Despite being a totally normal part of the human body, sharing photos of stretch marks has long been stigmatized. A-listers like Brie Bella, Khloe Kardashian and Hilary Duff have taken to social media in recent years to normalize their body “imperfections” and remind fans they shouldn’t be self conscious about parts of their body that are completely normal. Scroll through some of the empowering photos and messages posted by your favorite celebs.
Brie Bella
Brie took to Instagram seven months after giving birth to he second child Buddy to reveal a photo of what she called her “treasure marks.” The doting mom was wearing a black crop top that helped to show off her bare stomach and black bottoms in the pic. She used the pic to promote her Nicole + Brizee body wash product called Empowering. and included a thorough caption that was inspirational.
“The more baby weight I lose the more my treasure marks from Buddy are showing up,” it read. “Buddy pretty much grew through my belly button lol I guess the old wives tales were right how boys grow! Low!! After my second C section I’ve been really kicking my butt to get my abs back! And sooo is the saggy stomach which is normal after babies.”
“Sometimes it’s hard for me to look in the mirror and see my body,” she continued. “I always tell myself to be kind and grateful but I’m human so picking myself apart happens. That’s why Nikki [Bella] and I really wanted to create a body wash that every morning and night when you are completely vulnerable you see the words Empowered. Instead of tearing yourself down, you build yourself up.”
“You might see me at the pool in my one piece but I’m showing all of you that my treasure marks are something special,” she added. “They remind me of a special connection I got to share with my sweet babies for 9 months 🥰❤️😊”
Demi Lovato
Former Disney Channel star Demi Lovato revealed she was recovering from disordered eating habits, and took to Instagram in December 2020 to share a candid post which featured a series of photos of her stretch marks. In honor of my gratitude for the place I’m in today, this was a lil shoot I did by myself in quarantine this summer when I wanted to celebrate my stretch marks instead of being ashamed of them.” The “Confident” singer said she painted glitter on her upper thighs to “celebrate” her stretch marks. “This year was tough.. be gentle on yourself if you slip up and remember to get right back on track because you’re WORTH THE MIRACLE OF RECOVERY. I LOVE YOU.”
Khloe Kardashian
Reality star Khloe Kardashian embraced her stretch marks when she took to Instagram in January 2021 to share a snap from her tropical family getaway. The mom of two-year-old daughter, True Thompson, showed off her curves in a black bikini, captioning the post with a zebra emoji and writing, “I love my stripes.”
Chrissy Teigen
Back in 2015, cookbook queen Chrissy Teigen nonchalantly shared a snap which showed stretch marks on her leg. “Bruises from bumping kitchen drawer handles for a week. Stretchies say hi,” she captioned the photo, in which her legs were crossed. Chrissy is a mom to two kids: Luna and Miles.
Jameela Jamil
The Good Place star Jameela Jamil has long been on a mission to reframe the way people think about women’s bodies. In 2019 she posted a candid selfie, suggesting we refer to stretch marks as “Babe Marks”. She continued, “Boob stretch marks are a normal, beautiful thing. I have stretch marks all over my body … They are my badge of honor for resisting society’s weaponizing of the female form.”
Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff is another star who fought back against unrealistic beauty standards. Back in 2017, she shared this snap to her Instagram feed after photos of herself appeared in gossip magazines. “Since websites and magazines love to share ‘celeb flaws’ – well I have them! My body has given me the greatest gift of my life: Luca, 5 years ago. I’m turning 30 in September and my body is healthy and gets me where I need to go,” she captioned the snap, adding, “Ladies, lets be proud of what we’ve got and stop wasting precious time in the day wishing we were different, better, and unflawed.”
Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland made a great reference when she shared this snap of herself wearing a gorgeous, colorful one piece. “B!T@H BE HUMBLE”,” she wrote on the 2017 post, in reference to Kendrick Lamar‘s hit song, “Humble” which includes the lyrics, “I’m so sick and tired of the Photoshop… Show me somethin’ natural like ass with some stretch marks”.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga was Born This Way! The “Rain On Me” hitmaker took to Instagram in 2018 to share a stunning selfie, taken in the backseat of a car. She rocked an orange tank top, which featured a low cut scoop neckline, and showed some stretch marks on her chest.