Stretch marks are normal, even though we’re all, as women, kind of encouraged to be ashamed of them. Full disclosure: I’ve always had white lines on my body. So, it does feel like somewhat of a personal victory to see folks on social media celebrating, decorating, and even flaunting their tiger stripes (just check out #stretchies on Instagram for some inspiration).
Stretchies, tiger stripes, angel scratches, or lightning strikes, whatever you want to term these marks, it is very clear that when we see other people embracing their scars, we feel inclined to do the same. Similarly, when we see these marks being erased from photographs and videos, we tend to think that the fact that we have them makes us unattractive. It would be remiss of us to not give a shoutout to celebrities like Ashley Graham and Chrissy Teigen who regularly take to their Instagram handles to talk about their post-partum bodies. Closer to home, sustainable fashion advocate Sanjana Rishi and actor Rytasha Rathore are doing a great job at normalising stripes.
Image credits: Instagram.com/SaraShakeel
Krupa Kapadia, 28, Fashion Designer
Krupa, a fashion designer based out of Mumbai first spotted her tiger stripes on her knees when she was going through her growth spurt. “I was 12 or 13 maybe when [they] I spotted them one day while bending my knees to tie my shoelaces. I was always a kid who liked flipping through magazines for the gorgeous clothes and shoots and noticed that no one, not a single model in there, had any kind of marks on her body. I was conscious of them throughout my teens but then over time, I realised that there were more important things that I could focus on. These don’t affect my quality of life or my health so I couldn’t be bothered about how others view them! I honestly don’t even give them a second thought anymore.”
Angana Gupta, 34, Teacher
Angana, a preschool teacher in Bangalore, spotted a couple of lines near the sides of her arms and breasts when she was 14. “These grew and soon I felt like half my body had these marks including my knees, lower stomach area, and then the sides of my thighs. Initially, the marks didn’t bother me but one day a friend at swimming class pointed them out and joked about them. That made me feel like something was wrong with my body, so I started covering them up to the point that I’d try and wear make-up to class. Today, when I look back, I realise that the insecurities about my body began at a very young age thanks to incidents like this. Living in a society that judges people on the way they look doesn’t help and there are still days when I will look at my body and feel like these marks are not a normal thing to have. Thankfully, those days are fewer and farther between as I grow older. I’ve realised scars and marks and even signs of ageing are so unique to each person and that instantly makes things better!”
Mitali*, 18, Student
Mitali has her stripes on her butt and she confessed that she’s tried everything to get rid of them. “Using olive oil, Bio Oil, skin lightening creams, using shea butter, exfoliating scrubs, all of it! My own mum when she spotted them very early on in my life reacted in a negative manner which didn’t help my self-esteem. Years and years of moisturising my skin did help to lighten these marks a little so even though it upsets me a little to admit it, I am happy. I don’t think I’ll ever them removed permanently because I have grown to be more comfortable and confident in my own skin.”
Rhea*, 29, Fitness Trainer
Mumbai-based Rhea has spent the last five years helping people up their fitness game and is no stranger to how exercising can change the way your body looks, marks and all. “Growing up, I was very skinny and had a weakened immune system. I started working out when I was 17 to gain some fat and muscle and to generally lead a healthier lifestyle and within a few months, I saw red welts stretching out on certain areas of my body. I never minded them! They’re just a permanent reminder that I took charge of my life and made it better for myself!”
*names changed on request