Hi there,
Youve raised a really interesting question. There can be a lot of pressure on young people to look a certain way and fit in with everyone else.
Appearance can be important to some young people, and its okay for people to care about the way they look. However, I think its important not to become obsessed about appearance and let it take over your everyday life. Sometimes there can be so much focus on outward appearance. It's easy to forget that who we are on the inside is equally if important, perhaps even more important.
You say you like to be different, and I think thats great. We are all different and we all have things that make us unique. Very often we can value what others think about us too highly. Whats important is how you feel about yourself.
Sometimes people who come across as very confident on the outside might not be feeling so confident on the inside. It could be a mask to hide insecurities and low self-esteem.
I think the saying never judge a book by its cover is an important one. It would also be wrong for anyone to bully someone because of their appearance.
Thanks again for your question. I know this is something that a lot of people want to talk about maybe you could ask the same question on the message boards and see what other people think.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
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