We are fed so many messages about what bodies “should” look like but don’t get a lot of chances to see what most bodies *actually* look like. If you do, what’s that like?

17 comments

  2. That every single body is different, and up close, nobody looks like the people on magazines. We have skim textures.

  3. I had a part time job as a masseuse one time and learnt that my chronic back pain (I slept with a pillow under my back for year) was fixed after one session.
    More significantly, I was able to give my granny foot and leg massages for her circulation. Which later became more significant as she was dying and it was a way to have a connection and provide her relief.

  4. This may come as a shock to some, but *no one* has flawless, airbrush-textured skin in person. Also, this one will especially shock men: Women grow body hair everywhere, and it’s totally normal.

  5. i’m a MA for a podiatrist, definitely take better care of my feet because i don’t want to be in pain when i’m older or have preventable surgery

  6. I have been working in healthcare for 25+ years. There is no “normal” body. Every single body is different and very, very few look like anything you would see in porn. The “self conscious about my labia” posts in /r/normal minded are especially heartbreaking to me because they are all 100% normal and beautiful. It just shows the extensive effects of porn on our society. Also, lots of people have moles, hair, body fat, acne, scars….these are normal and common on bodies.

  7. When I was in massage therapy you begin to learn a lot about deep relaxation. And that it’s very normal for a man to fall into a deep enough state of relaxation that they can get a boner. That doesn’t necessarily mean they want to have sex with you, it’s a natural body reaction.

    I think when I was younger I thought people only got them when they wanted to have sex and that is NOT the case.

  8. >what have you learned about those bodies? Have your experiences changed your relationship with your own body?

    No, it hasn’t changed my relationship with my own body but it is always a reminder that nobody is flawlessly airbrushed like the images all over magazines and the images/videos across the internet.

    Its also worth remembering that everyone is so different and everyone has their own insecurities.

  9. I went to school for massage therapy and learned how to love myself, that we are all shaped differently, how my body responds to pain, what chronic pain feels like. I’ve learned that everyone prefers a different style of touch, whether it be deep tissue, or just fasciae movement, or even as close to the skin as lymphatic treatment. I learned what it takes to care for myself and stay healthy, and also realize that my healthy path is not the same as everyone else’s. Because we are all from different places in the world, we digest foods better than others.

  10. I’m a mammographer and knowing the variety of breasts out there has made me so much more comfortable in my own body. I started training as a mammo tech at age 20 so it was good as a young woman to see how big of a variety there is in normal everyday people (vs what we see on screen or in edited photos).

    I’m not from a family where we walked around in revealing clothing and my mom would always do this stupid “pull up” motion if my shirt showed any bit of cleavage whatsoever, so before becoming an x-ray tech my experience seeing other bodies was mostly limited to the media and my (much thinner) friends. I hit puberty way earlier than my friends so I always felt different.

  11. I’m a midwife, so obviously my perception of bodies is skewed a bit from seeing changes during and post pregnancy… but the biggest thing I’ve learned is there is such a huge diversity in vulva appearance, vaginal structure/size/shape, breast/nipple shapes.

    I mean I knew a lot about female anatomy before becoming a midwife, but the diversity is really astounding. It really helped me come to terms with my body and feeling comfortable and accepting of those parts of myself.

  12. I work as a nurse’s assistant in a nursing home. Rest assured, everyone will become wrinkly and saggy.
    But: none of my patients miss their shiny, tanned skin, full lips or flat stomach. They miss being able to go on walks, go grocery shopping themselves, playing with their (grand)kids.

    I learned very quickly to be grateful to have legs that can carry me, steady hands to help, basically everything my body does for me. Yes, I’m not always happy with my appearance, but I’m healthy.

  13. Thank you for asking this question! This is actually a topic I’m quite passionate about, as a casual nudist and someone who worked in elderly care for a few years. Imo seeing nude bodies in a non sexual context is a great way to reset your brain’s expectations of what a body is “supposed” to look like.

    Specific things I realised are:

    People carry weight in different parts of their bodies, and that weight discrepancy can be pretty significant. eg thin arms and big belly, small torso and large ass/legs, etc. It’s completely normal and it doesn’t mean you’re fat if you carry weight in a less desirable body part.

    Women can grow moustaches, beards and unibrows. It’s super common in older women and 100% natural and normal

    You cannot judge someone’s health by their size, unless they are massively under or overweight. Someone who is thin is not more likely to be healthy than someone who is chubby. You literally cannot tell just by looking.

    The vast majority of people, regardless of size, have cellulite and/or stretch marks. Most people have small scars, moles with hairs in them, skin tags and other so-called “blemishes”. Everyone has some part of their face that’s hyperpigmented, has larger pores or a different texture etc

    Everyone’s breasts and nipples are different, and they aren’t symmetrical. Everyone’s vulvas, penises and testicles are different. Outside of infection or other medical issue, there is no normal.

  14. Licensed Massage Therapist here, 17.5 years in the biz.

    -Every body houses a soul that is worthy and in need of love.

    -Every body has aches and pains, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, occupation, belief system…

    -Every body on my table is respected and honored.

    -Every body (and everybody) needs non-judgmental interaction on a regular basis.

    -Every body is amazing. A M A Z I N G. They heal, they strive to keep living, they adapt, they overcome.

    -Every body will tell you they don’t have issues, but if you slow down and listen you will hear what they are asking for. Sometimes it’s silence, sometimes it’s rest, sometimes it’s distraction, or affirmation or reassurance.

    I’ve walked clients through pregnancy loss (late and early term), the death of parents, anxiety attacks (I usually just sit with them and we breathe until they can decide if they want to continue or end the session), job changes, death of a coworker on the job, teenagers going through life and body changes, pregnancy and the fourth trimester…..the list goes on.

    I am forever changed by my clients and the experiences they invite me into daily, their vulnerability in allowing me to interact with their body and be a part of their healing, self care or wellness process. I have learned to look at my own body and thank it for the hard work it does every day to keep me alive and active, as well as the work it does to help others. I’m more forgiving of the extra weight and curves I didn’t have 20 years ago, I’m more in awe of its ability to keep moving me, the soul that resides in this container, around every day.

  15. I don’t work with other people’s bodies down a living but I want to thank you for posting this, as I am a woman with certain aspects of my body that I’m self conscious about. So thank you OP and everyone for shining a light on this topic and allowing us to see we are all beautiful as we are.

  17. Receptionist at a bariatric surgery clinic.

    There are some beautiful, successful, well-loved fat people out there. Parents with BMIs in the 60s. High-powered government officials. Men and women who make me blush and weigh 300+lbs.

    Each one has emergency contacts; mother, father, siblings, spouses, friends.

    The stereotype of the fat loser is a lazy one.

    Our patients are regular people who are sick (often literally) of weighing too much, and are willing to do something extremely difficult to get healthier.

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