As summer approaches, so does the reminder that society unfortunately still pressures us to have the perfect "bikini body." While we may have made progress in terms of body positivity, that lingering voice can be hard to ignore. In fact, a recent survey of Refinery29 readers found that 73% of people feel anxious about wearing a swimsuit at the beach or pool.
YouTuber Hazel Hayes isn't immune to the pressure — in a new Instagram post, she shared that she's been feeling particularly self-conscious about wearing a swimsuit in public.
"Bikini Body," she wrote. "Two little words. Two horrid bloody words that threaten to ruin every woman's Summer."
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Hayes explained that she had been "dreading" sunbathing with everyone else at VidCon, an annual conference event for online video content.
"Quite frankly the thought of getting my flabby bits out in front of all my friends makes me feel a bit queasy," she wrote. "And this year especially, after weeks on set not watching what I eat and never once stepping foot inside a gym (not that I usually do but go with me here) I'm feeling particularly self conscious."
She decided to post a photo of herself in a bikini, she wrote, to start feeling less "queasy" about her own body.
"So here it is," she wrote. "For all the world to see. Front on, no flattering angles and no fucking Facetune. My bikini body."
While, as some commenters have pointed out, Hayes still has a body that many may envy, others have also pointed out that body image is sometimes less about how you actually look than how you feel about the way you look.
Refinery29 has reached out to Hayes for comment and will update this story if we receive a response.
It's your body. It's your summer. Enjoy them both. Check out more #TakeBackTheBeach here.
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