How these influencers acknowledged and overcame their insecurities

Insecurities hold us back and make us feel unnecessarily bad for just being ourselves. It’s easy to compare yourself to celebrities and influencers and wish you looked like them.

The truth is, even influencers can be insecure and have insecurities. In this post, some of my favourite influencers and bloggers share their insecurities and how they manage it to stop it becoming overbearing.

My own insecurity

My biggest insecurity is my teeth. I have a condition called fluorosis that leaves discolouring of the teeth. Mine is moderate so the discolouring is brown. It’s caused by an overexposure to fluoride in the younger stage of life.

When I was in school, the website sarahah was popular. It’s where you could leave anonymous messages to others. I jumped on the trend like everyone else but I didn’t get many nice messages.

There were so many comments about my teeth such as “google toothpaste”, “you’d be so pretty if you brushed your teeth”, “your teeth are mank”.

So many hurtful comments that made me so insecure. Since leaving school though, no one has made a single comment on them. It’s made me realise that after high school, those mean comments are meaningless.

I am still insecure, sometimes I’ll edit my teeth in a photo or I’ll just smile without showing my teeth but I also remember that I can’t change it and it’s not my fault.

This photo was one I was going to recently upload to Instagram but my teeth prevented me from doing so. Now, I’m going to share it here and no longer be so ashamed of them.

Tia hodgson – @tiaspage / tiaspaige.com

I’ve written blogs on body confidence and insecurities and my journey overcoming them so happy to take that perspective. My biggest insecurity is probably my dark circles, I went to specialists about them and have treatment for them as it wasn’t from tiredness but due to my circulation and other sciencey stuff. Over lockdown I’ve been wearing a lot less make up and don’t care as much about covering them up but they’re still the first thing I notice when I take a picture and usually delete photos if they’re very obvious. I also get insecure about my bloating as I have IBS so it happens a lot, uncontrollably/sometimes no clue why it happens and is very painful but I’m learning to love myself, live with it and find solutions.

Danielle – @dxnniemxrie

My biggest insecurity has always been my stomach. Ever since a young age, I have always been chubby. Never skinny. It hurt alot growing up as my friends could wear cute topshop jeans and crop tops and it would look perfect. I could not. I would always wear oversized clothes to try “cover it up”. I would refuse to go swimming and wear a bikini. I would turn down going on school trips involving swimming or in the summer as I couldn’t cover up more.

From secondary school at 11 to now a uni student at the grand age of 21 I have learnt to embrace this 110%! In 2016, after finishing school I decided to order a load of crop tops, shorts and sports gym wear and haven’t looked back since. Have I still got a bit of a tummy? Yes! Am I gonna apologies? No! I’ve learnt to love me and me alone ! Wear what you want, eat what you can because life is too short to not do or wear what you love !!

Anonymous

My biggest insecurity is my weight. I used to wear all oversized clothes, and when friends asked me to go shopping I would have to get my size without them knowing as I am bigger than them.

But since lockdown, I have lost a stone, and now changing my style and being more confident! I saw a post saying “you have fat, but you aren’t fat. you have fingernails, but you aren’t a fingernail” and I don’t know why but it really helps me to be more confident with myself!

Doina – @doina.g_94

My body was my biggest insecurity. Looking in the mirror was really difficult, because I didn’t want to know that girl who was looking at me from there. It took me years and years to learn how to accept the way I am and how to love me. I have completely achieved the “i’m amazing and I love my body” phase when I got pregnant. God I was so happy, every extra pound that I gained was absolutely ok for me, because I knew that i’ll a be a mommy. Even after I gave birth, when my body was so different, oh boy that belly that never goes back to its original size, I admired my body, and I still do, and i’ve never been so happy in my life.

Grace Eleanor – @Grace_eleanor.x / grace Eleanor blogs

So my BIGGEST insecurity is the gap in between my two front teeth! I used to get bullied and called names all the time at school, to the point I went to the dentist and asked them if there’s a way my gap can be closed!

When he explained the procedure, I suddenly realised I would be putting myself through that because of how OTHER people who mean nothing to me, made me feel. That’s when I realised I had to love my insecurity. I get so many compliments now and I feel great about my gap.

