Depressed about my appearance :(

Hello i'm having a bad day today. I was in hospital
yesterday as i have laser treatment every 6 weeks for a
birthmark on my right cheek of my face.

I have very low confidence and self-esteem about the way i look.
I am a size 14-16 and feel too overweight and have joined a slimming
club with my best friend but find it hard to stick to the foods they state as i love chocolate so much.

Basically i think i am ugly as i worry that my bra size 36b is too small
and also that i cannot look in mirror as i feel despicable. I worry mostly that
people outside think this. I'm a young girl from London who is very conscious
of the way i look and worried as well too that i look old etc but if you can let
me know your opinions i would be grateful. Thanks. xxx

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/...elk01/randomz/

You don't look old. I don't see anything wrong with your pictures. I think you look fine.

You don't look old

I think you look good in your pictures! I also understand that feeling like people are all thinking bad things about me when I am out and about. I think we tend to overblow that, and that most people don't pay as much attention to us as we do outselves. Take care!

thank you for your comments guys.

I just feel too critical about the way i look
and feel too overweight and ugly.

You look like a normal (in the best possible sense) pretty girl to me. People tend to feel a lot worse than they look to other people. I honestly think you have nothing to worry about, I just feel sad that you feel so bad about yourself but I do understand how easy it is to have those feelings. You look absolutely fine though, pretty even.

Hi Essex, you are lovely. But more importantly, I would rather address the inside of you (and how you feel about yourself) rather than the outside

If you feel depressed about your appearance or are struggling I suspect there is a reason and it's not just random. It's worth giving a go to talk about things with a T, cuz even though you might not feel like it, you are unique and special and lovely, intelligent and have a lot to offer. That is the most important part. Because when you feel that way, you project that beauty and you glow from within

I am probably not telling you anything you don't already know, but...I wish someone would have taken the time to tell me this when I was your age instead of having to find out the hard way 20 years later...and I live in a brutal town working in what can be a brutal industry.

What the media and society tells us is "beautiful" or even "passing" is generally just a trend made up from advertisers, analysts, fashion "gurus", etc. The images that are projected onto us on the runway (that is simply ART, by the way) and in the media is marketing and photo-shopping and a stylist and a lot of make up or surgery, hurting your body by dieting to nothing, etc.

And the indoctrination starts really young ... as young men and especially young women, we are inundated with so many images of what is considered acceptable, beautiful, lovely, real, socially proper - and we are young and don't know ourselves yet - so we may put a lot of credibility into those marketing messages ("brainwashing techniques").

The most important thing is to focus on the things about you that you feel you are good at, that you like about yourself, qualities that you find interesting or unique about yourself, and then run with it! Have a blast. Focus on yourself. I think it's fabulous if you would like to change your appearance or weight or size because you will feel better - but Essex do it for you. Not for anyone else.

Try to focus simply on YOU and not what the outside world is throwing at you. If you want to make a statement, impress someone, stand out, etc, figure out why...

...that said, I admire you for reaching out! And I hope you'll come back and let us know how you are doing!

You are lovely and amazing.

You look perfect to me

hmm. I dont see why you would be so worried, those looks are good enough.

bad pictures. not showing you at your best, look a bit like charleze theron

You look good as always Go back and read my previous replies and what Rose P said.

funny and sweet

(((essexgirl))))
I could not see your pictures it says I need a password to see them what do I put for a password?

Anyway, I think many people struggle with how they look to be honest. Even the people who are in the spotlight feel that way too. And bust size? Well, don't wish for bigger breasts. I was smaller chested and I am bigger now with age and I don't sag or anything so there are bonus's when breasts are not larger as you age and even bear children too.

And by the way I LOVE CHOCOLATE TOO.

And you can always work on your weight if you are not happy with it, I hear the rotation diet is great and the weight really comes off. But you do have to shop for the food, and you DO get to actually eat too.

Give yourself more permission to love yourself.

(((Hugs)))
Open Eyes

I'm not sure if anyone else does this but I have many days where I hate the way I look but then I have days where I like the way i look but know I look no different then the day before. Always thought that was odd but also have come to realize it is all about perception and not really how you actually look. People have a persona they give off that expresses actual looks. For instance you can meet two twins but see them completely differently just from the persona they give off. All about attitude.

I have a small bust size myself. Sometimes it gets on my nerves but the positive side issssss they don't get in the way when doing strenuous activity, you don't really hear me complain about my back and that dude will look you in the eye. ;-)

I can't see your pic either it asks for a password so I will just get to know you then tell you how you look. So far you're beautiful. Do yourself a favor and don't worry about what other people think of you or your picture.

I spent so much time as a teen trying to fit everyone else's mold and worrying about what others think that I did myself a disservice by not getting to know myself and letting people see whoever I was.

So......

You miss thang must get to know yourself.....

Good luck!