Viral social media campaign promotes stretch mark acceptance

Stretch marks, so long the bane of the beauty industry, are finally getting some love thanks to a new online body image campaign going viral.

"Love Your Lines" encourages women to embrace their marks as a positive beauty attribute by posting honest and stylish images of them on social media. The Instagram account Loveyourlines, launched by two mothers, has posted hundreds of candid photos of "real women, real bodies and real self love" and has so far gained 110,000 followers.

The stylish black and white pictures show crisscrossed thighs, wrinkly stomachs and stripy breasts in all their glory, with a few post-surgery scars thrown in for good measure. There are plenty of baby snaps, due to the obvious association with stretch marks and pregnancy, but women of all ages are featured in the gallery.

Each of the photos is accompanied by a personal story, offering insight into how women relate to their bodies and view their perceived flaws.

The tales include everything from coming to terms with post-baby abs to battling obesity and even just learning to deal with the pressure to be seen as beautiful. One woman writes: "I don't have an inspirational story... I wish I had, but in reality I'm just a young girl that is dealing with the pressures of this society."

The movement has a celebrity fan in the form of supermodel Chrissy Teigen, who posted a cheerful shot of her stretch-marked bare thighs on her Instagram account this week, accompanied by the caption: "Stretchies say hi!"

As well as gaining pace on Instagram, Love Your Lines has a Tumblr, celebrating all things stripy when it comes to the female form. You can check it out here, or even submit your own stretchy selfies to share with the world.