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#IWokeUpLikeThis: Indian women who are making a skin-positive statement on social media
Five Indian women are leading the skin positivity movement — damning acne, facial hair and vitiligo — one Instagram post at a time
1. Mark of a woman – Masaba Gupta, designer
Her story: Biracial designer Masaba Gupta couldn’t leave her home without putting powder on her face at one point in her life. “I’ve had terrible acne for 14 years and by terrible I mean, most days it looked like I had a cigarette stubbed in my face,” she wrote after posting an image of herself covered with pimples on Instagram.
2. Road to victory– Kannagi Shanbag, vet graduate
Her story: New Zealand-based Kannagi Shanbag developed vitiligo at the age of 16. She sought medical help, but her skin condition worsened. Instead of choosing to cover patches on her skin, she now celebrates them.
3. Beauty spots – Anjali Mahto, dermatologist
Her story: UK-based Anjali has broken several beauty myths by fighting acne for 25 years and raising awareness by talking about the connection between skin and mental health.
4. Good hair days – Harnaam Kaur, model
Her story: Known as the ‘bearded lady’ – Instagram star Harnaam Kaur was bullied throughout school for having facial hair – a symptom of PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). She tried waxing and plucking over and over again but one day, after years of shaming, she decided to shun traditional beauty standards by flaunting her buff-looking beard.
5. Rebel with a cause – Tanya Bedi, graphic designer
Her story: Tanya Bedi refuses to give in to traditional beauty standards. In an Instagram post, she revealed how she was once scared to show her ‘flaws’ to the world but now proudly embraces her acne marks as a part of her identity. A young skin-positivity advocate, she believes that make-up shouldn’t be used to give in to societal norms but should be used as a tool for self-love.
From HT Brunch, July 8, 2018
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