Alex's Answer

Am I ugly because I think my friends are pretty and I’m not?

Your Question

All my friends are super pretty and I think I am ugly. Does that make me ugly? 

Answer

Hi there, you are very welcome to Ask Alex.   

Thank you for contacting us. We understand that it’s not always easy to share how we’re feeling, or what’s going on for us, but we also know how important it is to talk about it. 

From what you have said, you think you are ugly, and you are asking if that makes you ugly. It sounds like you have some questions on body image.  

Your body image is how you think and feel about your body and your appearance. It includes the picture of your body or appearance that you have in your mind, which might or might not match your body’s actual shape and size or what you truly look like in general. It’s very common to compare ourselves to our friends or people we see on social media, however it’s important that we accept how we look and recognise what our bodies can do for us. Find things that you like about your looks, maybe you have great hair or a nice smile. Focus as well on what your body can do for you. When you play a sport, walk, run, dance, swim — that’s your body in action. Your body is there for you when you stretch, reach, climb, or jump for joy. Be kind to yourself. Instead of thinking negatively about your looks, can you say a nice thing about yourself? 

It’s important to remember that nobody is perfect. Everybody wants to be liked and accepted just as they are. That’s true for every BODY, too!   

Tell a parent, doctor, or another good adult about what you’re going through, they may have some tips around building your self-esteem. You might also find this article helpful: https://www.childline.ie/how-to-deal-with-low-self-esteem/. 

It’s important to remember you’re not alone in this, Childline are always here to listen when you need to talk about whatever is on your mind. If you ever feel like chatting to us, you are very welcome to call anytime on 1800 66 66 66 or you can also use webchat to contact us online, visit www.childline.ie. All of our services are free, available 24 hours a day and are confidential and non-judgmental.   

Hopefully this reply will be helpful to you and please know you’re welcome to contact us again if you need to talk.  

Take care,  

Alex. 

Ask me a question

You can ask me about anything you want, there’s nothing too big or small.