Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan shared a photo of the birthmarks on his arm in an effort to embrace the uniqueness that makes each of us special in a powerful Instagram post embracing body positivity.
The 57-year-old singer and songwriter, a member of the Smashing Pumpkins since 1988, posted a photo of him proudly displaying his "port wine" birthmarks on his left forearm.
"I’m a fan of body positivity movements because at the end of the day it is about celebrating what makes us ‘us,' " he wrote.
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In the post's second slide, Corgan shared a screenshot of model Carlotta Bertotti, who overcame her appearance insecurities to embrace the blue-grey spot on the side of her face marked by a benign skin condition called the Nevus of Ota.
Since sharing her story with the world, Bertotti has amassed a devoted social media following, inspiring them to celebrate their "flaws" as their uniqueness.
Corgan continued:
"So as you see, here is a beautiful young woman (@carlotta_bertotti ) with a birthmark who has embraced her ‘difference’ with grace."
Like Bertotti, who used to try concealing the mark on her face with elaborate makeup routines to fit in before embracing her perceived imperfection, Corgan opened up about his early insecurity.
He said:
"My point being that my whole life I’ve endeavoured to hide my ‘port wine’ birthmarks because as you can imagine I was teased unmercifully about them as a child."
"So much so that people who have known me for a decade are shocked when they finally ‘see it’.'"
Corgan said his birthmarks still cause concern.
"Even now strangers will stop me on the street not because they recognize me but because they think something is wrong with me that requires medical attention," he said.
Some of the questions he's been asked about his skin discoloration were:
"Is that a burn?"
"Are you sick?"
"Is it contagious?"
"Does it hurt?"
He concluded his post with a "positive message for the day," which was:
"Whoever you are, I hope you find peace with who you are because: I would like to know that person and no one else."
Corgan's post was met with overwhelming support.
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People with birthmarks often are subjected to whispers and being stared at in public, which can negatively impact self-esteem and emotional well-being.
As a result, those affected often experience social anxiety, as they are constantly worried about what people may be thinking about them, as Corgan mentioned in his post.
His message is powerful because, in addition to smashing pumpkins on stage, he's destroying the stigma and discrimination associated with birthmarks, and we're totally here for it.
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