5 Things Stretch Mark Fans Think About Their Lines

This summer, perhaps more than ever before, women are realizing it's time to embrace your stretch marks and are joining the #loveyourlines movement. From celebs like Chrissy Teigen to fashion bloggers and just regular babes who wanna show a little love for their lightning lines, stretch marks across the world are getting a little more breathing room this summer. It's beyond time that people take it a little easier on their skin, and acknowledge all it does for them!

I got my first stretch mark at 13 and a girl in my class caught a glimpse of it under my shirt. She pulled up my shirt, pointed at it, and then said, "Ew! What's that? Is that a stretch mark? I thought only old people had those!" Ever since then, I'd had a bit of a complex about the stretch marks that dotted my hips. When I started to gain weight and got my first stretch mark on my stomach, I cried. I rubbed just about everything you can think of on it. I tanned. I massaged. I just wanted it to go away.

Eventually, I just got bored and fed up with hating my lines, I think, and my acceptance was a quiet kind. Later, that acceptance turned to love, and my stretch marks became a symbol of taking pride in all of the ways I've grown and things that made me who I am.

For other babes on the journey to loving all of themselves and those babes who are well on their way, here are thoughts that you're probably going to have at some point:

1. "Does this bathing suit show my stretch mar... Wait, IDGAF."

Hey, old habits die hard and sometimes you're gonna fall into old thought patterns. But then you're going to bust through them and remember how freeing not hating or trying to hide your body is. Like a boss.

2. "Hey, I didn't know you could get a stretch mark there! Cool!"

When you've decided to love your stripes, "Stretch Mark Watch" doesn't put you on edge and send you into a body hate and shame spiral. Every new stretch mark is a welcome addition and a reminder of how wild our bodies are.

3. "Maybe I should buy that coco butter. Nah: ICE CREAM!"

You're at the drug store and you pass a few bottles of that stretch mark oil and a a few tubs of coco butter. Hey, you're not trying to make them disappear, but maybe just fade them a little bit. Then you realize you can use your money for ice cream or a magazine instead, and that being chill about your body is freeing. I'll take the latter option any day.

4. "Did that person just point and laugh at my stretch marks? Oh well."

In all your stretch mark pride, you might get a few haters or people who've yet to hop on the body posi train. It can suck and sometimes just feels the absolute worst. Mostly, though, you'll just be confused about how this person has managed to make it in this world with such bad manners and continue to care zero percent about what they think of you.

5. "I look really good in this."

Whether it's a bathing suit or a lingerie set that show off your lines, or whether it's something that totally covers them up, learning to accept your body the way it is has further reaching effects. Feeling good about your stretch marks just makes you feel better about yourself and the way you look as a whole.

Images: sculptedbyb/Instagram; Giphy