Now or Never

Afraid to show it off? Here's how to love the skin you're in

Hear how people are letting go of self doubt, embracing their insecurities, and learning to love the skin they're in.
A triptych of images: On the left, an older woman in a bathing suit with visible scarring stands beside a pool. In the center, a woman with braids and many tattoos stands in a tattoo removal parlour. On the right, a woman in bra and panties with a visible ostomy bag holds an apple.
Whether it's revealing your burn scars, removing gang tattoos, or loving - and sharing - your body and visible disability: these guests are bravely showing skin. (Cory Funk/CBC, Andrew Friesen/CBC, Indigo Jones)

As the weather heats up, are you showing more skin?

Although some might show flesh without a second thought, many of us find it challenging to reveal our bodies. 

Luckily, our guests on this episode are here to share how they're letting go of self doubt, embracing their insecurities, and learning to love the skin they're in. 

What does it take to go fully nude in a semi-public space? Now or Never producer Cory Funk visits a nude beach, drops trou, and talks to beach goers about how they're finding the confidence to let it all hang out.  

In Della Steinke's Winnipeg studio, clients come to have their tattoos removed free of charge. But it's more than just an aesthetic choice: these ex-gang members are seeking safety and a way to move on from their old lives. Hear from one client whose tattoo removal could be a matter of life and death.

Debbie Ward hasn't worn a bathing suit in public since she was 9 years old. When she stepped in the water at her local pool, children and their parents ridiculed her and moved to the other side, or just left all together. Two years earlier, a terrible accident left Debbie with scars on 70 percent of her body. Now, at the age of 69, she's finally ready to try again.

A few years ago, OnlyFans creator and sex worker Alex A. underwent a colectomy. As a result of the surgery, she wears an ileostomy bag on her lower abdomen. Alex shares her experience of creating adult content with a visible disability — and her personal journey toward self-acceptance.

After a surgery to remove breast tissue and create a flatter chest, Eagan Johnston is on a journey to reconnecting with their body even though the results were not quite what they had in mind.

Come along to Taneeta Taljit's tattoo appointment, where they are covering the self-harm scars on their arm with art — and finding hope and healing.

Taneeta's tattoo

2 years ago
Duration 5:57
Why, despite the pain, Taneeta Taljit chose this peony design to help cover the scars of a difficult past. Video by Adrienne Row-Smith.