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But before you unfollow everyone except that internet-famous cat you love so much, it may interest you to know that there are quite a few women who celebrate rather than obscure the physical traits that set them apart from the carefully curated crowd. We're talking inspirational IGers who are challenging the beauty status quo by proudly embracing everything from body hair to disabilities -- and getting us to rethink our own insecurities in the process.
Image via Pinterest
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Sara Geurts
In a youth-obsessed culture where women are willing to smear blood, bird poop and, yes, even semen on their faces in the quest to stay the ravages of time, Geurts -- like these badass 60-plus-year-old Instagrammers -- reminds us that wrinkles do not diminish a woman's worth.
Diagnosed with Dermatosparaxis Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder that impacts collagen production and causes her skin to permanently wrinkle, Geurts struggled with self-acceptance. "It wasn't about 'til age 22 [or] 23 that I started to look at myself and my body in a completely different way -- just the uniqueness and the rarity and the way the lines form, and the art that is made from the patterns that are there," she said in an interview with Barcroft TV. "It's amazing." Kinda makes you rethink your obsession with those getting rid of those laugh lines or crow's feet, huh?
Image via Instagram @sarageurts
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Scarlett Costello
Scarlett Costello may raise a few painstakingly manicured eyebrows. The model and artist retired her tweezers to embrace an au naturel unibrow that she proudly flaunts on social media. "I'm a big believer in the idea that everyone looks the best the way their genes intended them to," she said in an interview with TeenVogue.com. "The confidence of embracing natural beauty is what makes it great." It's a mindset that's just as bold as the beautifully full brow this brunette beauty sports.
Image via Instagram @scarlettcostello
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Cassandra Naud
No need for cover up here! This pro dancer, who was born with a large, hair-covered birthmark under her right eye, owns the stage and Instagram, thanks to a body positive attitude that leads her to proudly proclaim she was "born to stand out." Indeed, not only has she racked up more than 37,000 followers thanks in part to her unique look, she's used it to her advantage in her career. "I feel like it's been such a positive thing in my life," she said of her birthmark in an interview with People Magazine. "It helps me be more memorable, which is super important in this industry as a performer."
Image via Instagram @cassandranaud
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Jillian Mercado
Peep this leather-jacket wearing, platinum blonde's pics when you're in need of edgy style inspo. Watch her #SundaysWithPeppa video series when you've fallen down the Instagram vortex and need a little reality check beyond the social media world of filtered perfection. Recent topics @jilly_peppa, who is wheelchair-bound due to muscular dystrophy, has covered in the quick clips include overcoming her body insecurities and reminding her followers that if she can hit up a public gym, "there's no excuse for [them] to not finish that workout." #RealTalk.
Image via Instagram @jilly_peppa
