y stretch mark and cellulite story starts back in middle school. I had always been the kid that ate whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, and never gained a pound. Then, eighth grade hit, family spring break happened, and all of a sudden my metabolism was gone. Leaving for a week long trip to Mexico with my family resulted in a 15 pound weight gain, all to my hips and thighs. Stretch marks and cellulite appeared shortly after and I remember asking my mom when they would go away. Well, guess what, I still have ‘em!
Something I didn’t understand at the time was that stretch marks and cellulite are completely normal and just a part of a changing and growing body. I didn’t realize at the time that they were something that made me unique, but also something that related me to all other women.
Often times people push the idea that your stretch marks are unique, therefore making you unique, which is absolutely true. However, when I finally started to accept them was not when I thought they made me different, but rather when I realized that by having these insecurities, I can relate to thousands of other women and men who have the same struggles. Society likes to tell us all that stretch marks and cellulite are wrong because they are out of the ordinary, but rather, they are a cause of unity, understanding, and acceptance.
No matter your body type, you can have stretch marks, cellulite, and insecurities. I like to think that rather than wishing to be someone else or believing someone else’s marks are more or less beautiful than your own, we can all come to find common ground among our insecurities and work together to build each other up.
My number one tip, something I still struggle to actually do, is to never talk to myself in a way that I wouldn’t talk to another person. When you look in the mirror, don’t think that you’re talking to yourself, but a friend. When your friend says, “Ugh my dark circles are terrible, I look like a zombie” you would say “No you don’t! You can’t even see them,” right? Be kind to yourself, begin to only comment on the things you find beautiful when you look in the mirror, and slowly you won’t even see what you thought was so bad about the other parts. I promise you that no one but you notices that big dimple on your right thigh, they only notice the cute new shorts you’re showing off. No one notices that barely-there zit by your nose, they only see how you gained a slight tan from your weekend vacay. No one is going to see the double chin you get when you laugh, they will only see how happy you are and how bright your smile is. Start to see yourself how you see others, you are more beautiful than you could imagine.
