Stubble, Back Sweat, and 5 More Summer Body Realities to Stop Worrying About

For many of us, summer means lazy beach days and backyard grilling. But with the summer heat and sun come all sorts of body image hang-ups, including cellulite, pale legs, and back sweat.

Ditching these concerns, on the other hand, can help you enjoy the season and foster a healthier body image. Here are seven summer realities to stop worrying about.

1. Visible Sweating

Sweat marks on clothes and sweat droplets on your face are part of spending time outdoors in the heat.

Shrein Bahrami, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist and eating disorder specialist based in San Francisco and the owner of Evolve Wellness Group, recommends considering whether you’re sweating because you chose heavy fabrics and focusing on finding breathable clothing that will feel more comfortable and help keep you cool.

2. Leg and Underarm Stubble

You get a last-minute invite to the beach. At first you’re pumped, but then you realize you forgot to shave. What do you do: decline the invite, hastily shave, or grin and bear it?

If your knee-jerk reaction is to cancel rather than shave or show stubble, consider why you pressure yourself to have perfectly smooth skin. “Awareness is the first step to creating change, so taking a step back and asking ourselves where this fear originated helps shift the question away from ‘What’s wrong with me?’ to ‘I developed these beliefs because of previous experiences,’” says Lena Suarez-Angelino, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Light Collective and Co., who is based in Woodbridge, New Jersey, and specializes in anxiety management and self-esteem.

Some of us might think back to being bullied for our body hair in school, while others might point to the absence of body hair in movies and other popular media.

Now is a great opportunity to ask yourself whether you still value smooth skin more than having fun with your friends and to challenge yourself to go out, even if that means showing stubble. “What would happen if you wore a summer dress and didn’t shave your legs?” Suarez-Angelino asks. Chances are that nothing different will happen than if your legs were shaved, she says.

3. Pale Legs

After spending months in long pants, you finally bare your legs in a skirt or pair of shorts. If your skin is naturally pale or light, you may notice that the skin on your lower half is noticeably lighter than the skin on your upper half.

But consider whether it’s really worth harming your skin to lie out in the sun or pay for a spray tan (or another tanning solution), Bahrami says.

So embrace your natural legs, whatever their tone.

4. Unpainted Toenails

Showing off freshly painted toenails in a pair of sandals can feel great. However, maintaining a pristine pedicure can quickly become a part-time job (or require one to outsource the work), especially if you spend time in the sun and sand.

But think about it: What’s wrong with your natural, unpainted, unpedicured toenails? Nothing, says Jennifer Kelman, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in eating disorders and body image in private practice in Boca Raton, Florida. Don’t let them stop you from wearing comfortable footwear and enjoying the summer season.

“If you get a beautiful sunny day out of the blue and you want to run to the nearest lake, are you really going to worry that your toenails aren’t painted?” Kelman asks.

5. Cellulite

Do you avoid shorts, dresses, swimsuits, and other summer outfits that let your cellulite show? There’s no shortage of drastic weight loss plans, pricey cellulite creams and treatments, and clothes that claim to solve the issue.

But body image experts say that one solution works best to deal with it: Accept and embrace it.

“Cellulite is determined by our genetics. Understanding and accepting that there’s nothing wrong with it, just like one’s shoe size or hair texture, leads to greater body peace,” Bahrami says.

6. Saggy Arms

You do not need perfectly sculpted shoulders and biceps to bare your arms.

If you’d like to wear a tank top but are uncomfortable with the look of your arms, Suarez-Angelino suggests easing in slowly. Try wearing a sleeveless shirt around the house before venturing out for a quick errand, “even if it’s going through the drive-thru,” Suarez-Angelino says. You can always bring along a cardigan or cover-up as backup, she adds.

If you don’t like wearing tank tops (irrespective of what your arms or upper body looks like in them), choose other styles, Bahrami says. Wear summer tops that highlight features that you like.

Approach shopping as a way of finding comfortable clothes instead of shaming yourself because you’re unhappy with your arms. “It’s about being loving to yourself and finding things that make you feel good,” Bahrami says.

7. Tan Lines

You may not like the look of visible tan lines, but they don’t need to be a cause for distress or a problem that needs to be fixed or hidden, says Suarez-Angelino. If they bother you, try to change your outlook, she suggests. Think of what you were doing when you were outside getting those tan lines (and perhaps some fun summertime memories from that time).

One important caveat: If you are spending time outdoors in the sun, be sure you’re using sunscreen on exposed skin. Sunburned or sun-damaged skin is a health risk.