They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it's true that everyone has their own standards when it comes to appearances. But on social media, sad to say, most people's looks seem to be more homogenised and less unique than ever. Scroll through Instagram and you'll see that everyone is taking their selfies the same way, using the same filters and poses and camera angles, so that every account is a clone of another. It's pretty aggravating to be honest.

But there are Instagram accounts out there that are more impressive, and champion unconventional looks. For example, take the case of 16-year-old Molly Matthews - an Instagram star with serious psoriasis who has taken it upon herself to prove to her many followers that she's (literally) comfortable in her own skin.

Molly was first diagnosed with the skin condition when she was 11-years-old, which first manifested itself as dandruff on her scalp. A dermatologist diagnosed her with psoriasis, and the itchy red patches of dry skin soon spread across her chest and neck. However, Molly decided to deal with her skin issues positively, and set up her Instagram page to celebrate her 'skin tattoos.'

In recent interview, Molly stated: "Before I set up my Instagram, I hadn’t openly talked about my psoriasis before, so I was a little nervous. I’m tired of people pitying me, or saying I’m brave for showing off my skin. This isn’t brave – it should be the norm. I do get some nasty comments. People ask what’s wrong with me, or tell me my skin looks bad."

"I’ve even had someone tell me not to wear red lipstick as it makes my psoriasis look worse – but that just made me go out of my way to wear it even more. That kind of thing can be incredibly damaging to people struggling with self-esteem, but I actually love my skin. I’m very comfortable having it out, and don’t feel the need to hide. I always say I won’t need tattoos when I’m older, as the psoriasis patches already look like little flower designs."

She added: "I have family members with the condition, so at first I felt quite pessimistic, as I’d seen them struggle. I also go to an all girls’ school, so there’s an awful lot of pressure on looks. At the time of my diagnosis, I was 11- an age when I didn’t want to be different. When it’s something as visible as the skin on your face, though, it’s hard to blend in. Thankfully, the girls at school have been lovely."

"It’s great to see celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Cara Delevingne speak out about it, but it’s also frustrating, as not everyone can afford the expensive treatments they have. I found taking pictures helped a lot. It gave me a chance to properly look at myself and appreciate when I was having a good day. You don’t have to love your psoriasis, but there’s a lot to be said for taking a moment to recognise when you look nice. I don’t think of myself as ugly because of my skin – it’s just part of me."

Personally I think Molly pictures are absolutely stunning, and she's looks great. If we all had her confidence, the world would be a better place.

Take a scroll through the many filtered corridors of Instagram and it's easy to forget what reality actually looks like.

Perhaps now more than at any other point in our collective history, we're confronted with images of retouched, carefully constructed 'perfection' that bare little resemblance to normality.

On the covers of glossy magazines, on huge billboards in city centers, even while waiting for the train, we are sold visions of chiseled abs, blindingly white teeth and never-ending sunshine. And now, even our phones provide no respite to the never ending onslaught of unattainable physical beauty.

Watch Ashley Graham modelling her stunning swimwear:

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Thankfully, there are people out there who are looking to redress the balance between the filtered part-reality with which we're often forced to contend, and the actuality of what human bodies really look like.

The body positivity movement reminds and encourages us to embrace the skin we're in, rather than chase a physical standard that is beyond most who do not have all the time in the world and a full team of personal trainers behind them.

Then there are initiatives like the Grombre movement, which encourages people to embrace their natural grey hair.

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Journalist and influencer Danae Mercer often uses her platform on Instagram to highlight the methods that Instagram models and influencers use to achieve their pictures. She recently went viral with a post that focused on how lighting is used in these pictures.

She wrote;

"Insta vs reality — or LETS talk LIGHTING. Because that’s the main difference in these photos.
In one, my bum is deliberately angled into the shadows. The softer light hides my cellulite and smooths most of my stretchmarks. It’s flattering.

"In the other, I’m just casually squatting (lol) beside the mirror. My hips and thighs are in the sunlight. Lumps and bumps are on show.

"There are a few posing differences (core tight, hips popped back, squeeeezzzinnnggg), but mostly this pic is about LIGHT working its magic.

"When I worked in magazines, we shot at sunrise or sunset. On most sets, there were people holding SUN DIFFUSERS and REFLECTORS to help create the perfect FLATTERING balance of shadow and light.

"The same thing happens on SOCIAL MEDIA, just in a different form.
Most insta-models know EXACTLY how to POSE and work their angles.
And they know LIGHTING too.
Like how SIDE LIGHT, diffused from a window, is the most flattering for abs but usually pretty harsh on the face.
It’s why you’ll often see a phone covering the face.
Or how SHADOWS can gently eliminate certain LUMPS and BUMPS.

