A quarter of women feel uncomfortable in own skin, research reveals

Nearly a quarter of women feel uncomfortable in their own skin, research has revealed. [Photo: SWNS]
Nearly a quarter of women feel uncomfortable in their own skin, research has revealed. [Photo: SWNS]

New research has revealed that almost a quarter of women feel uncomfortable in their own skin.

The study, which was commissioned by Gillette Venus, found that six out of ten of women felt that way because they don’t meet “typical beauty standards”.

The self-esteem on social media debate is one that rears its head time and time again.

Just recently, parents were warned that children as young as two-years-old were accessing social media, adding a new level of concern to the self-esteem issue.

READ MORE: Lack of sleep more harmful than social media for teenagers

The research seems to back up these concerns, by discovering that almost a fifth of women put their insecurities down to the celebrities and influencers they see on social media.

After struggling with bullying in her childhood, Marika Nagy, 22, spoke out about being a sufferer of congenital nevi - where the body is covered in birthmarks.

She said: “When the only thing you hear is something negative about you, you start to think the same way.”

She found her mindset shifted after giving birth to her son: “Every skin is beautiful and it’s amazing to see how different we all are - after all there’s no me without my skin.”

Marika Nagy struggled with bullies all her life. [Photo: SWNS]
Marika Nagy struggled with bullies all her life. [Photo: SWNS]

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Similarily, Kyisha has also learned to be more confident in her own skin after embracing her C-section scar.

“During my pregnancy, if you asked what I absolutely didn’t want it was a C-section scar, so I really had to work with it and heal with it as my body healed.”

“It’s become a sign of celebration for me now. There is a lot of pressure around snapping back in motherhood and I definitely felt that.”

READ MORE: Working from home might be impacting your mental health

Many women have also decided not to go to social events or post pictures of themselves on social media for fear of being judged.

On the back of this research, Gillette has decided to stop retouching its images.

Matt Thomas, Gillette Venus and Gillette brand manager said: “Venus is now 18 and we have taken the time to self-reflect, to look at who we are, where we’ve been, where we want to be, and what we stand for.”

“My Skin. My Way is a new beginning for us as a longstanding commitment to empower women and make them comfortable and confident in their skin.”

"No more retouching, no more restrictions, no more rules – just real women loving the skin they are in.”

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