I’ll Show You Mine: The Book That’s Certain To Change The Way You Feel About Your Vagina

Let's talk about something that nobody seems to like to talk about.

sugarist

While recently getting sugared, I got into a conversation with my lovely sugarist Lindsay. (Sugaring is a form of hair removal that is done using a paste made of sugar, water and lemon, FYI. It’s pretty much pain-free and the paste, believe it or not, is actually edible – and pretty tasty too!)

During the treatment, Lindsay, who encourages all forms of body-positivity, told me about a few ladies she knew who wanted Labiaplasties, a procedure which is now one of the fastest growing in popularity in the entire world.

Whether it’s because of exposure to pornography or images of beautiful celebrities baring all, an increasing amount of women are experiencing severe anxiety, a diminished self-image, and a lack of self confidence in the way that they look. Upset that any woman felt she needed such a procedure, Lindsay ordered a book  entitled I’ll Show You Mine by Wrenna Robertson, so she could show it to said lady and anyone else who paid her Temple Bar salon a visit.

illshowyoumine

The cover of the book is simple and feminine and doesn’t give too much away. But like everything else, the most important thing is what’s inside. Open the book, and there are 120 photographs of 60 different women’s vaginas, with all women photographed from the same two positions. Every picture is displayed in true-to-life size and colour. It was decided that this was the best way to accurately display the diversity of female form.

Accompanying every photo is a bit of text written by the woman, detailing her relationship with her genitals and any challenges and/or successes she may have met because of the way she looked down below. As soon as I started reading, I knew this was a book that every single woman out there, young or old, should have a look through at some stage in their life.

vaginas

In an era where we talk so much about equality, it’s sad to learn that a lot of women feel inadequate enough to undergo a cosmetic surgery like Labiaplasty. A lot of the women who feature in the book express the utter devastation that they have dealt with because of a negative comment that was thrown their way by a disgruntled ex, a strict mother, or a nasty so-called friend.

What the book does is show that every individual is different, there’s no right or wrong and we should each embrace the way we look, no matter what way that is. In saying all of this, it’s important to acknowledge that every woman should have the right to do as she pleases with her own body, once it’s being done for the right reasons and for herself, not anybody else. I’ll Show You Mine is a brave and beautiful book and in many ways, it’s long overdue.