The latest Instagram campaign to celebrate body image is the #loveyourlines account, and it could possibly be our favourite one yet.
Two mothers set up the Instagram to celebrate stretch marks, and have been sharing the beautiful and artist images of other women who wish to celebrate their body, lines and all, with testimonials of their stories. One story reads:
"I've had these lines since the age of 15 and I'm now 34 it was hard for me to embrace them when I was young. But now I realized they define who I am. A woman, A mother & A strong warrior goddess #mylifelines #mylovelines."
The creators of the account, Erika Salazar and Alex Smith, set it up last year and has seen the account thrive with 134,000 thousand followers and counting, with over 400 submissions from women wishing to celebrate their bodies.
Smith told Elle magazine: "It started as a friendly conversation between us about self-acceptance and body image. That birthed Love Your Lines, and it grew into something amazing. Because of the huge and almost instant response that we received, we realised that we had filled a huge void.
"We want women to know they are not alone, and there is now a platform where they can feel safe about sharing their relatable and life changing stories. We feel very fortunate that we can share this with so many women from all walks of life, throughout the world."
Here are our favourite submissions to the account, along with their amazing stories:
"This is the first time I've publicly shown the world I have stretchmarks and it has been such a liberating experience. I'm a slim girl with no boobs, no bum and no kids (so no-one believed I could have stretch marks) but developed them when I was around 16.
I have always been terribly insecure and would always wear shorts on the beach and round the pool but this holiday I took them off and guess what? The world didn't end."
"Today is just like any other. And I have just fleeting moments to notice these lines that have transformed my body, through tremendous weight gain and loss. Through those first months after our first son was born, he nursed so well. But I would look down, and loathe these marks spreading like wild flames across my whole chest and arms. They would hide away as soon as he was full, and stay completely covered day in and day out. Just so I would not have to think about the fact they were all consuming - my body and mind. Let's be honest. I love how my body was built to carry and nourish all our children, and these lines mark the authenticity of their births. I'm loving my body with all that I know how, perfectly imperfect, one day at a time."
"3 months postpartum, first baby. Scar I'm pointing to is from surgery I had for endometriosis so I had a better chance of getting pregnant. All through my pregnancy I hoped that I wouldn't get stretch marks and I didn't until the last month. I gave birth to a 9lbs 2oz baby. Having my son I no longer care about them. I even joke that my endometriosis scar looks like Harry Potters lightning bolt scar since I got stretch marks on both ends of it."
"I've had these lines ever since I can remember. I used to worry a lot about them mainly because some people pointed out to them.Today I stand stronger embracing me for who I'm and not how others say I should look like. You are all wonderful. Believe it."
"Real woman have lines_
It is the evidence that you created something so Devine_
You have been sculpted twice by the greatest creator of time_
See the scars that my stomach display_
Is really a portrait of what 40 weeks look like today_
It is a woman's battle wounds because she kept someone safe within her womb_
I'm ashamed that I ever let such a gift send me gloom_
Real woman have lines, they don't need an excuse_
So excuse me for being proud of what's left behind after i reproduced_
I believe I have a line for everyday within me you grew_
Kinda like a woman aged her wrinkles show what she's been through_
Real woman have lines_
There is no clock that would make me go back in time_
And forget that god had giving me something to call mine_
He trusted me with you and allowed me to be your lifeline_
He gave me the chance to extend my bloodline_
Lines you are my greatest uninvited guest, now we share a lifetime_
Yours truly ,
Candice Madison
I took this picture with my babygirl just playing around with my camera and literally thought it was the most beautiful picture I've ever taken. This is the first time in 3 years that I've shown my stomach so I'm not gonna act like this didn't take courage but it also took a certain confidence... I told myself this year I will eliminate any fear one by one... So this for me is a big step and hopefully I can encourage other mothers to love themselves too... ALL OF YOU not just parts.
God does...."
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