How I learnt to love my flaws

Abandoning a care for the world's judgements and unlearning antiquated social conditioning helped these models unhate parts of their body.

- Maahi Shah

We all have parts of ourselves that we've tried to hide, the parts we think are imperfect, flawed or worse-deserve to be berated. A bulging tummy, large hips, tiny breasts, broad shoulders, patchy skin, pigmented underarms-the list is hardly exhaustive. Time and again we're made to feel less-than and set apart from sample-sized beauty only to find ourselves in an often-damaging relationship with our body. The truth is that we live in a world full of unsolicited advice, narrowly defined standards of beauty and one that will continue to be barraged by labels and judgments no matter how hard we try to belong-because that is what we have been told to do.

But take it from these women-redefining beauty and saying 'f*** it, it's fine,' to the world is better over living a life hating all that you are. So, what do we do? Is it simply enough to talk about body positivity and pin up Pinteresque affirmations on our mirror? Perhaps. But healing from the hate you've been embroiled in can be a long-drawn, internal battle with yourself-one we'd definitely recommend fighting. Find below experiences of a broken tryst with insecurities, the strength in vulnerability, a reminder to live how you want to every day and glimmers of hope that are to here to say, you're not alone.

BEAUTY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LOOKS

Roshini Kumar, Artist and Model

"I had issues with a lot of my body parts; my stomach, my arms, my thighs...I think it makes you feel alienated, as if you are the only one who has these issues. Society tells you that you look different and, for some reason, they're always pointing it out. Then you start looking in the mirror and hate yourself. I hated myself. I thought I was disgusting for a large part of my childhood.