Woman Learning to Love Her Freckles Uses Body-Positive Approach
Kate Gottier of Limerick, Pa., is a nanny and preschool teacher who runs the popular Instagram account ‘help_kate_lose_weight,’ which documents her weight loss and health journey.
The 27-year-old recently posted a photo on the social platform about a topic entirely unrelated to fitness — her freckles. Gottier took a selfie and wrote about the impact the marks on her face have made throughout her life.
She began the post by describing that her freckles have always bothered her. “This post has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss, but it has everything to do with loving your body. This girl loves the beach. The sunshine, the tan, the relaxing — always the best part of summer. Unfortunately it brings out my unavoidable freckles,” she wrote.
Gottier explained that her insecurities over her freckles stem partly from experiences she endured as a child: “When I was younger, I would get teased for my freckles, I was told it made my face look dirty, diseased or like I had a constant rash. The sun only makes them pop out more.”
She tells Yahoo Beauty that the teasing took place mostly while she was in elementary school. “It hurt hearing those comments and not being able to do anything about it,” she says. “This was before I could Google things, so there wasn’t much I could do.”
In the past, she even attempted to hide her beauty marks. “I’ve looked up remedies, ways to cover up or reduce freckles, and makeup has become my best friend,” she explained in her Instagram post.
But the fitness blogger recently came to a realization: “Last night, I was thinking… my Instagram page has helped me learn to love my body — flaws and all — and at any shape or size. How hypocritical of me to sit here hating myself because of the freckles on my face,” she wrote. “Freckles don’t change the heart and my friends and family still love me freckles and all.”
She also noted how desirable the beauty spots are to some people. “I was browsing ‘freckle articles’ last night and wouldn’t you know, some people actually tattoo them on their face. Some people actually want freckles. MIND BLOWN,” she wrote in the post.
“So this is me, post beach, no makeup selfie, freckles in full force. Do I love them, not quite, but I’m learning not to hate my face because of them. #freckles#lovetheskinyourein,” she finished the post.
Gottier now believes her beauty marks make her more unique. “First of all, God made me this way,” she says. “Hopelessly flawed — but still beautifully made. Freckles make me unique, I’m the only kid in my family with freckles and green eyes, and I don’t hate that. As a kid, I hated drawing attention to myself, and freckles made that difficult. But now, as an adult, I like being different, standing out, freckles make that easy!”
On why she chose to make this point on an Instagram account focused on fitness and weight loss, she says, “It’s always been an insecurity of mine — an insecurity that I want to overcome. I created my weight-loss Instagram account because I wanted to improve myself — my weight, my self-esteem, my mental health etc. My posts usually consist of healthy meals, workouts, diets I’m trying, and overall just learning my value and how to love myself at any shape or size. While freckles have nothing to do with weight loss, it has everything to do with loving the skin you’re in, embracing your flaws, and flaunting what you’ve got! I hope that other freckled faces see the post and realize this doesn’t change who I am, my freckles don’t change my heart, or the fact that I am a beautiful piece of art!”
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