Stretch Marks Surfacing Society
So Picture this. You and a few friends are going to the beach. You pick up that stunning bikini that's been hanging in your wardrobe for months waiting for an opportunity to strike. Then you have a sense of dread pour over you, oh no, THE STRETCH MARKS.
You're not alone, the large majority of others have stretch marks, but no one talks about them as if they are forbidden. Stretch marks are the lines and sometimes flaws that appear when someone gains weight, loses weight, grows taller, becomes pregnant etc.
Now, stretch marks are perfectly normal. Many get them while going through puberty; the extent of these tiger stripes range from tiny faint lines to coloured streaks, lines and blotches.
So many of us have them, so why is this so taboo?
I have stretch marks across my hips, and I have grown to love them. I mean they aren't that big of a deal to me, why should they be?
It's just how your skin sits, what is the point of obsessing over every little line or imperfection on your body? We don't do that with birthmarks, then why stretch marks should be any different?
The general opinion on stretch marks is negative and significantly self-degrading. Over the years, society has drilled into us that it's wrong to be confident in our imperfect bodies, or daring to be different.
But what is the point in living our lives covering up such a beautiful part of ourselves?
Now, let's think about the so called "Hollywood girls". As much as I love the films produced around the idea of perfection, overtime, it has just become more apparent that the film industry and the media have ridiculous expectations of women's bodies.
Shall we look at the 'perfect' Hollywood female body?
Silky-smooth tanned legs without a stray hair in sight, skinny but busty physique all topped off with massive luscious locks. This constant representation is why young women continuously feel pressured to get a tan, lose that weight, shave regularly, become society's warped version of 'Beautiful.'
Society does not even take into consideration stretch marks. Many women feel self-conscious about a perfectly normal feature that almost everyone has.
On Instagram, many women are standing up for the insecurities that women often possess: stretch marks, weight, shaving etc. This generation is finally trying to normalise the diversity of bodies.
The Instagram account i_weigh created by Jameela Jamil is a body-positive, fat positive, and intersectional platform. It advocates for body inclusivity asking companies to stop airbrushing and advertising weight-loss teas and tricks.
Why we should learn to love our stretch marks
Comedian Russel Howard once said during his excellent news show "Why get rid of wrinkles? They're a record of every smile," we don't hate our freckles, we don't cover up our birthmarks, so we have to stop being so self-conscious about those beautiful marks. These lines and imperfections are another reason why we are unique and beautiful. They are another symbol of the progress we have made, another tiger stripe to add to the collection.
In life, you'll find that it's often the imperfections that make everything seem so perfect. So, don't bend to society's "perfect image", embrace those fierce tiger stripes.
Beauty comes in all forms, accept your insecurities and don't let anyone try and stop you.
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Written by Lauren Howe
