that challenges much of mainstream psychology of attractiveness research built around Eurocentric ideals. Whether you're navigating colorism, learning how to love your body, working on how to stop comparing yourself to others, or just trying to figure out who you're really dressing for in the morning, this episode will shift the way you see yourself. 0:00 Introduction to Dr. Allison Powell Hicks 1:24 Why She Wrote The Problem with Pretty 3:17 Looks Maxing, Bone Breaking & the New Body Dysmorphia 6:16 What Her Dissertation on Black Women & Cosmetic Surgery Actually Found 8:59 How Cultural Identity Protects Black Women's Body Image 11:08 Why Your Brain Responds to Beauty Like It Does to Food 12:19 What Happens When Young Girls Realize They Don't Fit the Standard 14:18 Colorism, Survival & the Beauty Is Good Principle 17:43 Why Beauty Research Is Not Frivolous 19:29 The Halo Effect & Who Actually Gets Promoted 21:57 The Dress That Broke the Internet & What It Teaches Us About Perception 26:17 Instagram Face, AI & the Death of Facial Diversity 30:43 Why Even Meg Thee Stallion Gets Cheated On 31:54 Why Surgery & Glow-Ups Won't Fix an Inner Wound 35:45 How to Enjoy Beauty Without Performing for Everyone Else 38:04 The Difference Between Beauty and Glamour 42:42 Trying to Lighten Her Skin as a Kid & What Changed at an HBCU 45:03 What She Wants You to Walk Away With 46:46 Connect with Dr. Hicks & Get the Book *Connect with Dr. Ally* Dr. Allycin Powell-Hicks (Dr. Ally) is a PhD-level Clinical Psychologist, Transformational Coach, TV Host, and Psychofuturist dedicated to bringing evidence-based psychology into the mainstream. She is the founder of the Doux Consulting Group and author of The Problem with Pretty, available now wherever books are sold. Website: allycinhicks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allycinhicks TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.ally LinkedIn: Allycin Powell-Hicks, PhD Order The Problem with Pretty: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/allycin-powell-hicks/the-problem-with-pretty *About the Podcast* The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. Is there a topic you’d like covered on the podcast? Submit it at: https://therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox Make sure to follow us on social media: https://instagram.com/therapyforblackgirls
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