Nigerian singer Omawumi has revealed how being body-shamed affected her life and self-esteem while growing up.
In a post shared on Instagram, Omawumi said she was one of those kids they usually call ‘Hammer headed, ogorstina and Egbegbe forehead.
However, one of her aunts called her beauty, saying she used the name to prophesy into her life that she would be pretty someday.
According to Omawumi, there was a time she allowed people’s words to drive her as she couldn’t step out without heavily decked in makeup and did all manner of things to hide her flaws because she felt imperfect.
Omawumi added that things have changed as she’s now madly in love with her imperfections and all her flaws.
In her words: I was one of those kids they used to call ‘Hammer Headed’, ‘OGORstina’ and ‘Ekpengbe forehead’… Infact one of my aunt’s used to call me ‘Beauty’, she said she was using it to prophecy into my life that I will be pretty someday… Well there was a time I allowed it get to me, there was a time that I couldn’t step out without being heavily decked up in makeup. I would do all manners of things to hide my flaws because I felt imperfect.
Now the only thing that has changed is that I’m madly in love with my imperfect me, with my ekpengbe forehead, with my knock knees, with my cellulites and stretch marks like map of Africa! I’m in love with my skin and everything within…
And guess what? I can still decide to change or hide a flaw because that too is ok! what I won’t do is allow anybody’s perception of me direct the decisions I make for myself. I am Beautiful…You are beautiful too!