On Feb. 20, British journalist Radhika Sanghani launched an Internet movement, the #SideProfileSelfie, to celebrate big noses.
“Breaking the big nose taboo with my new campaign on the #sideprofileselfie!!” Sanghani tweeted along with, of course, a side profile photo of herself. “Let’s stop hating our noses for not being tiny, little snubs and learn to love them by sharing a #sideprofileselfie”
Sanghani also wrote an article for Grazia Daily about the campaign. She talked about how her whole life, she would position herself in photos so that her nose wouldn’t be shown “in its full, crooked glory.”
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“In our society, big noses have been taboo for all too long,” Sanghani wrote. “Take Hollywood. While there are plenty of larger-nosed men, there are just a handful of female celebs with strong profiles: Barbra Streisand, Lady Gaga, Lea Michele, Anjelica Huston and Meryl Streep. Unlike their male peers, they’ve had to deal with criticism of their looks for years, and it’s no surprise that many aspiring female actors are rumoured to have had nose jobs before, or early on in, their career.”
She also said that growing up, she thought she couldn’t be beautiful because she didn’t have a smaller nose. Sanghani pointed out that even though plus-size models, celebrities of color, models with disabilities, body hair and cellulite are all becoming normalized by Hollywood, the fashion industry and the media, large noses are still being hidden in photos — and she wants that to change.
“All it involves is taking a side-profile photo of your face, and then posting it onto social media. It may sound minor, but it’s an incredibly empowering thing to do, especially if it means conquering your side-profile fears and owning your looks. It’s also a really powerful way to inspire those who can’t yet imagine being brave enough to post a #sideprofileselfie,” Sanghani wrote. “I was terrified to do it myself. In my 27 years, I’ve never willing posed to the side. But my #sideprofileselfie honestly helped me to love my nose. Yes, I look nothing like Gigi Hadid, but I don’t care. My nose is mine, and I’m determined to love it just as it is.”
Since then, Twitter began filling up with users’ #sideprofileselfies. Many posted photos and wrote about wanting to help break the “big nose taboo.”
Absolutely in LOVE with @radhikasanghani ‘s #sideprofileselfie trend,” one user wrote. “We’re fed a limited Western idea of beauty, & people with noses like mine often feel like we need to change. It feels so good to look at all of these pictures and see the beauty in my own Arab nose.”
“I’ve always been insecure of my nose and it’s always secretly brought me down, especially because of the silence around the topic,” another user wrote. “I’m grateful for what you are doing @radhikasanghani ! So many of us are keeping these feelings trapped inside. #SideProfileSelfie.”
Sanghani has been retweeting people’s selfies, and she tweeted her excitement about the response to her campaign.
“Honestly so blown away by the amazing response the #sideprofileselfie campaign has had. Thank you SO much to everyone facing their fears to post one and help break the big nose taboo,” Sanghani wrote, attaching another selfie.
