Posts tagged skin
StopHatingYourBody
On a mission to live a body positive life
I have hated a lot of things about myself. I still do sort of…
but screw it. I’m hairy, I have tons of crevices, scars, bumps, and humps. I have scrawny areas and fat areas.
I’m like one of those tea pots that the more damaged they are, the more beautiful they become. Because being yourself gives you character and uniqueness. Don’t conform unless you really want to. Try to love yourself. Lets go through this journey of selflove together each day of our lives.
Hi guys! My name is Makena and I am 18 years old!
I have been posting on SHYB since I started recovery for my bulimia with anorexic tendencies almost two years ago. I know the top picture looks like a before-and-after of my weight, but it’s not! The picture on the left is one of the first pictures I submitted of myself to SHYB, back in 2011. I was still in the midst of my eating disorder and very much struggling with my self-image. As you can see, I was too embarrassed to wear a bikini. Whenever I see that photo on the left, I see a very unhappy girl with zero confidence. I hated my legs and I thought I had a very chubby stomach. Now in the photo on the right, after nearly two years of recovery with much love and support, I see someone totally different! I see a girl that—can you believe it—was excited to wear a bikini to the beach, and not just wear it, but take pictures! I am just truly proud of all the positive changes and progress I have made in my life: I work out at least 4x a week and keep track of my nutrition (not calories). I actually am starting to love my body and I am learning more every day how to treat it with the respect it deserves.
Also, I just wanted to say, in August I will be one year purge-free!!:))
Anyways, thanks for reading this! If anyone ever wants to talk sometime, message me here!
I never thought I would see myself in a bikini ever again, but that’s essentially what I’m wearing- a bikini. And it’s clothing that I feel proud and comfortable to wear, even after all this time.
I submitted a photo a year back when I was trying to deal with weight gain that came with recovery from anorexia. I was still incredibly insecure, but I felt that sharing my body and trying to become more comfortable with it might help me overcome my insecurities. One year and lots of hard work later, I finally feel like I’m at a place where I can be happy with myself, inside and out.
It’s still a lot of work and I have days where I feel like I’m relapsing, only to challenge my disordered thoughts and manage to find myself stronger in the end. I know that I’m almost there, and not being able to exercise due to an injury won’t stop me from recovering. The last step in my recovery is learning to be okay with myself without feeling the need to exercise, and I’m surviving it one day at a time. It’s been almost two months since my last workout, but I’m still on the road to recovery— it may be slower than before, but I’m still going.
I think my final message to everybody is that you’re beautiful, even if you don’t think that you are. Loving yourself doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s going to be a lot of hard work, but it’s worth it. You’re worth it. You are beautiful and loved, and all those people who love you will continue to love you +/- 20lbs, I promise you that.
The first step is learning to love yourself, and freeing yourself from the restraints, whether it be internal or external. You only live once, so let your life revolve around happy moments and exciting things rather than your body because it doesn’t- and never will- define your worth.
Feel free to message me at livelaughrecover.
Trigger Warning: Self Harm and Eating Disorders
My name’s Dana, and I am fifteen years old.
For a long time I’ve been insecure about my looks. Even as a young kid I would stand in front of the mirror and analyze every bit of my body. I just didn’t think I was beautiful. My eyes were too far apart, my nose too big, etc etc.
Then came high school. Along with the other pressures of high school life, like grades and friends, puberty brought along it’s own struggles. The former self esteem issues became magnified to the extreme. The self hatred started. I attempted suicide three times.
What you can’t see in this picture are the scars. The marks up and down my wrist, and zig-zagging over my hips. You also can’t see the tears over the number on the scale as I struggled with my weight. I’m 5’8”, and I was nearly down to 100 pounds. I’ve been fighting my self harm for two years now, and my anorexia for about the same time. It’s hard for me to eat what I want to eat, to try to recover, to think that maybe
I am worth recovering.
It’s hard. Anyone who’s ever had an eating disorder, or has gone through depression and self harm will tell you that it’s hard trying to change your thought process, trying to tell yourself that you’re worth it, you’re better than this, you’re beautiful. But I’m trying. I’m trying my hardest to recover, and I’m trying to live my life as well as I can.
