Model Flaunts Stretch Marks Lining Her Arms in Unretouched Portrait

Bare-shouldered model poses with eyes closed.
Photo: Instagram/jhanycecwilson

Stretch marks are having a moment. From celebrities to models to moms, more and more women are embracing their tiger stripes. In social media celebrity Jhanyce Wilson’s latest portrait, she wears a cold shoulder top specifically to show off the lines on her arms.

She didn’t even consider retouching her stretch marks for the photo. “I love the fact that the photographer/editor didn’t photoshop my stretch marks. When I seen it I was taken back but then like ‘YASSSSS’ show me what’s good,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Yes you guys I have them. Many models have them. Humans in general! I remember the time I wouldn’t show my arms off because of the stretch marks! Now I came to embrace them and where whatever. I am more than just my body image!” she continued. The photo has inspired commenters, who wrote in to tell Wilson her stretch marks and “confidence” were beautiful.

Wilson decided to share the photo to help others come to terms with their stretch marks, she tells Yahoo Beauty. “I have always had an insecurity about my stretch marks in general. On my arms, hips, butt, thighs. We don’t see images like these in the media a lot. Especially for me growing up. I would never wear a tank because of them,” she says. “Finally after seven years of hiding them, a switch went off, and boom I was wearing rompers, tanks, crops, you name it. I want young women too see that having them is normal. I know that word is used a lot, but it’s a part of human nature and nothing to be ashamed of.”

The response so far has been “nothing but great,” she says. She even received a message from a young girl saying the picture made her feel confident in her bathing suit. Wilson’s goal — to show a relatable, beautiful portrait of herself — had the silver lining of making others feel just as good.

If a photo is worth a thousand words, we’ll pick “confidence” for this one.

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.