Body-positivity has paved the way for us to better appreciate our bodies, and now the skin-positivity movement aims to do the same. The #skinpositivity hashtag has more than 129,000 posts on Instagram, with people sharing images of skin that isn’t traditionally deemed “picture perfect”.
Scars, acne, pigmentation, eczema, rosacea, dark circles — they are all on display to normalise what skin can look like for many of us. These images can help us feel less alone; connected to a community of people all over the world who are showing what previously was encouraged to be hidden. As a result, skin-positivity is an empowering movement that goes against the photoshopped ideal that surrounds us and is especially prevalent on social media.
Being fully seen for who you are
Yoella Nygren, a 25-year-old woman from Stockholm, Sweden, is a skin positivity influencer. Yoella regularly uploads photos of her acne to her Instagram account, which has close to 6000 followers. A couple of years ago she was inspired to share unfiltered images of herself to combat the feelings of shame she felt about her skin.
She admits this embarrassment affected her life, as she felt self-conscious about her appearance. “It made me miss out on a lot — I could do stuff, but I could not properly be present,” says Yoella. Accepting ourselves as we are is an important step towards self-love.
It can feel like a radical act, given the messaging many of us have been surrounded by our whole lives around what we’re meant to look like or to strive towards. And feeling confident in your skin can have a far wider impact on how you see yourself.
“Showing my natural skin is only part of my self-love journey; to me it meant an acceptance of the self as a whole,” says Yoella. “I am me, I am enough. I also have acne, and that fact doesn’t change my worth. I’ve also learned to be thankful towards the body I have, as it gives me the chance to experience and feel life.”
Authentic, heartfelt confidence
While our skin can provide insight into what is happening inside our bodies — and Yoella found that what started as an aim to get rid of her acne turned into “a mind-body-soul healing journey” — it’s important to not equate your worth with what it looks like.
“It’s ridiculous that people are forced by societal norms and standards of beauty to spend time feeling bad about something as miraculous as their own body,” says Yoella. “Skin-positivity is needed in a world that constantly tells us to be more.”
Of course confidence doesn’t appear by itself or overnight, but by actively challenging a negative mindset and surrounding yourself with positive influences (as in this case, the #skinpositivity community), you can work to change how you view yourself. Authenticity can lead to improved confidence, as you feel proud to be who you are and to show your true self to the world.
“I think the only way we can truly be confident is to be genuine in what we do,” says Yoella. “Acne itself was never the real issue — there was something larger behind it which had to be healed for me to feel confident.”
Yoella wishes she had found out about the skin-positivity movement sooner. “Realness is what I want my [social media] feed to be full of and that’s exactly what you get from all the wonderful people in the community.”
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