Photo 8/16
Shalice Ader
"Just be yourself," is the tagline that greets Instagrammers who stumble upon Ader's account. And it doesn't take much scrolling to realize that this tenacious teen, who is bald due to alopecia, heeds her own advice. She forgoes wearing a wig but rarely poses without a smile as she strolls Hawaiian beaches and doles out the occasional inspirational quote in keeping with her oh-so-positive no hair, don't care attitude
Image via Instagram @heyshalice
Photo 9/16
Morgan Mikenas
This body positive fitness blogger may motivate you to pick up some weights -- and put down the razor. Scroll through Mikenas' Instagram feed and you'll find just as many shots of her flashing her fit physique as you will full underarm and leg hair. But that doesn't mean she necessarily wants you to follow in her hirsute and healthy footsteps. Instead, Mikenas, who recently took to YouTube to explain her decision to give up shaving, encourages followers to embrace whatever perceived misgivings they may have about their appearance. "The purpose of this video is not to shame people who do shave, I just want to speak on how its helped me become more comfortable within myself, and maybe inspire others to do something that makes them feel confident."
Image via Instagram @i_am_morgie
Photo 10/16
Mama Càx
The loss of her leg didn't translate into loss of spirit for this 26-year-old "(role) model," whose body positive attitude is just as covetable as her flawless sense of style (even her prosthetic leg is covered with beautiful designs). "...my goal is to show you images and stories that you wouldn't otherwise encounter and without even knowing it, change how you see people like me," writes the Brooklynite, who had to have her leg amputated at the age of 14 while fighting bone cancer. Oh, and your bikini body hang-ups or issues with things like your lip size? Yeah, she addresses those and other insecurities too in an effort to get you to see yourself in a more positive light, as well. Excuse us while we hit "Follow."
Image via Instagram @mamacaxx
Photo 11/16
Evita Delmundo
This 20-year-old shows us self-love through selfies. Born with moles covering her entire body, Delmundo doesn't shy away from sharing close-ups and a positive attitude on the 'gram. But she's hoping to expand her platform soon, having auditioned for Miss Universe Malaysia last month. "I feel like it's a good way for me to showcase my uniqueness and newfound confidence, and hopefully I can also inspire others," she said in a recent interview with Elle Malaysia. "Beauty is not just what's on the outside; it's not someone with the perfect face or the perfect body. Beauty is who you are as a person and how you love yourself. It's never about perfection." Though it remains to be seen whether or not she gets a call-back, we're pretty sure her 62,000 followers are already on board with this young game-changer's refreshing mindset.
Image via Instagram @evita_delmundo
Photo 12/16
Madeline Stuart
If Stuart's posts documenting her ascent in the fashion world as the first professional model with Down syndrome aren't enough to help you to tackle your own insecurities, then perhaps her inspirational messages will. "Believe in yourself, truly believe," she reminds her 138,000 followers, while making sure to tag just about every post with #inclusion as she continues her self-proclaimed #breakthemould tour challenging industry standards. So far, that tour has included multiple stops at New York Fashion Week, a runway show kicking off the launch of her 21 Reasons Why clothing label and glimpses at her work with non-profits ranging from the Special Olympics of New York to the Radical Beauty Project.
Image via Instagram @madelinesmodelling_
