Women are given a very specific beauty standard to follow. Unfortunately, it’s a very unrealistic beauty standard. Most of the time, the women you see in advertisements aren’t real women.
Instead, they’re airbrushed, edited, and follow an incredibly fierce diet to keep up with the otherwise unattainable beauty standard.
But it’s easy to forget this. So, when you look like them, you think there’s something wrong with you, and that you’re flawed. But your beauty flaws aren’t really flaws at all. They’re a natural and normal part of being a woman. You have attributes that a photo editor hasn’t erased. They’re what makes you, you.
And here are 12 beauty “flaws” you can embrace even if society doesn’t.
Gray hair
Everyone is getting older every single day. So, why are women trying so desperately to disguise their naturally graying hair?
If dying your gray hair makes you feel happy and comfortable, then by all means, go for it. But always remember that you don’t have to buy into the lie that younger is better.
If you choose to keep your gray hair, remember to stay on top of your skincare routine, be friends with your makeup, and you’ll look amazing.
Freckles
You’ve probably noticed that freckles are a trendy makeup look. Now, women are actually drawing freckles on their face – much to the chagrin of some true freckle-faced dames. That’s because for so long, these women tried to cover them up because these harmless – and super common spots – weren’t considered beautiful.
So, you see, beauty standards are a bit fickle, and what’s in “today”, might be out “tomorrow”. If you have natural freckles, you’re now the envy of women who spend time giving themselves freckles. But whatever the trend is, remember, your natural beauty is always “in”.
Moles
Like freckles, moles are common and basically harmless. They’re clusters of cells which are more pigmented than others.
Sure, it’s a spot on your skin, but it’s what your body wanted to do. And if you think about it, we love polka dots and abstract designs, so why not embrace moles, too? They’re what make the landscape of your skin uniquely yours.
Gap teeth
Another unrealistic beauty standard is to have perfectly straight teeth. If you don’t have a fine row of pearly whites, don’t fret, and above all, don’t stop smiling.
Instead, take good care of your teeth, and let them shine. And you could even give another woman confidence if she’s insecure about her tooth gap, too.
Chin hairs
For a long time, women have had to keep their bodies hair-free. Armpits, legs, arms, bikini lines, and even the pubic area are all expected to be hairless. And that’s already a lot of hair maintenance.
But as you get older, you might have to deal with facial hair, too. And chin hairs are really annoying, aren’t they? But you know what? You’re not alone, and lots of women are in the same boat. So, you can even look at it with a sense of humor and laugh at your new “beard” before swiftly plucking it all away.
Stretch Marks
Perfect skin is certainly desirable – it reminds you of a classical painting or sculpture. But the truth is, neither of these two things are alive. Sure, they’re beautiful, but they’re works of art. But you’re not an art piece, you’re alive, and your body is along for the ride, too.
So, if you’ve been pregnant, or if you’ve gained and/or lost weight, your skin will tell these stories. And it speaks in stretch marks. So, don’t be ashamed. Stretch marks trace your own life’s history.
Big ears
You might think big ears are fine for Lord of the Ring elves, but not for you. But why is that? The common beauty standard rejects big ears, but that doesn’t mean they’re right. It means they’re missing out.
Celebrities like Jennifer Garner, Courtney Cox and Cate Blanchett all have ears on the bigger side, but here’s their trick. Sure, you can hide them with wavy, voluminous hair. Or, you can pull your hair back and be bold. Focus on the rest of your makeup, highlighting your eyes and lips to draw attention to your face.
Cellulite
Maybe we’re so afraid of cellulite because we think it means we’re fat. But this simply isn’t true. Cellulite is what happens when fat presses against surrounding connective tissue.
And to be honest, almost all women have cellulite, so try not to be so hard on yourself. You can think of your cellulite as dimples on your skin.
Spider veins
Spider veins aren’t super attractive, and maybe that’s because we like to keep the inside of our body on the inside, and not let it peep through on the outside. We don’t want to see veins, or have them interfere with our appearance.
But spider veins happen to a large percentage of women, so it’s a wonder that we’re still acting like they shouldn’t be here. You can have clinical treatments to remove them, but they’re a bit pricey, and what’s worse, they’ll still come back. So, why not love your legs?
Dimples
The typical beauty “flaws” are things that make us look older, like gray hair, cellulite, stretch marks and spider veins. So, it’s strange that we eschew dimples. After all, they’re cute on a child, but they seem out of place on an adult.
Why is that? Dimples are just little indents on your cheeks when you smile. Dimples never take away from the light and joy of a smile, so keep smiling, like supermodel Miranda Kerr does.
Thick, bushy eyebrows
Decades ago, women were all about thin, finely arched eyebrows. But now, if you have naturally thick, full eyebrows, you’re in luck. Thanks to women like Cara Delevingne and Lily Collins, bushy eyebrows are in. But as we already know, beauty standards are a bit fickle. And you can rock your eyebrows whether they’re “in” or “out”.
Uneven breasts
If you have uneven boobs, you know perfectly well that the human body isn’t exactly symmetrical. But you shouldn’t feel bad about your boob difference. The University of Utah Health reports that 90 percent of women have a 15 to 20 percent difference in their breast size – at least.
And to be honest, few people will notice except for you. So, love your boobs just like Instagram sweetheart, Jenna Kutcher, because it’s so much better than hating on your body. After all, it’s there for you through thick and thin. Yes, even your boobs.
