Loving & Normalising Stretch Marks: One Mark At A Time!

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Stretch marks! There isn’t a single person on this planet who doesn’t have them somewhere on their body. But unfortunately, most of us are still not aware of what stretch marks are. What we only know is that we need to hide these marks and feel ashamed for having them ― as if they are shameful on our bodies. But, unfortunately, this is all our so-called today’s society teaches us.

Stretch marks occur when our skin does expand or undergo changes rapidly. They appear on our skin as our bodies change and grow ― be it pregnancy, puberty, or growth spurts. Instead of seeing them as shameful marks, they should be celebrated. Those marks prove that we are growing and living the way we should be!

These marks are more common on female bodies as they tend to go through more bodily changes compared to males. Changes like pregnancies, breast growth during puberty, and multiple of them, are seen in women all because their bodies grow with age, and their skin adapts to this natural growth. We need to accept the fact that stretch marks are completely normal and out of our control.

We witness so many products and YouTube tutorials claiming to reduce/ remove stretch marks; it is no wonder why women look at them with embarrassment and shame. We consider it as if we have committed some nasty crime, and the proof of the same has been planted on us in the form of stretch marks.

Not anymore! It’s high time that we start normalising them because, well, they are normal!!

How can we cut the shame and start to show more love to our stretch marks?

Women who make a point publicly and share their views & experiences with stretch marks are an important reminder of this. These body positivity people commonly celebrate their marks. From finding people stereotyping it to ‘you’ accepting it and your body, here are some of my favourite women who are normalising stretch marks. #LinesAreWorthy

Sohini Ghaie

_{“We appreciate seeing tattoos on other people’s bodies, and they are imprinted in a person’s skin deliberately. But stretch marks are beautiful innate tattoos that are signs of a struggle of the phase of our life that has made us who we are today! We are in the year 2022, and we need to get over the reel beauty and focus on the aspect of real beauty. I lost a huge amount of weight during the lockdown. I can still see the stretch marks on my waist. But that’s okay. I take it positively and just remind myself how beautifully I have transformed and how this is an evident scar that shows me what I am today. These are beautiful imperfections that aren’t shown in movies because they are supposedly ugly.}

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A post shared by Sohini Ghaie (@pandathinksof)

But on the contrary, it shows how raw you are. How real you are! It’s there… we need to accept it instead of visiting dermatologists and burning our wallets. Stretch marks used to bother me when I was in my early 20s. But today, I am 29, and I have come a long way. And I defined beauty for myself. I work on myself mentally and physically. When we give our definition of beauty, then it doesn’t matter what society tells us. We need to tell ourselves that we are beautiful no matter what and don’t think what the society says because Kuch Toh Log Kahenge, Logo Ka Kaam Hai Kehna,” says the Mumbai based digital creator.

Brynta

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A post shared by brynta (@bryntstagram)

Self-love and plus-size fashion influencer Brynta shares things like stretch marks and discolouration from her specific perspective as a South Asian woman. As she writes in one post, “As a woman (from the South Asian community), I was shamed for every little imperfection, which included textured/discoloured skin, of which I’ve had for most of my life…Fair and lovely, turmeric masks that burned our faces, cellulite gel, and so many other things were given to us as ‘remedies’ for what the world deemed as a problem.”

Dhruti Shah

“Most women often consider stretch marks a result of carelessness and find them ugly. They aren’t aware that these marks are as natural as any other body part. With each passing day, we should open up and discuss body scars and size more often. We should accept and love our bodies the way they are. Stretch marks shouldn’t be undermined or seen as a flaw in one’s beauty. Scars might not look nice on one’s body, but that doesn’t invalidate a person’s beauty. Women should take pride in one’s bodies, especially in such intimate areas. Also, having stretch marks doesn’t make you any less beautiful, so don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise,” shares the Gujarat based girl.

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A post shared by Jen Dela (@alltheway_fit)

Olivia Muenter

“The first time I noticed my own stretch marks was when a friend noticed them. As I got older, my stretch marks became my most dreaded physical benchmarks when it came to what would be a decade-long obsession with losing and gaining weight. As I started college and no longer had weekly hours-long sports practices, stretch marks started to appear on my breasts and higher up on my hips. It wasn’t until a couple of years after I graduated college that I discovered things like body neutrality and health at any size, both concepts that I was mainly introduced to by, surprisingly, influencers.
These were people who proudly posted on Instagram about their bodies and their insecurities. They taught me that I could be happy at any size—that I deserved to be. They also reminded me that I wasn’t the only person in the world who was a size 14 or had stretch marks.”
Olivia

The best way you can normalise stretch marks is to walk with confidence and show them more. People are more likely to start doing something when they see other people doing it, especially when they’ve been afraid to do so.

The first step is the most important but is the hardest one. Put on your favourite bikini regardless of your marks. Wear whatever you want to wear this summer, and get ready to flaunt them. Post a picture without getting it edited and let the stretch marks shine. Share body positive posts and pictures on Instagram that show off stretch marks in all their glory. Together we can do this!

