Social media has made it easier than ever for us to spread body positivity and rally against society's beauty standards. With the help of the humble hashtag, we've been encouraged to embrace our size and learn to love specific body parts, but this acceptance hasn't extended to our faces. That is, until now.
Noses are the latest feature that people are learning to love, specifically, how they look from the side, with one British campaigner encouraging people to share a #SideProfileSelfie. The body-positive movement, spearheaded by freelance journalist and author Radhika Sanghani, is quickly gaining momentum all over the world.
Breaking the big nose taboo with my new campaign on the #sideprofileselfie!! Let’s stop hating our noses for not being tiny, little snubs and learn to love them by sharing a #sideprofileselfie https://t.co/2WpuNQmqmY pic.twitter.com/hL6mZmYEwZ
— Radhika Sanghani (@radhikasanghani) February 20, 2018
Sanghani was motivated by her own long-held shame and insecurity over her own nose and side profile, she told Refinery29. "Every time I see a camera at a side profile angle I panic. But in the last year I’ve started to change my mind.
"Instead of hating my big nose and thinking it makes me unattractive, I’ve decided to see it as beautiful. It’s interesting and gives me character and okay, I don’t look like Gigi Hadid or Angelina Jolie, but I look like me."
Sanghani's end goal? It has been "life changing" learning to love her nose, she said – and now she wants to help other women do the same. "I hope the campaign inspires people to embrace their noses and celebrate them with me. It’s scary to do it alone, but so many women are already joining in, and it feels so powerful. This has been taboo for so long but things can change."
She was emboldened by the myriad campaigns helping women to embrace their weight and body shapes. "I’ve never had a problem with my weight but it made me realise how I’ve always hated my nose – and if other women can get over their biggest insecurities I can get over mine!"
#SideProfileSelfie is rapidly picking up speed on Twitter, with countless people – men and women – sharing their selfies on Twitter following Sanghani's appearance on ITV's Good Morning Britain this morning.
Owning my side profile on @gmb this morning 💅🏾💅🏾💅🏾 do the same and send me a #sideprofileselfie pic.twitter.com/WBtFtV6LEA
— Radhika Sanghani (@radhikasanghani) February 21, 2018
I once got told by a boyfriend that I would never be “pretty” because of my nose....! @GMB #sideprofileselfie pic.twitter.com/1JFZfL1gxd
— Charlii Siddu (@charliicl) February 21, 2018
#sideprofileselfie I have always had issues with this! X pic.twitter.com/nkCdiBdLvX
— Endo & Me (@EndoMeno) February 21, 2018
Great to see this on tv this morning ever since I was little I’ve had issues with self confidence due to my nose pic.twitter.com/6Rrn4FUhMe
— julie wiseman (@juliewi60221855) February 21, 2018
Big noses unite!! Side profiles not to be sniffed at... pic.twitter.com/J2da4paaV3
— Jonathan Samuels (@jonathansamuels) February 21, 2018
Always hates side pictures, it also effected me mostly in my younger years #sideprofileselfie pic.twitter.com/ZsjxAWYwlk
— Nat White (@natwhite1980) February 21, 2018
Back in school I use to get really badly bullied for how I looked. My nose (and unplucked eyebrows) were always targeted.
— *✧°• ♡ •°✧* (@stubbsuichan) February 21, 2018
Only recently I started to pluck my brows and to love my nose. I don't care what people think anymore❤ #sideprofileselfie #selfie #bullying pic.twitter.com/NivKi3YjRp
My big nose is as much my identity as my big ears! Vive les grands nes! #sideprofileselfie pic.twitter.com/UBPy1tVRwv
— Solo (@Sansomchris) February 21, 2018
Here goes! My side profile in all its backlit glory. Embrace your big noses girls, don’t hide in the shadows like I did. #sideprofileselfie pic.twitter.com/BGtjLtQJ8S
— Kayleigh Pritchard (@locketmoon) February 21, 2018
Sanghani hopes the fashion and beauty industries stand to attention and realise "how many women with big noses have been made to feel unattractive by virtue of never seeing celebrities who look like them."
Ultimately, she continued: "My goal is for Hollywood and the fashion world to start seeing the beauty of strong profiles and finally let larger nosed ladies step into the spotlight."
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