Woman Wears a Bikini for the First Time in 10 Years
A woman who hasn’t worn a bikini in more than in a decade proudly wore a two-piece bathing suit on social media in a photo that’s being hailed for her bravery and self-love.
On Friday, Kay Ska, 22, a writer and social media manager in Blackpool, England, posted a photo on Instagram featuring her wearing a black-and-neon-green bikini and throwing a peace sign to the camera. “It’s been over 10 years since I’ve worn a bikini!” she wrote. “Until today! This summer I have already been kicking ED and body dysmorphia butts, but this is another milestone for me — I actually have bought a bikini!”
She continues, “Here’s to the first summer in such a long time where I won’t be sweating my ass off in long sleeves & tights! And maybe I’ll even manage to even out my tanned face to the rest of my body. We are in control of learning to love, accept ourselves and our bodies! We f**king deserve that love more than we think!”
The photo, which Ska also tweeted, reaped loads of praise for her body confidence, which has apparently been hard-earned. “I’ve struggled with body dysmorphia for as long as I can remember, along with other mental-health issues,” Ska tells Yahoo Style. “I also developed an eating disorder at college. I hated everything about myself and my body. I was extremely self destructive.”
During the summer, Ska always turned to long-sleeved shirts and tights to cover her arms and legs — even during a heat wave in London. “I was sweating so much, but I couldn’t stand the thought of showing my body,” she says. Unable to explain her feelings to friends and family, Ska found solace in the body-positive movement on social media that has women proudly owning their bodies, self-perceived flaws and all.
Inspired, Ska recently decided to go bikini shopping. “As I tried on the bikini, my first thought was ‘I can’t pull this off!’” she tells Yahoo Style. “But then I recognized that it wasn’t true, because every body already is a bikini body. I felt quite emotional and in that moment, I realized just how far I’ve come. Which made me happy and grateful for the body I have now.”
Ska was compelled to capture the image and share it as reminder to other women that their bodies “are always summer-ready.”
She vows, “This summer it’s going to be different… I hope to remind people that no matter what we look like, we are always worthy of self love. We are enough, just as we are right now.”
Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:
College Student Asked to Leave Mall Because Of Her ‘Dress Code Breaking’ Outfit
Elizabeth Hurley, 52, Shares Bikini Selfie — Followers Go Nuts
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