If you have been stretch mark-shamed, do write to us. Share your thoughts and inspire the world! #LinesAreWorthy

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According to a study published in the National Health Portal, anxiety disorders are the most prevalent of psychiatric morbidities and are the sixth leading cause of disability worldwide with 4% of all YLD (years lived with disability). It is seen more commonly in females as compared to males. Roughly 273 million had an anxiety disorder as of 2010.

“We have all felt anxious at different points in our lives”, says Dr. Rohini Rau. “And we experience symptoms physically as well like before taking an exam or before a race”.

So what is Anxiety?

“It is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It might cause you to sweat, feel restless and tense, and have a rapid heartbeat. It is a normal reaction to stress”.

An anxiety disorder may make the person feel anxious most of the time, without any apparent reason. In some cases, the anxious feelings may be so uncomfortable that the person may stop routine activities. At times, the occasional bouts of anxiety may be so intense that they terrify and immobilize the person.

How is fear different from anxiety?

Many times the emotion of fear may seem similar to anxiety. But there are some important differences. The most important one is the time frame.

Fear is a response to an immediate danger in the present moment of time, while anxiety is associated with a threat that is anticipated in a future moment of time.

Anxiety reflects the anticipation of fear and represents an adaptive attempt to prevent the fear-provoking circumstance from occurring. In an anxious state, people are readying themselves and preparing themselves to cope with a future problem or dilemma that they anticipate will cause some kind of harm, if not prevented from occurring. In this respect, anxiety is a normal, beneficial emotion.

Causes of anxiety

The exact cause of anxiety disorders is unknown.

1. It may be either inherited or acquired.

2. Repetitive past life situations or unpleasant experiences

3. A particular life experience that may lead to specific fears or phobias.

4. A set of response patterns that typify the personality as an anxious personality.

Anxiety results from faulty interactions between an individual and their life situation. It mainly includes biological, genetic, environmental and social factors. Trauma or significant events may also trigger an anxiety disorder in people who have an inherited tendency towards disorder.

Other causes include caffeinated drinks, a threat to self, loss of ideology/loss of self-esteem, minor/ major stress of every day, dysfunctional thoughts, beliefs, cognitive processing, physical diseases like thyroid disorders, social conflict, difficulties in sex, psychological trauma, an inadequate coping mechanism.

Signs and symptoms

1. Trembling of the body, restlessness and muscle twitches

2. Palpitations, increased heart rate, flushing, excessive sweating, rapid breathing, diarrhea, increased frequency/hesitancy of passing urine, dizziness, dry mouth, dilated pupil

3. Fearful facial expressions

4. Poor concentration, easy distractibility, easy arousal or excitability.

5. Inability to relax, fearfulness, irritability, feeling of impending doom, vague sense of apprehension

6. Lack of sleep, startling in sleep

7. A feeling that the surroundings are not real

Different types of anxiety disorders:

Generalized anxiety disorder – the essential feature is excessive anxiety and worry, occurring fairly often for a period of at least 6 months. These are regarding a number of events or activities. The individual finds it difficult to control the worry.
Panic attack – it is a discreet period of intense fear or discomfort in the absence of real danger that is accompanied by symptoms like palpitations, trembling, sensation of shortness of breath, feeling of choking, chest pain or discomfort, fear of losing control, fear of dying.
Panic disorder – Denotes the presence of recurrent, unexpected panic attacks.
Agoraphobia – There is anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult (or embarrassing) or in which help may not be available in the event of having a panic attack or panic like symptoms
Separation anxiety disorder – It is a childhood disorder characterized by anxiety that is excessive for the developmental level and related to separation from parents or others who have parental roles.
Specific phobias – The essential feature is clearly discernible, circumscribed objects or situations
Social phobia (social anxiety disorder) – The essential feature is a marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur.
Substance-induced anxiety disorder – It is characterized by prominent symptoms of anxiety or panic that are a direct result of abusing drugs, taking medications, being exposed to a toxic substance or withdrawal from drugs.
Anxiety disorder due to a medical condition – It includes prominent symptoms of anxiety or panic that are directly caused by a physical health problem.

What can you do if you experience occasional anxiety?

– Recognise and understand your anxiety. Tell yourself, “My nervous system is kicking into high gear”.

– Don’t criticize yourself for those feelings. Instead, feel them, but give yourself a timeline/ space. It’s okay to feel like this.

– Know that you can have anxiety and still function well.

To treat severe anxiety disorders, its evolution must be understood. Tracing the cause is as important as treating it and the manifestations which are troublesome.

“When you worry about getting rid of your anxiety, you’re signaling your nervous system that you have even more to be anxious about. And that makes your anxiety worse. Talk to a medical professional if your symptoms disrupt your daily activities or if symptoms persist for many weeks”, suggests Dr. Rohini.

Some medications may also be prescribed if the doctor deems necessary.