It’s been absent from magazine shoots and advertising campaigns for as long as many of us can remember, but it seems cellulite might be about to make an unlikely comeback.
As big brands and famous actresses begin to openly embrace stretchmarks, ordinary women have started sharing images of their cellulite in a bid to promote authentic body confidence.
The “Cellulite Saturday” hashtag was launched by body-positive activist Kenzie Brenna who has been using her Instagram account to prove that “all bodies are good bodies” whether or not they conform with standardised images of beauty.
#cellulitesaturday? Can that be a thing? Last time I posted a picture of me TRYING to embrace a part of my body that I have been trying to change forever, 2 things happened. 1. A lot of women and even a few men came forward and said amazinggggg things like "thanks, your dope I need this, I NEED to see more of this, I WANT to see more of this, keep doing what you're doing, yes to normal bodies, etc." the incredible comments kept going, of people sharing their own struggles with trying to accept their bodies, to some women who don't even have cellulite embracing my body – THAT my friends is what this bopo community is all about. 2. Second thing that happened was obviously, the opposite. "Disgusting, gross, cellulite is not healthy, don't encourage kids or women to be unhealthy, nasty, wtf, if you exercise or rub cream or do-this-thing-that-makes-no-sense it will help you get rid of it" that shit went on, in my DM's and in the public comments. I am not going to sit here and write to you what cellulite is, what it ISN'T or try to bang it into your head that yes, my dear friends "thin + healthy + fit" women also have cellulite, I am going to let you do your own research. You have google and you have can DM if you want to have a CONVERSATION exchanging opinions, facts and resources to help us BRIDGE gaps instead of create bigger ones. I exercise 5x a week, I will murder you at cardio (my cardiovascular system is off the hizzy), I foam roll, I do yoga, I stretch, I eat my greens and I drink over a gallon of water every day. I used to use creams, I used to dry brush, I got massages and considered surgery. SO, don't tell me that I have to be more fit, more healthy, more this, more that, don't tell me to try your cream or that I need to create more blood flow to the places where my cellulite exists. Cause bish, I got chu. Been there done that. My friends, my cellulite is here to stay. And I am fucking okay with that. #bodyacceptance #celluliteyoualrite #namaslay #thisiswhatfitlookslike #embracethesquish #mesosquishy #mermaidthighs #iamallwoman #tbcr
A photo posted by Kenzie B (@omgkenzieee) on Sep 24, 2016 at 10:33am PDT
After years of struggling with body dysmorphic disorder, the 26-year-old YouTuber turned to social media in search of women who were embracing their bodies for what they really were.
In a video entitled Love Ur Cute Rolls , Kenzie explains how finding “fearless” women inspired her to start encouraging others to do the same.
#CelluliteSaturday has since taken off with women around the world using it as a mechanism for personal empowerment.
Decided to be brave and raw with you guys. No filters, no editing, no cropping out my unmade bed/messy room. This is me. If you don't know, #CelluliteSaturday is a thing started by the beautiful @omgkenzieee. 93% of women have cellulite!! And while that statistic says the majority of women have it, think about how many of us try to get rid of it. The presence of cellulite is largely genetic, and im sorry to tell you that any topical cream is not going to get rid of it. I would be lying if I said i haven't tried to get rid of mine. I carry cellulite largely on my thighs and butt, especially underneath my butt. I workout 5 days a week, I eat a balanced diet, I drink lots of water, I foam roll every now and then. All of these things are said to be able to help reduce the presence of cellulite. But guess what? Who gives a fuck? lol. Honestly though. There are SO many other things that could be and ARE "flawed" about me. And if I have the "flaw" of cellulite than so be it. These "flaws" say nothing about me as a person, or who I am. This "flaw" that the majority of women have is considered a "flaw" because of the standards set by the beauty industry. Go look in a magazine, or any sort of ad with women showing skin and tell me if you see cellulite. The one company I know of that doesn't retouch the models is @aerie. But other than that, smooth skin with no evidence of cellulite is the so-called standard. And as women we constantly see that and then assume there's something wrong with us that needs to be fixed. My point is that if you have cellulite, you are not abnormal!! You aren't "flawed!" YOU aren't CELLULITE. You have cellulite. Just like you have eye boogers, ear wax, body hair, BO, split ends, stretch marks, moles, skin discolorations, acne, etc. These don't define you. Your character, heart, sense of humor, ability to understand. Those things define you and who you are as a person. Give yourself a break ladies. Much love #Cellulite #StretchMarks #LoveYourself
A photo posted by L e i g h a C h r i s t i n e (@leigha_lifts) on Oct 29, 2016 at 9:20am PDT
Buckle up, folks; here's another post about my body. Are you over them yet? I am just in a constant state of introspection. Like my body changes daily, so do my thoughts about it. I wasn't originally going to post this photo because I zoom and zoom and zoom on all my imperfections. "My followers don't need to know that I have fat there." But fuck, man, it's not about that. I always named a number. I will be my best me at this weight. This is THE number. Numbers dictated my satisfaction. It's not until recently that I figured out that it's not finding comfortability in your ideal number, it's finding comfortability and confidence in all your body stages and numbers. I had an experience in Rome a week ago where I under-packed my clothing by a day, so I needed to buy a shirt. The pickings are slim in Rome for any type of chunk, so I settled on H&M. Shuffling through clothing racks, I noticed that their biggest sizes were large, with the exception of a few XL's. It brought me back to being in high school, feeling so discouraged and hating my body because stores made it feel like it was abnormal; shameful, even. I looked around and I found no familiar body types. I felt out of place; that my body didn't belong. It's like, years of work and body positivity can be shattered by one experience. I felt like I relapsed on my positive image, going back to self-sabotaging thoughts and actions. Dreading even looking at my shadow in the street because I didn't like the dimensions of it compared to the person I was walking next to. So, here I am. Vacuuming my house in yoga pants and a sports bra. Here I am, walking on the Tampa Bay Trail, letting the world see my cellulite. Here I am, allowing you to zoom in on my vulnerability. I will love this stage, and I will do my fucking best to love the next stage, no matter what number it is. #bodypositive #plussize #effyourbeautystandards #UsingIGAsABlog #cellulitesaturday
A photo posted by Victoria (@vrose27) on Oct 29, 2016 at 5:35pm PDT
No filters, no edits, no sucking in, no nothing. Just smack dab in the middle of some good ol' "flaw" showing sunlight. Lighting can fully change how someone looks; and odds are, most of the women you know have had their pictures taken in lighting that hides their "flaws" the most, out of either insecurity or shame. But reality is, the vast majority of women have cellulite, scars or stretch marks on their bodies. It's in our biology, and it's simply how our bodies are meant to grow, slim down and store fat. Diet industries and public figures have caused such a stir about how our bodies "should" look like, that we've forgotten how to embrace ourselves as we naturally are. We've got our minds so rapped up into looking like one particular body, that we've lost conscious of how impossible it is for two bodies to be exactly alike. Our own damn bodies don't even look the same throughout the lengths of a day, yet we're still falling for a social ideal which simply cannot be met? To love yourself as you are, and move towards a better you, you have learn more about yourself and your body first. It takes time, and it takes strength, and you will have your downfalls, but I promise you, there is no greater feeling than embracing yourself for who you truly are #cellulitesaturday From: @deegetsstronger #HoneyLoves
A photo posted by HoneyLoves (@honeylovesorg) on Oct 8, 2016 at 2:34pm PDT
