In many South Asian households, compliments often sound like:“You’ve lost weight, you look so good!”“Your skin is glowing — are you using a fairness cream?”“She’s pretty… for a dark-skinned girl.” From a young age, many South Asian children — especially girls — are made to feel that their worth is tied to how closely they resemble a narrow, often Eurocentric, ideal of beauty. The obsession with fair skin, thinness, long hair, and flawless features runs deep, passed down through generations like tradition. But beneath these so-called “concerns” about appearance lies something far more serious: the quiet erosion of mental health. Beauty as a Benchmark of Worth In many families, body…