Today is 4/26/13, I am 5’8”, and I currently weigh 133 pounds.
And I am happy with myself the way I am.
I finally got myself to submit a picture and I’m happy I did. It shows I’m totally fine with the way I look, even after all the things I went through.
Got bullied on for 4 years in primary school because of my weight and when it stopped at school, it started to last for another 4 years when I joined girl scouts. When I couldn’t handle it anymore and quit being a girl scout, which made an end to my dream of becoming a girl scout leader. Not being bullied anymore was a relief, but the chance of being bullied on again would always be there.
When I went to high school, nothing happened. That’s when I started to accept the way I looked like. But outside of school, I always felt like everyone was judging me even if they weren’t. I never really felt in place with all these good looking people around me, who all had boyfriends and were able to wear whatever they liked without being judged. I realized I still didn’t feel good about myself.
And then, age 22, I met a guy who made me feel the most beautiful girl in the world. It took me a while to get comfortable being naked in front of him, but once I did, I wished I would’ve done it sooner. He literally changed my world by telling me I’m beautiful and I started to love the way I look.
That’s why I chose this outfit to surprise him on our 6 months anniversary. I know he’s going to like it as much as I do.
Trigger warning: Self harm, Neglect, Abuse
My story is pretty long but I will try and condense it. I live in California and I am 24. I have had body dysmorphic disorder since I was 8, possibly brought on by abuse and neglect. It has been a long and painful 16 years, and I have only just began treatment and was only diagnosed at 21. For 14 years I didn’t wear shorts and short sleeves even in the summer. I would love to say things have got better, but honestly as the years have past my obsessions with my body have become out of control. I have self abused myself everyday for 16 years. The focus always shifts, from stretch marks, to self harms scars, to hair, to spider veins, to size/shape/ to my face. My focus at the moment is my spider veins. I am ashamed to even talk about it to be honest. I don’t just have them on my legs, but a few on my arms and my nose. I feel so defective and I hate this but I often wonder why God made me so ugly. I compare myself everyday to almost anyone. I am so exhausted with this self hate. My husband tells me I am beautiful everyday and it hurts him so much that I feel like this about myself. But I am going to work really hard in recovery, right now I still feel like is a physical problem and not psychological. I know that needs to change. Rationally I know that our bodies are just a shell to carry us around but then there is a voice screaming in my head telling me I am disgusting. I cannot say I accept myself yet, but I hope one day I will. The world has gone mad and is very broken, I hate the bs that brainwashes us daily. I want to spread my wings and fly.Thank you for making this blog.
Hi there. This is my second submission and, although I gave an overview of how my life experiences drove me to my once bad / nowadays good body image in my first submission, today I want to focus on something that has caused me quite of a struggle since I was 11 years old.
As you can see in the picture, I have rather big (some of them white, some of them purple) stretch marks that go all around my thighs. I first got them when I was around 11 (now I’m 27) due to my body natural growth and my really sensitive, thin skin. Back then I didn’t give it too much thought, but as I became a teenager and started going with friends to swimming pools or the beach, I understood that my thighs were different than those of other girls my age. I started being quite self conscious about them, and for a long, long time, I avoided going to the beach or wearing shorts that could reveal my thighs.
Once, I went with a friend of mine and her little cousin (around 7 years old) to her seaside house, and when she saw me in a bikini she told me something I will always remember. She pointed at my marks and said: “wow! what is that you have in your thighs? it’s so beautiful!”. Imagine my surprise… I asked her “really? how do you think so?” and she replied: “they look like star constellations”. I mistakenly told her “well, you think that now… but you won’t like them when you’re older!”. Now I wonder where does this talk come from? Why are you supposed to hate your skin (which undergoes natural processes that are different for everyone!) as you grow older? Who is telling you that those idiosyncratic marks are ugly?
