ModelNi Pettitt is going viral for embracing her back acne and stretch marks in an ad campaign for Aerie.Pettitt said she was nervous to take part in the unretouched photos, but the overall experience was very comfortable.She's hoping to inspire others to embrace their bodies.Self-esteem issues can manifest themselves in many ways, and seeing ad campaigns with picture-perfect models is often cited as a major source of these insecurities.American Eagle and its sub-brand Aerie have been making waves for their dedication to featuring unretouched photos in their advertisements ' and this approach has had quite a positive impact on one of its own models.20-year-oldNi Pettittrecently posted a glimpse of her appearance in a new Aerie campaign to Instagram, and opened up to her followers about her journey to accept her body she's now embracing in the ads."I would always cover up and feel ashamed of my skin," Pettitt wrote in the caption. "Yet, despite all of that I am now about to be all over America with @aerie flaunting my lines of love." I remember when I was 7, acne started to show on my face and I used to get bullied in school all the time about it. It didn't go till I was 17 but by that time it had spread onto my back. I used to be so self-conscience. I remember going to a party and wearing this cute dress but I had to find a sweater to put on over it because it showed my back. Then when my lil cakes decided to show, wearing bikinis was never a thing. I would always cover up and feel ashamed of my skin. In changing rooms, I'd always deter from looking too intensely at myself or I'd end up pointing out every single flaw on my skin. I've had family members emphasise it to me at occasions and it took me so long to finally embrace and accept it. Yet, despite all of that I am now about to be all over America with @aerie flaunting my lines of love. If you have them, ROCK them. Look in the mirror the next time you get dressed and tell every stretch mark and every acne scar that it is a part of the magic that makes you, you. Wear that dress without worrying about what people will think. Wear that bikini without hesitation. You got this baby girl. You got this Queen. '' #NiaTheLight #AerieReal cc: @alimitton A post shared by Ni The Light (@niathelight) on Jan 6, 2018 at 4:57pm PSTon Jan 6, 2018 at 4:57pm PST Pettitt's insecurities about her body started at a young age when she first noticed her acne starting to make an appearance."From 7 years old I've had acne so that has been an ongoing battle but when it cleared on my face, I then had to try to deal with it spreading to my back," Pettitt told INSIDER of her experience with what is commonly referred to as "bacne."Like most people, Pettit felt more insecure about her body as it went through changes during puberty."The growth from girl to woman wasn't an easy ride for me," she said. "I then had a growth spurt and developed stretch marks on my bum too." A post shared by aerie (@aerie)on Jan 5, 2018 at 7:47am PST When Aerie offered the opportunity to Pettitt, she had reservations about putting her stretch marks and back acne on display in a swimsuit, but ultimately had a great experience."I've always known that Aerie do not retouch models and at first I was pretty nervous," she told us. "I kept apologizing to the team for my bacne at first and they kept on telling me it was normal and nothing to worry about."Pettitt's appearance in the ad has allowed her to serve as inspiration to her followers who may be learning to cope with similar insecurities."I've received so many direct messages about it," she said. "Some people decided to wear a bikini for the first time and people have been so happy to see me speak my truth." A post shared by Ni The Light (@niathelight)on Jan 14, 2018 at 11:42am PST Now that she's fully embracing her body, she has some words of encouragement for those who need a little inspiration."Comparison isn't your friend," she said. "You are you, no one can ever dim your light away unless you give them the power to."See more ofNi Pettitt's work on her Instagram.Sign uphereto getINSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: This lingerie company stopped using Photoshop on all of its models and it paid off big
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