After years of hiding and being self-conscious about these marks on her body, Rozanna Purcell decided to bring them out into the open. Elected Miss Ireland and having represented her country in the Miss Universe contest in 2010, the young 28-year-old woman wants to prove that stretch marks can affect all women, even beauty queens.
Discover our latest podcast
It took her many years to accept them. In her Instagram post, she explains: "I remember the first time I noticed my stretch marks, I must have been 11 or 12 years old, and I thought 'I don't remember being scratched by my cat.'"
At first, she thought they were cool, then month after month, she realized they weren't going away and that there were more and more of them. "As I grew up, I realized it was not something that I should consider as cool or expose," she says. "No one in the magazines had them, I'd never noticed them on anyone else, it was not normal or considered beautiful. Even now, it is rare to see a photo that isn't touched up in magazines" and adds: "it's only been two years since I've been able to walk by someone in a bikini or shorts without thinking that the person is looking at my stretch marks and my cellulite. I probably have age to thank for that. Stretch marks are normal, we have all them, and whether they're small or large, they are part of me and they will always be there. I've already been given tips to make them disappear. Sorry, I do not have the time or the motivation to massage myself with an oil for 30 minutes before going to bed, I'm sure I'll end up sliding on the floor."
Check out the video above to see more of Rozanna's inspiring posts!
