Bethenny Frankel Shares 'No-Hair, No-Makeup' Selfie

Bethenny Frankel is all about keeping it real on social media. The former Real Housewives of New York star posted a "no-hair, no-makeup" selfie on Instagram to open up a discussion about the problem with presenting yourself as "perfect" in the public eye.

Frankel appears to be wearing a white robe as she looks at the camera with damp hair and face free of makeup in her latest post. "I thought it was time for a no-hair, no-makeup, VERY CLOSE UP 52-year-old selfie," she writes in her caption.

"With so much discussion about the unrealistic images of women this age on magazine covers and in media, we need a reminder that it's okay," she continues. "It's ok to be too tired to exercise. It's ok to have dark circles from a bad night's sleep. It's ok to not feel pressure to present ourselves as something we're not, and it's okay to age."

Frankel goes on to remind her followers that it's equally okay to do things that make you feel good about your appearance. "It’s also ok to look good, to wear makeup, to change something about our appearance to make us feel more confident (I.e: Botox or plastic surgery)," she writes. "It’s ok to exercise and eat well and make...physical appearance a priority."

What doesn't sit right with the reality TV star is dishonesty when it comes to aging and beauty. "It’s much less ok, bordering not ok, to be dishonest about this process," she writes. "Presenting ourselves as perfect, making others believe in an unattainable goal is deceptive and dangerous."

Bethenny names potential serious effects of seeing unrealistic beauty standards in the media, such as eating disorders and "psychological issues." She's certainly not wrong. There are countless studies that suggest looking at idealized images of beauty and body types has a negative impact on self esteem and can contribute to the development of an eating disorder. For instance, those who post and follow "thin-ideal" content on social media experienced negative feelings and could feel the need to engage in eating disorder behavior, according to an article published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders in 2020.

Frankel believes it's up to individuals to avoid content that elicits a negative response in them. "It’s our responsibility to not consume media that is not healthy for us," she writes in her Instagram post. "We drive the sales that perpetuate this vicious cycle and only we can make it stop. We should try to make healthier choices in what we consume in every area of our lives, including media."

Her post has been met with plenty of support from fans and fellow public figures. "Thank you for speaking your truth and showing up so honestly," said Iskra Lawrence in the comments. "We love you queen," she added.

This isn't the first time Frankel has spoken out about the dangers of sharing edited images on social media. In September 2022, she shared two images of herself in a bikini on Instagram to make a point about the potential negative effects of photoshop and filters. In one image, she's edited her looks to meet a more idealized image of body and beauty standards. In a second shot, she reveals her unedited body in a bikini on the beach.

"Filtering is lying: It is deceptive. It makes women feel badly about themselves," she captioned her post at the time. "It makes young girls insecure and obsessed with an unattainable perfection. It makes middle-aged women and mothers feel insecure about themselves," she continued.

If you follow Frankel on Instagram, you know she uses her platform to share realistic images of herself and moments of her life. It's a welcome change from the heavily edited, highlight reels some public figures post on social media.