When you think "body-positive," what's the first thing to come to mind? Likely, you picture a bunch of plus-size women loving themselves and spreading positivity. While this is awesome, there are many characteristics other than weight that aren't mainstream in body positivity yet — and for that reason, many people (including myself) are still struggling to love our bodies unconditionally. If we include these 11 things in mainstream body positivity, we'll be able to help a lot more people reach the self-love they're trying so hard to achieve.
1. Trans* bodiesÂ
So far, the body positivity movement has mostly been centered around plus-size cisgender women. However, when it comes to trans* bodies, society looks through an even more scrutinizing lens. Oftentimes if someone doesn't fit society's idea of a "passing" or "stealth" trans* person, they'll receive hate, criticism, and even violence based on an ignorant idea of what a trans* person is "supposed" look like to them. With a lack of trans* people in the body positive community, there's still a ton of misrepresentation and bigotry of them in society. What the body positive community needs to do is stress the importance of acceptance and education.
Regardless of gender/gender expression, trans* people deserve the same respect, love, and representation in the community — as well as society — as everyone else.
2. Body hair on womenÂ
Acceptance of body hair on women is, fortunately, a growing trend. However, for the most part, only leg and underarm hair are being addressed. While it's completely normal for women to have hair all over their bodies, most still feel it's necessary to remove all hair from their navels, arms, fingers, toes, and pubic areas.
The archaic idea that body hair isn't feminine leaves women and girls feeling shameful about their natural bodies — not to mention it becomes very costly to buy razor after razor, or book wax after wax. It's also harmful to trans* women who, depending on whether or not they're on hormones, might grow thicker and more hair than cis women, making it harder for them to feel "feminine enough." When all women grow hair, why do we have to pretend that we don't in order to feel comfortable in our own skin?
Right now, TV and magazines are getting better about featuring diversely sized women, but these women are still hair free and shiny. If women's body hair became normalized in society, it would be a major step in the body-pos movement, and women would feel less need to alter their natural appearance.
3. Hip-dipsÂ
Hip-dips or "violin hips" are characterized by a slight inward curve below the hip bones. Many women who aren't familiar with them think that there's something wrong with their proportions, or that they aren't curvy "where they're supposed to be." However, hip-dips are perfectly normal in female anatomy, in fact, about 95% of women have some form of dent beneath their hips.
If society wasn't so obsessed with a "perfect female figure," women wouldn't have problems with this totally natural part of their anatomy. Unfortunately, many body positive activists and plus-size models are famous for their seemingly perfect curves — wide at the hips and smaller at the waist. Not to mention the endless sea of workout videos online aiming to "bust hip-dips" — even though they're simply caused by bone-structure. It's apparent that hip-dips desperately need more attention and validation within the body-positive community.
4. Skin disordersÂ
There are over 150 skin disorders, and about 20-25% of people seeking medical attention are doing so because of them. Some of the most common are eczema, hives, contact dermatitis, rosacea, psoriasis, vitiligo, keratosis pilaris, and melasma. There are also lots of people with uncommon skin disorders, too, such as xanthomas and Blau syndrome. Some are temporary, some aren't. Some are painful, some aren't. What they all have in common, though, is that those who have them are often left with feelings of low self-esteem and alienation — even when their condition is completely harmless like vitiligo or keratosis pilaris. Society's obsession with clear, smooth skin causes these negative feelings around skin disorders when what we really need is education and representation — especially in the body positive community.
5. Body types other than hourglassÂ
Being plus-size is what's at the forefront of the body-positive community right now. However, those who don't meet the standard of looking like a perfect hourglass are often pushed aside. Though there are more and more plus-size models in the industry nowadays, only the ones with voluptuous curves are showcased, leaving other women to feel internalized hatred for the way fat is naturally distributed on their bodies. What the body-positive community needs to work on is accepting and praising fat people no matter how they carry their weight.
6. Non-eurocentric featuresÂ
As we know, racism is still a prevailing issue, even in a community as open-minded as the body positive community. We need to work harder on stressing that eurocentric features such as small, upturned noses, straight hair, light skin, etc. are not the standard in any way, nor are they something to strive for. Though we've come a long way, the community needs to a better job of addressing unconscious biases and racism within it, and celebrate diverse and non-eurocentric facial features.
