‘My mantra is no filter, no judgement, no bullsh*t!’
Ifirst started to notice Instagram filters when I was taking pictures of my baby River and they automatically gave him more defined eyebrows. I remember thinking how ridiculous it looked, but you can add anything you want now, such as full make-up or a slimmer nose. Let’s face it, no one looks perfect all the time and it’s damaging to constantly be faking your looks.
“Friends look at pictures of filtered celebs and say to me, ‘But I don’t look like that!’ And I respond, saying,
‘No one looks like that. It’s a computer-generated image!’
You have a responsibility to yourself not to constantly touch up imperfections and stay authentic, otherwise people are constantly striving for something that isn’t even real. My mantra is no filter, no judgement, no bullsh*t!
“I’ve got so many stretchmarks after having River, I can’t even hide them! And I don’t want to, because so many people have scars and cellulite and that shouldn’t be a taboo. I don’t want my son to grow up having an unrealistic view of what women look like. I’m celebrating my natural body because it gave me River; shifting 10lbs to be the ‘perfect’ size 10 isn’t a priority.
“Another potential hazard from celebs posting heavily filtered pics is encouraging fans to experiment with cosmetic tweaks to achieve ‘perfection’. We’re blasted with images of what is ideal from big lips to a huge bum – but these are passing fads. While we can be fickle with our clothes and make-up, making serious changes to your body is not only dangerous, it can damage you mentally.
“When I see trolls criticising my body, I just think, ‘Go f**k yourself!’ I pity them as they must have really sad lives. Everyone is on their own personal journey and it’s important to learn to embrace your flaws and feel comfortable in your own skin; you don’t need to pretend to be a fake digital model!” ● Melissa used the Medela’s Swing Maxi Flex™ double pump. Visit www.medela.co.uk