Ever since I was a young girl, I was constantly criticized by society, including my own family.
Whether it was on purpose or not, many would always make constant comments on my appearance, whether it was body hair, the way my face was shaped, or anything in general. I had a unibrow when I was younger, and I was constantly bullied for it. I remember my hair was cut very short in the first grade, and I was constantly ridiculed and called a “boy”. To make myself appear “girlier”, I used to slick my bangs to the side with water and would wear a rainbow headband every day. At one point, I became conscious of the hair on my legs and arms comparing myself to the girls that seemingly didn’t have any at all. Many would make fun of the hair under my arms, and I became so conscious to the point where I didnt lift my hands at all to avoid them being seen. Later in middle school, I started becoming conscious of my legs. I’d look at my legs in leggings compared to others, and I realized my thighs were closer together than theirs, and my stomach would protrude more.Slowly i became so conscious I was scared to go to school altogether, the fear of being ridiculed constantly a factor in my head.I don’t blame everything on others though; part of my warped body image was my own doing. As you mature, you start nitpicking at things others would not even notice. You try and convince yourself that you’re not pretty enough, and you constantly feel the desire to change something about your appearance, never being satisfied. I have realized that the term “ beauty” is an insanely broad and controversial term. Each country has their own “ beauty standard”, whether it be your skin tone, your body, your face shape, or pretty much anything. So realistically there is no way to fit in the term “ beauty”. As I am slowly realizing and accepting this fact, I’m accepting the way I look more and more, because I know that no one can fit into the term “ beauty”.
