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At first, when you see you stretch marks, you want to find a way to remove them. You hate them. You think that models don’t have it because they never appear on the cover of magazines or the photos published on Instagram. However, everyone has them, and if you didn’t know yet, there is something called photoshop. Sadly, women tend to see it as a flaw and something that isn’t attractive. Since it is not seen on models, we think it is ugly if we have it. It is entirely normal to get them; it usually happens during puberty when our skin is pulled due to rapid growth or stretching. (Hyde, P., 2014)
Our body will change as time goes by, whether it is big or small. Accepting that change is challenging and hard to face. However, when one learns to love their body, it becomes easier for us to let emotions flow and not care as much as we used to. And you may be asking yourself, how is it possible to love something that makes you feel ugly? Let me tell you why you should embrace and love your body, specifically your stretch marks. First of all, they show that you are capable of surviving change - physically and emotionally. They are a sign of strength and a sign that it is not necessary to fit into society’s ideal body image. Every stretch mark is unique and different on everybody, like the stripes on a tigres body. And most importantly, they are a reminder that we are human, and we are the ones that chose what perfect or ideal means. (Pacheco, V., 2015)
Once you see that you are not like anybody else and nobody is like you, you will see yourself differently. Have you ever asked yourself, why are my breast bigger? Why do I have such a broad back? Why are my thighs so thick? To answer some: bigger breasts represent the ability for women to nurture and bear children. (Gummow, J., 2013) A broader back represents the ability to take criticism and accept responsibility. (Your Dictionary, 2020) And thick thighs are a sign of conflict of devaluation and impotence with displacement and pleasure. (Romero, J., 2018)
So, in retrospect, consider other meanings of who and how you are before judging yourself or others.
Z.
References:
Romero, J. (2018), Thighs, spiritual meaning, Knowing Ourselves [online]. Available from: https://www.emotionsandbody.com/search?q=thighs+ [Accessed 20 August 2020]
Broad Shoulders (2020), Your Dictionary [online]. Available from: https://www.yourdictionary.com/broad-shoulders[Accessed 20 August 2020]
Gummow, J. (2013), 9 "scientific" facts about breasts, Salon [online]. Available from: https://www.salon.com/2013/08/17/9_weird_facts_about_breasts/#:~:text=The%20study%20maintains%20that%20large,hormone%20and%20larger%20breast%20tissue.[Accessed 20 August 2020]
Hyde, P. (2014), Stretch Marks, Teens Health [online]. Available from: https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/stretch-marks.html#:~:text=Stretch%20marks%20are%20a%20normal,by%20rapid%20growth%20or%20stretching.[Accessed 20 August 2020]
Pachecho, V. (2015), 5 Reasons To Love Your Stretch Marks, Bustle [online]. Available from:
https://www.bustle.com/articles/93952-5-reasons-to-love-your-stretch-marks-because-you-should-proudly-embrace-your-beautiful-stripes[Accessed 20 August 2020]
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