We’re used to seeing perfectly smooth shiny skin in every movie, tv ad or magazine depicting unrealistic female bodies that where “improved” by photoshop. And we go on with our lives thinking that if we don’t look like the pictures, there’s something wrong with us. There is nothing wrong with us, we’re just us, our skin is ours and it’s going to go on with its own processes whether we’re conscious about them or not. It’s just how biology works, and it works its way to protect us from external damage, to give us warmth, to refresh us when we need to and, guess what? even when it gets hurt, it finds its way to always recover one way or the other.
I accept my skin. I still feel slightly weird when I’m in a bikini in front of many people, but that doesn’t restrain me from enjoying myself & enjoying the sea side, and it doesn’t stop me from wearing shorts and feel great and sexy on them.
Your body is yours to love, don’t let anyone make you believe that its natural behaviour is awkward!!!
Hi, I’m Ember. I have short legs, and a long torso. I have small tits, and a squishy tummy. I have big thighs, and a little bubble but. I have a round face, and the chubbiest cheeks out of anyone I know. I’m not going to lie, and say I love my body. Because I don’t. I’m learning to love myself the way I am. I don’t care about what size clothes I wear anymore. I’m tired of crying every time I go in the dressing room. Day by day, I’m getting closer to loving myself just the way I am, and not trying to change a damn thing.
So, hi. I’m Ember, I’m 16. 5’5”. 138lbs. And I have the best music taste in the world! Confidence is the sexiest thing a woman can posses.
Body positive, bitches!!
TW: self harm, eating disorder
This is very brave for me to post, but I’m going to, because when I looked at this picture, I didn’t hate what I saw. I didn’t see a bulging stomach, fat thighs, and ugly scars. I saw a waist that dipped in, a small chest, and scars that are finally fading and healing. And I was okay with how I looked here. I may not be the thinnest girl and I may not have flawless skin, but I am me, and I am trying to accept that.
I have suffered from Bulimia for three years now, and have spent every second of those three years hating my body and the way I look. I have taken razors to my skin over and over because of that disgust I felt towards myself. But I am in recovery now. I am trying to see myself as beautiful the way I am. I wear what I want in an attempt to feel confident. I go to the beach in bikinis and am not ashamed of my scars. I still have terrible self-image, but I try to fight it in small ways every day. I am trying to love myself again.
![[TW: Mention of eating disorder]
For as long as I remember, I have always sought absolute perfection. In school, the only acceptable grade to obtain was an “A.” At work, I always strived to be the top seller at my store. In my friend circle, I sought to be the friendly, bubbly girl that everyone could come to in their time of need. From an outsider’s point of view, I would be viewed as a healthy young adult. Unfortunately, this assumption could not be further from the truth. I possessed an internal struggle with the appearance of my body. In my eyes, my stomach was not flat enough, my arms were chubby, and my skin was a pasty shade of weight. As a result, I drastically altered my eating habits. I began eating close to nothing and vigorously working out at the gym. Unfortunately, this did not make me feel better about my self image. I was hungry, tired, and emaciated. My friends told me they noticed a drop in my energy levels and had not been by bubbly self for a while. This feedback from my friends made me come to realize that I was BEAUTIFUL just the way I was. I was not born to have barbie-like proportions, I was born to be myself. Now, I eat freely without worrying about the calorie count. I go out with my friends and eat pizza. Late at night, I snack on my favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors. I never weigh myself or count these calories. Eating freely and accepting my body has been an enlightening experience. My constant hunger was replaced by happiness. I now LOVE my body and would not do anything to alter it’s appearance. Every morning I look in the mirror and smile, as I know that I am no longer straining my body and live a healthy lifestyle.