"All that is fine with me, honestly.
It’s art and photography, and there is no shame in wanting to look FIERCE.

"But I also want to remind you about how SO MUCH on here is FILTERED.
POSED.
PERFECTED.

"And how you shouldn’t EVER COMPARE YOURSELF to a STRANGER on the internet.
Because cowgirl, you’re just seeing their snapshots taken in PERFECT LIGHT.
Your reality is a whole lot more varied, diverse, and human than that.
It’s more perfectly imperfect. Real. Raw.
And that’s a wonderful thing indeed.

"You got this."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/CB3FC2EJ3Kp/?utm_source=ig_embed]]

And her followers were delighted with her body positive message. "This is so profound and just what I needed to hear.. Thank you so much for sharing," wrote one, while another added, "Such an empowering post!! You rock,"

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Instagram]]

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Instagram]]

Per Fox News, Mercer often uses her Instagram page to talk about subjects like dieting, photo editing and self-confidence.

It seems remarkable that people are still taking it upon themselves to provide unsolicited comments on other peoples' bodies in this supposed brave new world that we inhabit, but, sadly, here we go again.

A fitness Instagram influencer has recently highlighted the unfortunate practice in a lengthy and commendable post, in which she details an interaction that she was forced to contend with recently.

She wrote;

"✨“But where are your boobs?” ?

That’s a comment someone made on a video of mine the other day.

My initial reaction… “You should probably stop looking for them… They were never here to begin with.”?

I get comments like this quite a bit actually, so it honestly doesn’t bother me.

?That said, I wanted to share this with you to send some encouragement your way!

Here’s the thing… There will always be people out there that are going to try and bring you down on your journey.

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They are going to be negative. They will hate on what you’re doing. They will even make comments about YOUR body.

Honestly, let it go (as hard as that can be sometimes). How your body looks is your business and no one else’s.

As long as you are happy and healthy… Do you.

Even if you don’t always feel it… KNOW this truth:

✔️Your hard work
✔️Your commitment
✔️Your dedication
✔️The grace that you practice with yourself and
✔️Your willingness to accept the things you cannot change...
?These things will allow you to build confidence throughout your journey.

?Perfection doesn’t exist. Find confidence in your uniqueness.
#thedailykelsey"

Fitness blogger Kelsey Heenan, who is a certified fitness and nutrition coach, as well as the founder of HIIT Max, told Fox News that she wanted her followers to stop comparing themselves to others and embrace the skin they're in;

“It’s important to remind people that perfection doesn’t exist.

“It’s easy to get caught up in comparison, but we can all be great and completely different at the same time.”

And her followers certainly seem to be all about positivity, with many of them flooding her post with complimentary reactions of their own.

H/T: Fox News

In the world of body-positivity and the fashion industry, transparency and authenticity are two of the biggest buzz words going. With the rise of the body-positive movement, particularly on Instagram, fashion companies are now being pressured to leave their photos un-airbrushed, with certain retailers including stretch marks on their advertisement campaigns. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BcBRdmulj2X/?hl=en&taken-by=lateciat]] This notion of authenticity is key to the message that model La'Tecia Thomas conveys on her social media feeds. The body-positivity ambassador recently saw a picture of herself in which her cellulite and 'fat rolls' had been photoshopped out and felt the need to share the images online. Taking to her Instagram account, Thomas posted the photo that had been retouched alongside one that hadn't and claimed that the side-by-side images were a reminder "to not compare yourself to anyone else". [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BeYz9f8lXBH/?hl=en&taken-by=lateciat]] The 26-year-old Australian model and make-up artist said: "What you see online or in the media isn’t always the complete truth. This is not about putting anyone on blast but moreso a reminder to not compare yourself to anyone else. In this instance I can’t even compare myself to myself. These photos were shot around the same time; one obviously retouched and the other not. - When I look at the left images I’m like damn can I please look like that and its Fk$!n ME!?! If I can’t be that person on the left (which is absurd because it’s me) then I can only imagine the effect this has on women." "I think my big arms, my cellulite, my back rolls, the dimples on my butt look fine in the natural shot. I can’t always have control of what other people do to my images but on my page I’m always going to keep it 100 with you. I think both images are beautiful but be realistic with yourself, you don’t need to look a certain way to be appreciated and know that you’re worthy." [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BdyBmMOAhXs/?hl=en&taken-by=lateciat]] The model has previously spoken about her body issues and revealed that she decided to ditch her strict eating and exercise schedule in favour of a more relaxed approach. At her smallest, Thomas was a size 2, but she is now a size 12. Appearing on the Morning Show in Australia, La'Tecia revealed that she still exercises regularly, but no longer worries about numbers and aims to have a more balanced life. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc7-R-5FblP/?hl=en&taken-by=lateciat]] "I'm definitely a lot happier than what I used to be - and even if I were to lose weight now, I know I'll be in a better place because my mind is in a healthy place. "And that's very important." It's not the first time that Thomas has used a side-by-side photo to push her message of self-love and acceptance. Back in December 2017, she posted a similar photo which featured her at a much lower weight when training for a bikini competition alongside a more recent snap, saying: [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BcV3SsgFCPX/?hl=en&taken-by=lateciat]] "I was insecure, I compared my self to other women, constantly put myself down and never felt good enough, I’d rather be caught dead than seen in a swimsuit." "I’m not saying that you will be happier on the opposite spectrum but I think it’s important to have a positive relationship between your mind and your body first and foremost at whatever size you may be," she added. La'Tecia's post shows that you shouldn't be comparing yourself to anyone, let alone the heavily photoshopped advertisements that we online and on billboards. Whatever your view of body-positivity, if it's teaching people to love the skin they're in, then it shouldn't be frowned upon.

