What is something about your body that you feel kinda just *neutral* about, but, according to society’s standard of beauty, it’s seen as a flaw?
For me it’s my stretch marks and cellulite.
I’ve always had both, even when I was in the depths of my eating disorder and verging on anorexia, which indicates to me now that they are irrelevant to “health status”.
I remember the first time cellulite was brought to my attention as something to be self conscious about. I was 19 and living in a share house with some girls around my age. One day, one of them, who I thought (and still do!) was the definition of beauty, pointed out that she “hated the cellulite” on the back of her thighs. I had never noticed this about her before, and was quick to say this as she gestured towards the dimpled skin on her upper thighs.
That night, I remember frantically googling cellulite and a zillion images popped up, along with the usual “quick fixes” and “magic” creams to get rid of it. I looked in the mirror and for the first time, noticed the dimpled skin on my own legs. Does this mean that I need to be self conscious about MY cellulite too!? I remember thinking.
Six years later, at 25, I’m neutral about it. I have it on the back of my thighs and also my tummy. But… it’s kinda just, there ya know? It doesn’t particularly bother me. Everyone one has it, from women with petite size 4 bodies, to women in bigger bodies and everyone in between.
Along with the cellulite; stretch marks flutter across the top of my breasts as well, reminding me of rapid growth, then rapid weight loss, then weight gain during ED recovery. This is sometimes harder to grasp, however, they are also peacefully existing on my body, causing no harm and making up the summary of my physical being which enables me to do so many wonderful things.
I guess where I'm heading with this is; if more of us where neutral or simply - indifferent - towards "flaws", would they simply no longer be flaws according to the standards of beauty? I know for a fact that the presence of cellulite on women's body would eventually rear its head as a "problem" to me in my adult life, shortly after that interaction with my housemate, but what if no one had ever said it or brought it up? What if none of the things we need to "remove", or "get rid of" were ever pointed out? Would we be living a more happy and carefree life? Existing in our bodies, just as they are? Who decides that something isn't beautiful? Is it just one person and that begins a chain reaction that can carry through generations?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, and your relationship with your body and the journey you have been on. Send me an email at maria.savage97@gmail.com