You can follow me at crazy-talking.tumblr.com if you want advice or any tips for accepting your BEAUTIFUL body :)
BE BRAVE! JOIN THE BODY PEACE REVOLUTION!](http://25.media.tumblr.com/0f6011b0aefe684ed918f4e3b60ea588/tumblr_mkpcoitbNw1qen4sno1_500.jpg)
[TW: Mention of eating disorder]
For as long as I remember, I have always sought absolute perfection. In school, the only acceptable grade to obtain was an “A.” At work, I always strived to be the top seller at my store. In my friend circle, I sought to be the friendly, bubbly girl that everyone could come to in their time of need. From an outsider’s point of view, I would be viewed as a healthy young adult. Unfortunately, this assumption could not be further from the truth. I possessed an internal struggle with the appearance of my body. In my eyes, my stomach was not flat enough, my arms were chubby, and my skin was a pasty shade of weight. As a result, I drastically altered my eating habits. I began eating close to nothing and vigorously working out at the gym. Unfortunately, this did not make me feel better about my self image. I was hungry, tired, and emaciated. My friends told me they noticed a drop in my energy levels and had not been by bubbly self for a while. This feedback from my friends made me come to realize that I was BEAUTIFUL just the way I was. I was not born to have barbie-like proportions, I was born to be myself. Now, I eat freely without worrying about the calorie count. I go out with my friends and eat pizza. Late at night, I snack on my favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors. I never weigh myself or count these calories. Eating freely and accepting my body has been an enlightening experience. My constant hunger was replaced by happiness. I now LOVE my body and would not do anything to alter it’s appearance. Every morning I look in the mirror and smile, as I know that I am no longer straining my body and live a healthy lifestyle.
You can follow me at crazy-talking.tumblr.com if you want advice or any tips for accepting your BEAUTIFUL body :)
BE BRAVE! JOIN THE BODY PEACE REVOLUTION!
My story isn’t an easy one, but it’s not the worst. I had a bad relationship at a young age and sometimes I think back to the things I was told. Sometimes I think I’m ugly, my hair is gross, my skin disgusting and my body just repulsive. It’s hard to be told these things and then erase them, but I’m trying. I have good days, and then days like today, I have bad ones as well. I’m just starting to realize that everyone is beautiful - even the small women I called skeletons for so long.
Not everyone is the same, and that is the beauty of life: we’re all different. Words can’t describe how much I’ve struggled, nor how far I’ve come. I’ve gained weight since the relationship but maybe that’s the “fuck you” coming out of me. I have a lot of great role models in my life and they have really taught me to be one to others so that is what I’m trying, to be body positive! I hope the message this page sends spreads worldwide and we can all be proud of who we are, rather than worry about who we are not.
<3
Hi there! My friends call me Shaggy, which I decided to play up with the baggy green shirt and the general hippie-ness of it all. I also made up a teensy rhyme to accompany this honestly kickass picture of me
Blemished skin, lanky hair
Dark under eye circles
I Don’t Care
You have no idea how hard it is for me to say that!
Why? Let’s just say that I was raised in a household where looks were VERY important, as was the word ‘diet’ and the existence of under-eye cream.
It killed me. I struggled with this eating disorder and that one, and I was basically food-phobic. On top of that, I was terrified to be seen without makeup.
Now, years after, I’m embracing lanky hair, not covering up blemished skin and dark circles, and rolling my eyes when family members call me a fat slob when I’m visiting home and an entire big frozen pizza went missing by my (a rather thin and short girl) hand (come on, can’t anyone say that’s a total success?). I mean, as I said, my friends call me Shaggy for a reason.
Look, all I want is everyone who judges and criticizes people based on weight and appearance to calm the frick down with the mean comments about someone being too fat and someone being too thin, having to lose or gain weight, and cover up any so-called imperfections.
Really, it’s not cool. Speaking from personal experience, those comments DESTROY people (I was one of them).
I’m not a fighter usually, but I am joining the Body Peace Revolution because a lot of people in this world need to take a chill/acceptance pill.
It takes people like us though! Everyone on this gorgeous Tumble page: You are wonderful!
About a year ago, I submitted my first post to SHYB. I’ve come a long way since then! I have come to appreciate my body, with all of its flaws, so much more. I used to hate my body. I hated my face, especially my nose. I hated how short I was, with my somewhat broad shoulders and hips. I felt ugly and fat. Most of all, I hated how my back, shoulders, and arms are littered with tiny scars from where I compulsively pick at my skin.
Slowly and surely, I am learning to love my body again. I’ve been embracing my striking nose and high cheekbones. I try not to worry about my shoulders and hips. It’s taken months, but now I’m not so afraid to show myself to my lover, and that is an amazing improvement, I think.
