27 People Share The Things They Used To Hate About Themselves But Now Love

Learning to love yourself is the best thing you can ever do.

We asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the things about themselves that they once hated and now love. Here are the beautiful results.

1.

moirad2

"I was born with congenital microphthalmia, so my right eye is underdeveloped and blind. I was bullied as a child for it, and I've always felt so insecure about it and how it made me look. But I've learned to come to terms with it because it's a part of me, and I'm pretty awesome. It's different, but it's me!" –moirad2

2.

teenidle

"My baby canine tooth never fell out and so my adult canine tooth decided to make room somewhere else. I didn't like my smile because I didn't like the way it looked. After high school, I accepted my smile and now I smile big!" –teenidle

3.

kimberlynw2

"I have a surgically reconstructed ear and an osseointegrated hearing aid. I was born with microtia and atresia, and I've had five surgeries total. Through those surgeries, I've had three skin grafts, two cadaver skin grafts, 12 staples, two scar revisions, one blood drain, and countless stitches. I cried when I saw my ear after my first surgery because I hated it. I used to always wear my hair down to hide my ear and hearing aid, but now I wouldn't change a thing. It's been a long road, but I'm finally in love with my ear." –kimberlynw2

4.

miguelo447fd9460

"I used to hate my beauty marks, and I have several of them on my face. I was always made fun of in elementary school because of them. The other kids would say they were ugly and that they made me ugly. It got to a point where I was constantly begging my mom to get them removed (thankfully she never did). Eventually as I got older, other kids would tease me less about them, and I learned to ignore the ones who would. I’ve learned to love them and realised that they’re such a huge part of who I am, and something so unique about me. They’re my beauty marks, and they make me beautiful." –miguelo447fd9460

5.

anoukvanderz

"I've had a lazy eye since birth. I used to be fully cross-eyed but had a few surgeries to get it in position. It still drifts upwards and inwards when I'm tired and everyone always notices. I used to get a lot of questions about it and I hated when it showed up in photos. But when I got past my teens I realised that it was so uniquely me, I started to embrace it. I don't care anymore and I like that I'm always that little bit unexpected." –anoukvanderz

6.

sydglove13

"I absolutely hated my hair for more than half my life. It was so different from everyone else’s hair around my school and neighbourhood. I would throw it in a ponytail and never let it out. My mom begged me to show the world my curls, and I finally did at around age 14. It’s been a lot of work finding the right routine and products, but it’s been worth it. I’ll never use chemicals to alter it. I love my natural hair so much!" –sydglove13

7.

ecampa122

"I used to get made fun of all the time for my hairy arms. I'm a hairy, Mexican woman. I've heard it all: 'you look like a gorilla', 'you would look prettier if you shaved your arms', etc. When I was younger I didn't like it, but over time I decided to ignore the haters and now refuse to shave my arms because they're my trademark. I like smoothing it out, making twists, and just playing with my arm hair. It's very satisfying." –ecampa122

8.

elizabethmorganw

"When I was diagnosed with rosacea, I hated how I looked because I was teased and I was so insecure. I’m a sophomore in college now and I’ve learned to roll with the punches, and that my rosacea is a part of who I am and I can’t change that. I learned to love it because it’s not something I can just hide. Plus, I don’t need blush when I do my makeup anymore." –elizabethmorganw

9.

ivoired

"When I first began life as an amputee in January 2016, I hated it. But I’ve learned to love it because I can inspire people and educate people about the amputee life via my YouTube." –ivoired

10.

missalexismae

"A few months before my 21st birthday, I became a burn survivor. An accident left me with first, second, and third-degree burns, ultimately requiring skin grafts on my chest and arm. Being so young and self-conscious, I didn't leave my house for six months until I went to the largest gathering of burn survivors in the world. The first person I met came up to me and said, 'Don't worry, you are in good hands'. Except, he had no hands. He lost them in a gas explosion. The fact that someone who had been through so much could be so light and carefree, really had a positive impact on me and radically changed my perspective. Now I love to show my grafts and burns off. They're a conversation starter, a way to inform others about burn safety, and an introduction to my story of surviving. I am a proud burn survivor and my scars are that little bit of extra that make me extraordinary." –missalexismae

11.

jnartis

"I've always hated how gummy my smile is. I would never post pictures that showed my gums and would untag pictures of myself if my smile wasn't 'perfect'. At 25, the man of my dreams proposed to me and after getting engaged we took plenty of pictures where I was showing my hated gummy smile. That was when I realised I no longer cared about it because of how truly happy and in love I was. More than a year later, 27 days away from my wedding day, I am still completely in love and smiling with MY gummy smile." –jnartis

12.

kaseys49b5879bd

"I used to hate my face without makeup, mostly because of the abundance of freckles on my cheeks. All through elementary school I was ridiculed for them. But as I got into my senior year, I learned to love my freckles and slowly stopped wearing face makeup. Freckles are a beautiful thing, and anyone with freckles has their own little map on their face. I think it’s adorable, and more people need to embrace their little patches of melanin." –kaseys49b5879bd

13.

annel43cfe8020

"My keloids on my chest, shoulders, and back seriously bugged me when I was in middle and high school. I tried everything but they weren’t going anywhere, so I’ve grown to just embrace them. People still stare but I’m used to them now."

