Women Are Sharing The Qualities That Changed From "Insecurity" To "Unique Feature" And It's Frankly Refreshing

    I swear this is the most refreshing content on the internet.

    Abha Ahad
    by Abha Ahad

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Children are very impressionable. One wrong comment we hear as a child can have us hiding huge parts of what makes us unique for years. I grew up hating my arms and not wearing sleeveless clothes. After a while, I realized that I started loving them, and now I wear whatever I want.

    Close up of happy young woman with profound deafness in lilac shirt standing against pink background laughing
    Flashpop / Getty Images

    I thought I was alone in this debacle until I came across this adorable thread on r/AskWomen started by u/codependentweeb. Now, women on Reddit are revealing parts about themselves that they hated while growing up but have grown to love as adults.

    Netflix

    Here's some of the most powerful repsonses:

    1. Curly hair

    A girl with curly hair
    Coffeeandmilk / Getty Images

    "My big curly hair. People used to say that it was nappy or that it was unattractive. After natural hair became more mainstream, I saw a lot more appreciation for textured hair and grew to love it in all its wild glory." 

    —u/thr0w0y

    2. Body hair

    Woman looking at the camera while showing off her confetti-decorated underarms
    Jlco - Julia Amaral / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "This is a big one for me. I used to be super insecure about my body hair. I don't do any hair removal at all anymore, and I actually think it looks cute." 

    —u/sparkly_jim 

    3. Having small boobs

    All Gas No Brakes / Andrew Callaghan / Via tenor.com

    "Going braless is amazing." 

    —u/lcwj

    4. Dark skin tones

    A black, plus sized woman taking a selfie
    Sergiymolchenko / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "I am a WOC, and growing up, I really wanted to be white because to me, white = fitting in. But now, I am very comfortable with the color of my skin, my facial features, and any other identifying features I may have that show the world that I am a WOC." 

    —u/starskyandbutch

    5. Thick thighs

    Lizzo singing on stage
    Bryan Bedder / Getty Images for American Express

    "As a high school athlete, I didn't pay attention to them except to do their job. In college, I became aware of the 'thigh gap' thing and was always worried about it. Now, I'm just fine with them!" 

    —u/RepresentativeNo5760

    6. Big lips

    Angelina Jolie speaking
    Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    "I was so embarrassed by mine that I didn’t wear lip color until my 20s. Now, it’s a whole trend to over-line lips AND get filler." 

    —u/Wise_Neighbourhood499

    7. Cellulite

    Woman with cellulite holding her thighs
    Jacoblund / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "I was always ashamed of my legs and cellulite and covered them up. Sometime around middle school, I stopped wearing shorts and then never wore them, even on days it was 90+ degrees and I went to my non-air-conditioned school. I still remember the first time I did wear shorts as an adult. Now though? I run ultramarathons, and my legs are a powerhouse. I love them." 

    —u/anatomizethat

    8. Being tall

    Portrait of two skinny women in athletic wear - one significantly taller than the other
    Recep-bg / Getty Images

    "I’m 6’1 and was called big bird my whole life. It's hard for a little girl to be close to a half foot taller than every other boy/girl growing up! I’ve learned not to give two fucks in my 30s." 

    —u/crayshesay

    9. Being short

    A short, butch woman
    Westend61 / Getty Images

    "I'm 5'0", and during my formative years, I used to wear high heels, and I always felt a little bit inferior because of my height. Now, I love myself the way I am, and I have come to terms with my petite frame. Did you know that shorter people live longer? True story.

    No, but seriously ... I found my home in powerlifting — a place where my height was actually seen as an advantage. I also think it's beneficial sexually (being easier to manhandle, lol), and being this tiny...actually gives me the upper hand in some social situations. People tend to see me as nonthreatening, which has been a great advantage in my line of work.

    Also, I do own a stepping stool, and with that, I feel like I can conquer the world!" 

    —u/mywatchwoman


    10. Stretch marks

    Young adult woman with stretch marks self love heart on hip
    With Love Of Photography / Getty Images

    "My zebra stripes, aka stretch marks. I've had them since I was 12, and I've been average or underweight all my life. I used to not like them, but no one has ever said anything mean about it, so I just got used to it." 

    —u/BlushButterfree


    11. Thick butts

    Kim Kardashian smiling at the camera
    Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for ABA

    "I turned 18 and moved to Los Angeles for college during the early 'heroin chic' 1990s. In those days, there was not a body to be seen anywhere in media that looked like mine, to say nothing of finding a pair of jeans that fit it. 36-26-40 at 5'6" was decidedly NOT in fashion. Today, I see butts like mine everywhere. What Sir Mix-a-Lot started, the Kardashians have well and truly finished, and I don't hate them for it." 

    —u/lamante

    12. Speaking voice

    NBC / Via tenor.com

    "I used to hate my voice (raspy voice gal here). Now, I consider it one of my unique features." 

    —u/ArkynAzylum

    13. Alaskan cheeks

    A young inuk girl
    Ashley Cooper / Getty Images

    "My big ass Alaskan cheeks and flattish face that comes with my awesome heritage. I was always told by others and my white stepmother I would never be desired. Well, they are actually seen as beautiful when I displayed my love for them. I started out joking about them to deal with my hate of them. Over time, I do actually love those features and changed my makeup routine to embellish them." 