7. Facial hair on women
While we're still struggling to accept body hair on women, facial hair is a whole other ballgame. It's completely natural for women — especially during puberty, menopause, or other hormonal changes — to have hair on parts of or all over their faces. Whether it be light peach fuzz or dark upper lip hair, they're usually looked down upon in society, and women resort to waxing and shaving to achieve hairless, smooth faces. Hair on the face is completely natural, but it's rare to find plus-size models with any at all. Excessive shaving and waxing can be damaging to the skin, so the body-positive community needs to do a better job of accepting and embracing natural hair on women's faces.
8. AcneÂ
Everyone at some point is going to experience some form of acne — whether it be little spots here and there or painful cystic breakouts that leave scars and redness. Either way, acne is still seen as ugly and gross to most people, which is why skincare company profits are booming.
Throughout history, many different things have gone in and out of style, and the idea of beauty is forever changing. However, acne has always been something people want to get rid of and hide — which causes acne sufferers to feel shame and very low self-esteem. As I scroll through the hashtag #BodyPositivity, I see a lot of diversely sized women, but all who have seemingly perfect skin. If breakouts are something everyone can relate to, why can't we learn to normalize it and make it an important part of body positivity? The fact is we need to — far too many people are still stuck feeling disgusting in their own skin because of some pimples they can't control.
See also: 8 Twenty-Something Gals Share How They Stay Body Positive, 365 Days A Year
9. Disabled bodiesÂ
Disabled people have been receiving a bit more inclusivity in the community nowadays, but mainstream representation usually stops at people who use wheelchairs and doesn't include less common or more severe disabilities. Though we've made strides, body-positive culture currently centers itself around non-disabled people, and we need to better educate ourselves on respectful language and the inclusivity of disabled people.
For more information on disability-inclusive language click here.
10. Fine lines and wrinklesÂ
Ageism is a huge issue in society, and that unfortunately still bleeds into mainstream body-positivity. Influencers like "Baddie Winkle" are bringing the issue forward, but there is still a very long way to go. Wrinkles and other signs of aging are seen as undesirable to mainstream society, which is why people don't mind spending thousands on facelifts, botox, and wrinkle creams. Wrinkling is natural to our bodies and is in no way harmful to health, yet we hardly see any older models on social media, TV, or magazines.
Age is symbolic of wisdom, and it's time the body-pos community addresses it more. Nobody deserves to feel shame about the way their body naturally changes over time.
11. Being uglyÂ
While it might not make sense at first, this is by far the biggest thing that current mainstream body positivity is missing. The current goal of body positivity is to tell people that they're pretty, no matter how their bodies look. This is the fatal flaw. As long as the community continues to keep the idea of looking pretty in its ideology, people will still struggle to love themselves, even if mainstream body positivity comes to cover all ten of the things listed above. Women — and people in general — do not need to look pretty, or beautiful, or sexy, or good in order to be respected. Most plus-size models or body-positive advocates are pictured in make-up and trendy clothes — when it's really way more important to be advocating that nobody needs these things in order to be accepted in society.
Think about it. When you see a thin person wearing sweats, no make-up, with messy hair, what do you think? Do you assume that they just want to be comfortable? Now picture a fat person the same way. What do you think about them? Are they lazy or too fat for nice clothes? The answer is that it doesn't matter why someone looks or dresses a certain way because it's nobody's duty to look good. And that's what we need to preach in body positivity.
Once people accept that it's okay to be ugly, that's when they'll realize that there is no ugly at all.
In the last decade, body positivity has come a very long way, but there's still an even longer way to go. Once we start seeing more representation in the community, people will start to feel more comfortable in their own skin. There's still a huge gap in society between those who feel beautiful in their bodies and those who don't — and it's up to us to fill it. As long as the core of the body positive movement focuses on what's pretty, there's still going to be masses of people who have trouble learning to love themselves.
So start spreading the truth about body positivity because everyone deserves a place at the table.