–annel43cfe8020

14.

Freelivy

"Starting at eight years old, I used to get my eyebrows waxed. I would shave them, pluck them, anything to hide how massive they were on my little head. Then one day a lady in the salon told me that they made me look like Brooke Shields, and I never touched them again." –Freelivy

15.

sarahrose

"I have alopecia and lost all my hair in middle school. That was a really hard time in my life because all I wanted to be was 'normal'. But as I grew up, I learned that my baldness made me unique and it's okay to be different."

–sarahrose

16.

fiddleplayer

"Growing up, I was always super self-conscious about the gap between my front teeth. I absolutely hated smiling and whenever I did, it would be with my lips shut. I got braces, which worked for a while but my retainer always hurt, and one day it just snapped. It was then that I realised that having a gap between my teeth was by no means a flaw, no more so than having curly hair. I was putting myself in uncessary pain to try to get rid of something that makes me beautiful and unique. I've never looked back, I love my smile now!!" –fiddleplayer

17.

vidulamagicalme

"I lost my left eye in an accident when I was 10. I've always hated how it looks and because of that I've had huge confidence issues. I thought I looked disgusting and even though I was an extrovert as a kid, my 'ugliness' made me hesitant to approach people to try and make new friends. Recently, though, I've come to accept my appearance and I don't care what people think as much as I used to. My scars don't make me ugly, they make me a survivor!" –vidulamagicalme

18.

haleymess

"I used to hate the shape of my nose. I always said I'd get a nose job when I was old enough, but I've since learned to love it because it's a part of me. My dad has this nose, and so did my grandma, and great-grandma. I love those people and I feel like my nose makes me more like them. I also have this very noticeable birthmark on my chin. I always used to try to cover it up. Now I know that it makes me unique and is part of who I am. I love my birthmark!" –haleymess

19.

Michelle Rennex / BuzzFeed

"I have three freckles on my top lip and was made to feel so bad about them growing up. I was so embarrassed that I used to try to scratch them off, making my lips red and raw. Even today people go as far as to tell me I have herpes on my lips. But as I got older, I grew to love them and now I would never want to remove them. They're unique and what makes me, me." –Michelle Rennex

20.

rjj4a672e16d

"I have a very noticeable mole on my left cheek. I hated it until I grew up and met my siblings. I realised we all have one in the same spot. It made me happy to know that even though we grew up in separate states, there was an obvious genetic marker that connected all of us." –rjj4a672e16d

21.

karlamarieg2

"The tentacle scars on my leg from being stung by a jellyfish. I hate that it ruined my otherwise clear skin, but as someone who's not typically adventurous or outdoorsy, people are always surprised when I tell the story behind my leg. It helps me remember to try things out of my comfort zone, even when I want to be my usual reclusive self." –karlamarieg2

22.

carolinee496bf2e77

"My surgical scar. In August I had to have rare surgery on my sternoclavicular joint and it's been a battle. Living with a chronic condition as a 14/15-year-old isn’t what I would call ideal, but through this I’ve learned to love my body and all its beautiful problems. This scar is just an extra thing to love." –carolinee496bf2e77

23.

Ashleyisamexican

"I used to hate my stretch marks until I had a baby and they multiplied. Now every time I see them I'm reminded of how amazing my body is for giving me my beautiful baby." –Ashleyisamexican

24.

mackenziea453883cdd

"My birthmark. To this day I still get asked if it's a hickey. When I was younger I was so embarrassed by it and would always wear high neck shirts to hide it. Now I don't care. I think it makes me unique. ☺️" –mackenziea453883cdd

25.

samanthat416ded614

"I had bone cancer when I was 17 and went through two years of chemo and a countless number of surgeries on my right leg. I've had to wear a knee brace ever since and it took me years to accept it and my scars. I would wear loose pants that easily fit over it but at some point in the last few years, something changed. I realised that my brace and scars were ME. Now I rock a mini or a dress at every chance I get! Sure I get the questions and stares, but I'm lucky to be alive celebrating every day!" –samanthat416ded614

26.

federicabertorelli

"I'm 18, and two years ago I had a liver transplant. I used to cry every night, scared that no one would love me like this, but now I'm so grateful and I've started to wear short tops to show it off." –federicabertorelli

27.

amym41b5dcc41

"My hair is two different colours. It's split right down the middle, from the hair on my head to my arm hair (including my eyelashes, although I wear mascara a lot so that's never as obvious). I was born this way, and when I was younger I got made fun of ALL the time. I was called skunk girl, two-faced, half-and-half, and, of course, a freak. I used to hate it and even begged my parents to let me dye my hair, which they wouldn't let me do. And now I'm glad they didn't because I've come to appreciate and embrace my uniqueness!" –amym41b5dcc41

Responses have been edited for length/clarity.

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