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The joy of the body positivity movement has seen a massive impact on the way people view themselves. It’s encouraged people to accept themselves and to find beauty where society only saw ugliness.
But not only that, it’s spread beyond simply embracing your body type.
We’ve seen people challenging stereotypes about breasts – we’re loving the #saggyboobsmatter movement for one – and we’ve even seen brands stepping out and bringing diversity to the runway that celebrates disabled people, pregnant women, transgender models and models with scars.
Another movement that has been steadily on the rise, and one we haven’t talked much about, is the acne positivity movement.
The thing about acne is it’s not always easy to deal with.
Having acne is a major source of discomfort for many and it’s one that often results in people feeling self-conscious. After all, society has taught as that the only kind of face that matters is one that’s all glow-y skin with no blemishes in sight.
The make-up industry itself contributes to this.
And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to use products to hide the blemishes (it’s all about choice after all), the problem is that up until now, very few were advocating to have a more positive relationship with your acne.
We treat acne as a source of shame.
Something that means we’re automatically less attractive because of it. Of course we want to look and feel attractive, but that shouldn’t come with the caveat that we need to fix ourselves in order to look good (unless we want to and don't feel compelled to because of outside pressure).
A recent article featured in The Guardian delves a little into the rise of the movement and shares the story of Kali Kushner, an instagrammer who has started documenting her journey and struggle with acne.
She’s pretty upfront about not only posting pics that show what treatments she is using and trying out, but her feed contains a mix of images that shows her love for makeup as well as her make-up free face.
And in a world of social media bullies, posting your “flaws” is a pretty revolutionary act.
READ MORE: Your skin can be healthy even with blemishes, blackheads, acne and pimples
What’s particularly great about this is that Kali isn’t the only one. And that celebrities have also been jumping on board and sharing their own struggles with acne.
Earlier this year, Kendall Jenner showed up at the Golden Globes and made waves because her makeup didn’t disguise her acne. The model and reality TV star shut down criticism and was praised by her fans for never allowing her acne to hold her back from being the confident star that she is.
Harpers Bazaar reports that it’s actually not the first time she’s been so forthright about her acne and that she’s previously addressed the issue in an open letter to her fans.
She said that it took a long time for her to be okay and confident in her own skin and that she’s learned that it’s part of life for some people and that it doesn’t define who you are.
A solid sentiment we can all get behind and one we hope anyone who suffers from acne will take on board.
Fix it if you want, but also be okay with not fixing it.
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