Charlotte – _lifewithchar

I’ve had a lot of different insecurities over the years during different stages of my life; hating my nose, wishing my boobs were bigger. Right now I think my biggest insecurity is my tummy and thighs.

I’m not sure when exactly it started but I think as my body changed from a teenager into a ‘grown up’ the changes in these areas definitely surprised me!

If I’m ever having a bad body image day and these things really bug me I try and think about the positives of having a ‘fuller’ figure, like having a bum. But I also changed what I was wearing to be more comfortable and so it complimented what I’m working with.

Obviously it doesn’t always work and there are some days I think very negatively about those bits of me and compare them to everyone else but it’s all a work in progress!

Sophie – thisbrilliantday / thisbrilliantday.com

My biggest insecurity is anxiety. I had a rough patch about 3 years ago where I had a lot going on in my life and was also ridiculously busy with work. I had a panic attack while at work and after that I would get so anxious whenever I was in any similar situation, and in social situations too.

So my insecurity is that I worry I will go all shaky and anxious at any moment and make a fool of myself.

I am doing so much better now though! Reading books and blogs about different techniques to overcome anxiety has helped. I have learned to not care so much what people might think of me, and to try not to worry or overthink about things in advance.

I try to be more mindful and focus on the present moment and just go with the flow.

Leyna – Lifeofleyna_ / lifeofleyna (YouTube)

My biggest insecurity growing up was probably my nose… I think when I was younger, nose jobs were starting to get big and it was ‘ideal’ to have a little nose because everyone thought that was prettier. I used to think my nose was too pointy and that my side profile was made so ugly by it.

Insecurities are hard to overcome but I think I’ve done it now because I haven’t really given my nose a second thought for a few years now!

The first thing that helped me was realising that no one else noticed my nose at all, so why did I.

And then I don’t know if this is strange, but I literally forced myself to look at my nose in the mirror and think neutral/positive thoughts instead of negative ones.

Over time, I think I just stopped wasting energy on my nose because it’s normal and fine, just like everyone’s nose is!

When I look back on it now, I think it’s crazy how one small thing can affect your thoughts so much but it’s so normal and common… we can all overcome these things though!

Eleanor Jones – Notsomoderngirl_reads / notsomoderngirl.com

My biggest insecurity is my acne. I’ve struggled with acne on and off since I was a teenager but in my second year of University it got a lot worse- and I’ve since started taking medication to manage it.

I’m lucky that I’ve never experienced any negative comments (apart from the occasional piece of unsolicited advice) but I think the mainstream media has really made me feel like my skin is somehow “other” or “ugly”- and growing up I never used to see acne in the media.

Luckily, now I follow lots of acne-positive accounts on Instagram- and these have been so important in improving my outlook towards my skin. Acne is a lot more common than I realised when I was younger, and almost no-one has “perfect” clear skin. I still wear a full face of make-up everyday because that’s how I feel the most confident- but these accounts have definitely made me realise I don’t need to be insecure about my acne, and when there is texture under my make-up that’s completely normal!

Laura Samanthia – @laurasamanthia / samanthiablogs.co.uk

My biggest insecurity is my skin, I had acne in the start of my teen years all the way up until about a year ago (I was 20).

I’m still struggling with breakouts and very bad scarring. I still don’t feel able to go out of the house without make up but I’m starting to learn that everybody has scars wherever they might be and love the skin I’m in.

Hopefully one day I will accept it enough to leave the house without any make up! One small step at a time but I’m letting certain people see me without make up and that’s a big step for me.

Natasha Evans – @tash__evans / agirlwithview.co.uk

I think my biggest insecurity is my legs. As I’ve gotten older they’ve been the place I’ve noticed the most changes and fluctuations. I’m learning to accept that they are a part of my body and no-one even thinks or notices them other than me and that I need to embrace them!

Gabby Louise – @gabbylouise123

I think my biggest insecurity would be my scars and stretch marks on my legs. Everyone has stretch marks or marks of some description on their legs and body, and although I know it’s completely natural, I still often dread having to show my thighs in public.

I hate having to wear a bikini on holiday cause I feel like people are staring.

I am however slowly learning to embrace my body for what it is. I look around and notice people are often so worried about their own insecurities that they don’t even notice mine.

My body will continue to change throughout my life, and I am slowly becoming more confident in my own beautiful skin.

What’s your biggest insecurity?