Someone recently asked me what part of my body I’m most uncomfortable about.
Without even having to think about it my immediate response was, “my tummy!”
The fact that I don’t have a six-pack or even a remotely toned tummy isn’t the actual reason why I’m so self-conscious about that part of my body.
In fact, I would be quite happy to show off my belly rolls.
But it’s the skin on my tummy that I find too hideous to look at or even bear to touch.
After having three beautiful children my belly is covered in stretch marks.
I should be celebrating the fact that my body carried life inside me for nine months and brought another human being into this world.
Instead, I hide away the dark striped markings – an outward sign of the internal changes my body experienced.
Gone are the days when I would even consider looking at two-piece swimwear. Even those amazing retro-inspired high-waisted bikini bottoms are not high enough to hide my marks.
When I do manage to gather the courage to actually go swimwear shopping, the full costumes are my only option. Then of course I would have to buy a cover-up sarong or kaftan to hide the stretch marks that have long been a part of my derriere.
Like cellulite, many woman, and men, have stretch marks. And like cellulite, many of us are so self-conscious about it.
Why are we so embarrassed and ashamed about something so natural with the knowledge that almost everyone has it?
We look at images of women in glossy magazines and those perfectly curated Instagram pages and aspire to be those women, not realising that those images have been photo-edited using sophisticated programs that can make anyone look flawless.
These images create unrealistic expectations which leave us feeling inadequate and insecure.
Thankfully, more and more people are slowly starting to realise this and strive to educate and create awareness around what’s real. That as women we come in all different shapes and sizes. That we are not perfect and that it’s perfectly okay not to be.
While we celebrate the fact that fuller figures are being represented in the media, fashion and beauty campaigns, within that movement, images are still being airbrushed to cover up flaws naturally found on a woman’s skin.
So now that we’re comfortable with our size, our belly rolls and all our wobbly bits we’re still too shy to show off our stretch marks.
In the same way that women decided to embrace their bodies, women are showing off their stretch marks in a bid to further normalise what ought to be something perfectly natural.
American model Ashley Graham has for many years been a role model for all fuller-figured women and always freely shared images of herself, from glamorous red carpet and runway shots to intimate natural images offering a glimpse into her private space.
The mother of one is now highly pregnant with twins and has been documenting her pregnancy journey in the same way she did her first pregnancy in all its glory and not so glorious moments.
She recently posted an image on Instagram showing her preggy belly which is now covered in thick stretch marks with the caption: “Justin (her husband) says my stretch marks look like the tree of life.”
What a beautiful way to describe these natural signs of growth.
While this isn’t the first time the model has posted close-up images of her stretch marks, it’s her husband’s comment that sums it up perfectly.
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