    —u/ParticularShirt6215

    14. Hip dips

    15. Moles

    A woman with moles on her body
    Master1305 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "I have a lot of moles all over my face. When I was younger, I contemplated getting them laser removed. Then one day, a makeup lady in Sephora told me she liked my 'beauty marks.' I was so stunned, but from then on, I started appreciating my 'beauty marks,' too. People tell me it makes me look cute and unique." 

    —u/boba_baba

    16. Being queer

    A lesbian couple
    Mireya Acierto / Getty Images

    "Religious shame really did a number on me." 

    —u/SuccoyaHoyaa

    17. Having red hair

    A red-headed woman holding her phone
    Aleksandargeorgiev / Getty Images

    "My fair skin and red hair. I always wanted to be a tan, blonde, California-looking girl. But now, I’ve come to realize that my natural coloring is striking, unique, and fits me better anyways." 

    —u/Wiling_Vehicle_9457


    18. Non-defined cheekbones

    Ponywang / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "Baby fat on my face. I used to think defined cheekbones would make me prettier. But after looking at old pictures from the early 2000s, I saw there were a lot of beautiful women who had baby fat faces. Now, I love my cheeks. I'm 20, but my face makes me look 12." —u/ClaraBow01 

    19. Living with ADHD

    Lucas Film / Via tenor.com

    "I really am learning to love my ADHD and everything that comes with it. I love learning about people and things, and then sharing that information — I love hyper-fixating on things and then sharing that obsession with the world. It feels fulfilling and like I have a community I didn’t before." 

    —u/arihkerra

    20. Wide shoulders

    Julia Roberts smiling to the camera
    Laurent Koffel / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

    "I can build more muscle and be physically fitter than most un-active men." 

    —u/workswithanimals 

    21. Skinny legs

    A woman with skinny legs
    Ta-nya / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "My legs. Growing up, my friend's mom called me 'chicken legs.' This woman was a second mom to me and called her own daughter 'rabbit.' I thought of myself as scrawny and shapeless. Then I got to college, and my sorority sisters were always complimenting my legs. I started to think of myself as having the legs of a model. I felt like I could walk over anyone that got in my way. These days, I'm somewhere in between." 

    —u/graphicunicron


    22. Hair

    Backshot of three women with different hair lengths
    Larysa Vdovychenko / Getty Images

    "Took me so long to fall in love with it. I just wish I stopped cutting it when I was young; it’s never grown back to the same length again." 

    —u/cjh93

    23. Nipple hair

    NBC / Via tenor.com

    "My nipple whiskers." 

    —u/Kaleidoscopefatigue

    24. Stomach

    A woman holding her tummy
    Viorel Kurnosov / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "I was incredibly insecure about my tummy, but now I've grown to accept that it is a part of me, and now, I love my tummy." 

    —u/NooooooN0830


    25. Dark, pigmented lips

    Afro American woman with pigmented lips
    Husam Cakaloglu / Getty Images

    "My skin color and also having dark pigmented lips!" 

    —u/bubu_belfry

    26. Names that are difficult to pronounce

    Warner Bros. / Via tenor.com

    I always got stressed when we had subs in class because I knew they would mispronounce it and then everybody would giggle and repeat it. Now, I love having a unique name and think it’s beautiful!" 

    —u/blueberryscone1080

    27. Pale skin that doesn't tan

    Red head with pale skin and freckles
    Jena Ardell / Getty Images

    Tans were super fashionable when I was in school, and the only time I got something resembling a tan was when I got burned very badly...and I merely turned a slightly darker shade of pale. I eventually accepted that I would never tan but still hated that I could not. When I started exploring makeup in my 20s, I realized that I would only ever need one shade of foundation because my skin never changes color. As time passed, I became completely fine with my pale skin." 

    —u/latebaroque

    28. Fashion sense

    Group of friends lying on the ground
    We Are / Getty Images

    "I was really insecure about my fashion sense. In my high school, if you didn't wear what all the 'popular' kids were wearing, then you were wrong and looked down on. Now that I have been out for almost four years, I wear whatever I want and love it. I feel so free and love my style." 

    —u/Formal_Awareness8915

    29. Wide hips

    M-gucci / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    "I was a teen in the '00s, and the beauty standard was to be a stick with no curves. Come puberty, and boom, I got pretty wide hips and a big ass. I hated it so much. I thought long straight lines are the most elegant, so beautiful.
    I would wear loose clothes, but I looked twice as big because I had to tailor them to the biggest area: the hip/butt area. Slowly over the years, I learned to appreciate and work with what I had instead of fighting against it. My hips/ass might be some of my favorite parts now. Really make me feel sexy." 

    —u/pipermina

    30. A Roman nose

    Tom Cruise smiling at the camera, his Roman nose feature is very visible
    Hector Vivas / Getty Images for Paramount Pictu

    "I have a Roman nose and hated it for ages. Now, I love it and find my man's nose (which is similar) attractive as hell." 

    —u/GoldRosePetal 

    31. Freckles

    An adult woman with freckles
    Fg Trade / Getty Images

     "I used to try and scrub them off my arms and face." 

    —u/gottabemyownsunshine

    32. Smile

    Little girl smiling
    Recep-bg / Getty Images

    "I used to hide my smile until I got a compliment from a stranger online that my smile was the prettiest she's ever seen. How one comment from a stranger can change the way you look at yourself." 

    —u/_kionadreesmannx