An Instagram blogger has been praised for sharing 'real' bikini photos.

Now that we are at the beginning of a new year, a lot of people are setting goals for the coming twelve months and for many, this involves getting fitter. However, one blogger has provided a timely reminder that you shouldn't feel pressured to take up that cut-price gym membership that you may or may not use.

In the video below, Bebe Rexha talks body positivity and her love of Nandos: 

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Taking to Instagram, Meaghan Kerr, 35, posted a series of bikini pictures that were captioned: "Just a rad fat babe, living her life, laughing and having fun at the beach."

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"There's always a lot of that around at this time of year so here’s a little something to shake up your feed," the body-positive activist wrote. "Today I went to the beach in possibly the most revealing bikini I've worn in a very long while, and I had a great time."

"The top basically has my cleavage on full show thanks to the lace-up detailing (HELLO) and the bottoms… are way lower than I'd usually wear."

The 35-year-old said that she typically chooses swimwear that conceals "lopsided and saggy stomach", but she decided to embrace her body as it is to fight back against the pressure to get fit which many of us feel at this time of the year.

"I really wanted to feel the sun on my belly and the sea on my skin, so I put on a pair that has been sitting in a drawer for about two years with the tags still on," she said. "They don’t even cover my belly button, and you know what? I don't care."

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"I sat on the sand and had a picnic, I swam with my family, I soaked up the sunshine and had a great time. Looking forward to much more of this over summer," Kerr wrote.

Needless to say, the 35-year-old's decision to fly in the face of the many #fitspo pictures littering Instagram at this time of year won her a lot of praise.

"I love this post! And I love how pics like this help Wahine (women) like me deconstruct our thinking. You look rad," one wrote.

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Another said: "Love this!! You are rocking that bikini."

"These are flippin' phenomenal swimmers and you are GLORIOUS," one added.

Another said: "Thank you for being one less bloody diet ad on my feed, seriously its [sic] ridiculous how many there are this week."

"I don't know whether I am feeling more down about myself, but I feel like the 'diet your way into a better you in the new year' schtick has been even louder and more invasive this time around!" one said.

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However, Kerr made a point of telling Kiwi outlet Stuff that just because she is willing to embrace her body as it is, she has no problem with people deciding to join a gym in January to get fitter.

"I'm not against people joining a gym, I think gyms are great, but the advertising is geared towards weight loss and preying on the fact that people are feeling insecure about their bodies because it's summer," she told the publication. "It's just the way that they advertise. They're not focused on health, they're not focused on strength, they’re not focused on fitness, it's literally preying on body insecurities."

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She then took to Instagram again to emphasize her body-positive message.

"You do not have to change your body to earn your place in the world," she said. "You are enough just as you are. I used to think that I had to shrink myself to fit in, that I wasn’t worth anything if I didn’t look a certain way.

"And that's a huge mind f***, especially if you look very different to the ideal like I do (hello, short fat Maori woman over here)."

"You are worth love and respect (from yourself and others) and good things NOW. Just as you are," she said.

The 35-year-old concluded by writing that while "negative messaging" from gyms and social media is hard not to take into account, she hoped that she provided her followers with a "reminder" that there is nothing wrong with their bodies as they are.

"I wanted to tell you anyway because sometimes we just need a reminder," she said.