Friday, January 17, 2014

6 Reasons to Love Your Stretchmarks

These aren't mine, but they are beautiful!
 
Women are told that stretchmarks are ugly and that we should use expensive creams to get rid of them.  I was sold on the idea that my stretchmarks were inherently bad and that getting rid of them would enhance my beauty.  I actually tried some of these so called "miracle cures" years ago with no results. I felt desperate and unattractive. That was then. This is now.  


Don't let this be you.


I have a lot of stretchmarks -- mostly from having an eating disorder that had my body going up and down in weight many pounds at a time.  With every 20-30 pounds gained and lost, a new set of stripes would appear on my hips breasts, and stomach.  I used to cringe at those marks as they altered the texture of my skin.  I still don't love them 100%, but I'm really trying.  And here's why:

  1. I earned these motherfucking stripes god dammit!  My stretchmarks are a steady reminder of where I've been.  When I look down at them, I see a girl who used to hate her body and cover it up in shame.  I see a woman who has evolved into having a more positive relationship with her body.  My marks tell a rich story, with lots of twists and turns.  These stripes are sacred now.  They are mine.
  2. They're perfectly normal.  A lot of people have them;  both men and women, fat and thin. I am not unique!
  3. Stretchmarks are like fingerprints: No two sets are exactly the same.  How cool is that?
  4. I get to tell advertisers to fuck off.  I LOVE doing that.  No more selling me shit I don't need.  I no longer have to be manipulated into believing that parts of my sacred body are ugly.  So next time I see an ad for stretch mark diminishers, I'm going to scream "NO THANKS MOTHER FUCKERS!"
  5. They're kind of cute. I know it doesn't feel like it right this second, but I'm going to give it some time.  I will be nice to my stretchmarks and tell them that I love them.
  6. I have an opportunity to set a good example for the women and girls in my life. It's not what we say that has impact, it's what we do.  So I will be brave and show the people in my life that stretchmarks are not scars to be hidden, but badges of honor to be worn with pride!


Here are some links to sites that celebrate stretch marks:
http://stretchmarksarebeautiful.tumblr.com/
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/stretch-marks
Google search
 

In solidarity,
Pia

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3 comments:

  1. ebeleJanuary 17, 2014 at 6:18 PM

    "These stripes are sacred now."

    There. Right there.

    Bless you and your journey.

    x

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJanuary 18, 2014 at 8:44 AM

    Stretchmarks ARE scars. The skin has been overstretched. That is a fact.

    I used to hate my stretchmarks, too. I remember watching my first one crawl down my arm as I hit the eighth grade (I didn't know that they were already present on the back of my knees). I hated them until I met my husband. His love for me helped me to change how I viewed myself. Now, I don't hate them, I don't love them, but I accept them. Would anyone say that they love their acne, dry skin, or other imperfection--be it external or internal? Accept that they are apart of you, but they do not define you. Stretchmarks are apart of my body that I would gladly get rid of if I could. It is what it is. Acceptance will greatly reduce the weight of that nagging disgust of yourself that stays at the back of your mind. One day, it will go away.

    My stretchmarks are a reminder of imperfection, a state that God never intended, and of my need for Him. One day, he will restore me to perfection.

    Surround yourself with people who love your. Know that Jesus loves you. You know what, I love you. That truth will set you free.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ebeleJanuary 20, 2014 at 7:04 PM

    Chantelle,

    Hey sis...

    I have scars. I have stretchmarks. I don't consider my stretchmarks to be scars.

    When I was younger, I was ashamed of my stretchmarks - especially the ones behind my legs. Obsessed with them at some point.

    I'm glad your husband helped you see yourself differently, sis. That's beautiful. A part of you was also ready to see that in you, do you think? x

    I appreciate how you feel about your stretchmarks. That's where you are. x

    I accept my stretchmarks. And I fall in love with them sometimes. I recognise the sacredness Pia speaks of because that's what I see in mine. It was nice to see that someone else sees it. I felt validated in that.

    I do not associate my stretchmarks with imperfection. They are doing what they were created to do and as such, are perfect, as nature intended.

    take care, sis...

    x

    ReplyDelete