Shannen Doherty goes makeup-free in new photo with an important message
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Shannen Doherty, is sharing her thoughts on self-love and aging in Hollywood.
On Sunday, the "Beverly Hills 90210" alum took to Instagram with a fresh-faced selfie to address her more than 1.8 million followers about the importance of embracing natural beauty.
"Watching movies tonight and noticed there were few female characters I could relate to," the 50-year-old began. "You know, women without fillers, without Botox, without a facelift. Women who embraced their face and all the experience it showed. I have lived. I love that I’ve lived and that my face reflects my life."
Doherty, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, said she's "survived a lot" and has grown and evolved in the process.
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"I embrace me now," the actress added, explaining that she is at a point in her life where she is able to challenge the pressures and unrealistic beauty standards Hollywood puts on women. "Finally. Done with the perception magazines and Hollywood try to make us in to. I want to see women like me. Women like us."
Doherty's message was quickly met with support and praise from other women who feel underrepresented in movies and TV shows.
"I am turning 50 years old this September and as much as I like to doll myself up [with] makeup and stuff, I really do feel my best with absolutely nothing on my face except a moisturizer," one follower wrote.
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"Yes, Shannen! Well said! You’re one of the most real. Do you! Embrace authenticity and originality and be natural," someone chimed in.
"Thank you so much for sharing this, Shannen. It is not said enough. But women in Hollywood need to stop crumbling under the pressures to look young forever," another commented, adding, "Aging is natural, it's something everyone goes through at some point. Trying to hide it seems pointless. I'll never understand why men aging is seen as sexy, while women aging is seen as some sort of crime. You're beautiful, from 1 to 100 years old, it doesn't matter. Keep embracing yourself and fighting the good fight."
This isn't the first time the "Charmed" actress has spoken out about self-love. Back in August 2019, in an interview with Health, Doherty was candid about loving herself even more after surviving breast cancer.
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“I really took good care of myself, and I came out of it in as good of condition I think somebody [in my situation] could be in,” she said. “But the funny thing with cancer is that once you’re no longer on chemo or radiation, people think you’re fine, that you bounce back. But what they don’t realize is that your body has been through something so incredibly difficult that your body never fully bounces back.”
Following the positive news of her remission, she revealed that she began focusing a lot more on self-love and acceptance of her body's changes.
“I’m trying to figure out how to accept who I am now,” Doherty said. “I’m never going to be the size I used to be. Some of my meds that I’m on keep zapping the collagen out of me, so I’m never going to have a wrinkle-free face. I’m critical of myself. But there are some things you can’t fight.”
Doherty revealed she was focused on treating herself with kindness and living with a new perspective on life.
“I’m trying to be kinder to myself,” she added. “And I try to live each day as an amazing, precious gift that I’ve been given."
