appearance

Finding Our Light in The Dark: An Interview with Author Kimberly Dark

"Folks, the main thing I hope to realize is that you are a very powerful social creator, no part of human culture exists without humans creating it and you literally have the power to do that. Of course, you don’t have all the power, but listen: power is not just out there in some kind of blob form, power is inside of everyone of us. We don’t have all the power but we have our power and we can decide how to use it."

Troublesome Pubes

Anonymous asks:
My pubic hair is pretty stubborn. No matter what I use or how I shave it, it always breaks out into bumps, and then gets irritated when I try to shave the short hairs. I've tried different creams and techniques, but it always breaks out....

Can I be a feminist and still be a "girly" girl?

Anonymous asks:
I am a teen girl/woman, and I want to be feminist. The problem is that it kind of seems like I'm not *feminist* enough to be feminist. I have long hair, wear dresses and skirts occasionally, and love makeup. It's not like I'm trying to please men or anything, or that I'm trying to wear clothes that "inhibit mobility," it's just something I like....

Making My Hair Mine

My adoptive mom’s hangups convinced me I was an ugly duckling with noticeable imperfections. Turns out, it was about her, not me, and certainly not about my hair, which isn't the enemy she -- or I -- thought it was, either.

Too Skinny?

Anonymous asks:
I'm a 15 year old female and my whole life I've been skinny. Recently I've been trying to educate myself about social issues and in doing so I've come across a lot of body positivity-type stuff and most of what I see and hear about is body positivity for fat girls. And I'm totally down with that, like I think that everyone's bodies are beautiful and unique....

Baby Fat, Or Why the Ugly Duckling is a Rubbish Story.

Anonymous asks:
I've always been pudgy and although I've always struggled with it I've recently learned to acknowledge that hey! I can look average and I have fairly nice parts. But I have a really large stomach, I mean, I try to eat pretty healthily I don't exercise as much as I should but I know loads of people with the same lifestyle but small stomachs....

Scarleteen Confidential: Teens and Body Image

SCsquareOur societies are chock full of norms and ideals of beauty, and we all run up against them eventually. These norms and expectations often have a hand in shaping how we feel about our own bodies. When you're a teen and trying to sort out how to feel comfortable in your changing body, these messages can be very potent indeed.

So, what can you do - and what shouldn't you do - to help teens feel at home in their own skin?

Unlearning Unlovability

I hid my fears and insecurities by desexualizing myself. Now I'm on the path of uncovering ways to unlearn ugliness as an identity.

A Guy's Guide to Body Image

Though people don't talk about it as much, guys worry about their bodies too. This article for teens talks about body image concerns and recommends ways to cope and feel good about the body you've got!