Even though my skin is covered in scars, I don’t think of them as being ugly anymore.
I like to think of them as star constellations on my skin.
My tumblr: iamtheladyofshalott.tumblr.com/
BE BRAVE! JOIN THE BODY PEACE REVOLUTION!
This is my second submission to stophatingyourbody, and I’m so so proud of it. I talked briefly about my terrible self image on my other post, but it was mostly about how I feel about my smile and hair. This one tackles a larger insecurity- my body.
I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety disorders my entire life, and my extremely low self image comes mostly from that. But there are other things that make me scared to show my body, and make me extremely insecure about how I look.
I am a naturally small female. I’m 5’3” and I’ve never weighed in over 100 pounds- right now I’m at 90. I don’t have extremely large breasts, or even much of a butt.
I’m constantly called an “anorexic b*tch” or “bulimic sl*t”. People that I hardly know tell me “You need to go eat about 10 burgers.” and I’m constantly told that I’m “unhealthily skinny”.
That’s not true though. To be honest, I eat constantly. I’m a healthy eater, yes, but I don’t go without eating for much more than a couple hours. I LOVE FOOD.
So the fact that people tell me that my body isn’t right and isn’t healthy hurts me so much. That, added on to my already through-the-roof self consciousness, makes me really dislike showing off my body in any way.
I’m insecure about the way my thighs don’t touch in certain places. And the way you can see my ribs. I’m insecure about my bony arms and hands. And the way that the small amount of body fat I do have is distributed about my mid-section. All of these things bother me and make me stress out over my body.
Lately, though, I’ve been trying something new. When I find that I’m feeling really down on my body, I’ll pamper myself. I’ll take a looong shower, and take time on every part of me. I’ll deep condition and braid my hair. I’ll take an hour doing my nails. Then I put lotion all over myself, and as I do I’ll appreciate every part of me. “I love my long legs, I love my hips, I love my shoulders, and my fingers, and my lips.” And slowly I’ve begun to constantly love my body.
Next week, even, I’m going to get my belly button pierced, which will hopefully help me love my body even more, and want to show it off this summer.
Do what you want with you body. Its yours to love and worship!
You’re beautiful no matter what, so don’t listen to what people tell you.
PS. In the pic, I’m wearing my “Cocky” belt buckle. Now, I’m not “cocky” in any way at all, actually, I’m quite the opposite… But wearing this belt sure makes me feel good :D
xoxo
TRIGGER WARNING: SCARS (not self-harm)
My name is Madeleine, and this is my second submission.
I’ve wanted to post this here for awhile now. Or a picture like it. I have a giant scar running up the side of my body from an orthopedic operation for scoliosis. I also have anchor scars from a breast reduction.
Now, most people ask me when they find out I’ve undergone these operations is, “How do you feel about them?” or, “Do you feel uncomfortable showing them to people?” and my answers are always, “I feel great about them,”, and, “No I don’t. Want to see them right now?” usually followed by a very curious, “Yes,” and me pulling up my shirt to expose the zipper-like scar running from my shoulder blade to my hip bone.
I understand why people would find it odd that I love my scars. Scars are widely considered blemishes, imperfections, and many products have been invented to cover up and erase these unsightly gashes.
But the minute I laid eyes on my first scar, still being held together with the sixty-plus staples, I fell in love. I immediately thought, this scar makes me unique. Nobody in the world has a scar exactly like this. This scar tells a story only I can tell, and it is beautiful.
I find my scars sexy. They make me who I am, and they show the world my journey, and what I’ve been through. They show people I have been through something difficult, and came out the other side a stronger woman.
The photographer who took this series of photos expressed to me that he wanted to do this shoot because he found scars extremely intriguing and stunning. He didn’t want to photoshop them out, but highlight them and give them focus. I wanted to share these photos with the world, because it reminds me that this mindset is extremely important: imperfections are what make you, you. Gorgeous, beautiful you.
If you have a scar that you are ashamed of, don’t be. Your scars tell your story. They are a badge of perseverance, of strength. You wouldn’t be the person you are today without that story. Wear them with pride, and know they are beautiful.
madelaide xx
