People Are Sharing Their Glow Up Pics After Moving Out Of The Conservative Households That They Grew Up In
InterviewThere’s nothing like seeing a person gain the self-confidence and courage to be who they really are. Sometimes, it takes a big change like leaving your family home or your hometown to feel free enough to express who we always were deep inside. TikTokers are sharing their impressive personal transformations after they left their conservative households or towns, and the jaw-dropping results are inspiring others to reveal their own stories of change.
The person who popularized this latest trend is a 19-year-old TikTok user from Utah, Cherryemojigirl, whose ‘glow-up’ is very radical: the difference is like night and day. Scroll down to see some of the very best TikToker ‘glow-ups’ and let us know which ones left the biggest impression on you and why.
Bored Panda reached out to 24-year-old teacher and writer Jay Burleigh (aka jaybaebae96) who shared her glow-up video after coming out to her family and friends as queer. According to her, this was a huge turning point in embracing her identity. “I was terrified for so long of the judgment I’d face and the relationships I’d do but I finally decided that I needed to prioritize myself and accept who I am,” she said. Read on for the rest of our interview with Jay.
TikTok user Cherryemojigirl started a viral trend
She shared how she felt pressured to dress and look a certain way while living at home
However, when she moved out, she completely transformed herself
Image credits: cherryemojigirl
Her video got over 10.1 million views. You can watch it right here
@cherryemojigirlif you knew me in middle and high school, no you didn’t ❤️ feel free to use this audio ##gloup##transformation♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Cherryemojigirl’s viral TikTok video got a massive amount of attention on the video-sharing platform: it got over 10.1 million views, 2.7 million likes, and 10.6k comments.
And, of course, the video got others sharing their similar stories about completely overhauling their appearance after moving out.
According to Cherryemojigirl, she wasn’t allowed to express herself through her appearance because she grew up in a conservative household. Her main issue was that how she looked in middle and high school didn’t represent the ‘real’ her; she felt pressured by her family, peers, and society to look a certain way.
After graduating, the TikToker felt that she was finally free to dress and look how she wanted to. She changed her hair, got piercings and tattoos, and got new vibrant clothes to fit her new sense of style. She barely resembles who she was just a few short years ago.
What do you think about Cherryemojigirl’s new look, dear Pandas? Which particular change stood out the most for you? Do you have any stories about your own personal transformations? Share your thoughts and opinions with all the other Pandas in the comments.
One of the people who shared their glow-up videos, Jay Burleigh, told Bored Panda about coming out as queer to her loved ones
Image credits: jaybaebae96
@jaybaebae96If you’re from hs and seeing this, yes I know I wasn’t cool but I’m on ~top~ now. ##iykyk##gaytiktok##lesbian##lesbiantiktok##lgbt##lgbtq##fyp##glowup♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Since coming out, Jay embraced and explored her gender fluidity. “I’d been so used to such strict expectations of what made a person a woman and what made them a man so anything in between wasn’t seen as ‘girly’ or ‘manly.’ I had to release those ideas and restructure my ideas of what made me feel more feminine and what made me feel more masculine and what just let me float in between. With this, I really learned to love myself for every piece of me.”
Jay shared some advice for anyone who’s feeling pressured by their family and friends to look and act a certain way. “It doesn’t matter how hard you try, you’ll never please everyone, but by embracing yourself the self-love you feel will overcome the judgment around you,” she said.
“Be okay with the idea that people will leave your life, learn from the lesson they left, and be bravely and beautifully you despite the hate that lives around us. It’s a long and hard journey but it’s well worth the climb,” Jay gave some motivational advice for anyone and everyone who might be struggling right now.
Inspired by the trend, other TikTok users shared their own glow-up stories and showed how much they changed
Image credits: masondenverr
@masondenverrI’ve never felt so seen by an audio before.♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Image credits: ashertattoos
@ashertattoosSorry Mahm 🥳♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Image credits: captainofthecows
@captainofthecowsi had to google how to use tik tok to make this but this has me DYING. how do i find ##trans tik tok 👁👄👁♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Image credits: cybr.grl
@cybr.grlexposing my past 😳 my parents chose my clothes so I didn’t have much freedom wearing what I wanted to…but now that I’m grown I can 🤪 ##rainbowlady♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Image credits: leonardoxdeasis
@leonardoxdeasisThis sound read me for filth so I knew I had to do it. 😂🤣 I got a mullet now but I HAD to bring back my old hair for this haha! ##fyp##guam##gloup♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Image credits: moodie.maggie
@moodie.maggiehad to hop on this trend 👀 ##fyp##alt♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Image credits: myakatee
@myakateeoops 🤭♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Image credits: nikidemar
@nikidemarthis is called graduating catholic school glow up ##greenscreen##fyp♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Image credits: quiet.cos
@quiet.cosIt’s the Snapchat filters for me ##greenscreen##fyp##glowup##goth##trend##stepintolove##SongOfTheSummer##moodflip♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Image credits: scary_styles
@scary_stylesaye yo. alabama check ##BeautyEssentials##moodflip##transformation##glowupchallenge##fyp♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Image credits: thiccydyke
@thiccydykemy friends arent “PrEpPy” but i had to hop on this audio ##greenscreen##fyp♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
Image credits: thiiiisfoolia5150
@thiiiisfoolia5150Graduated 9 years ago and am finally finding out who I am ##fyp##glowup♬ growing up conservative glo up – cherryemojigirl 🍒
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I raised my daughter to understand that how she behaved, how she treated others, and how hard she tried were the things that mattered. Appearance was just a matter of personal preference. She started high school with a mohawk in our very conservative small town. Nobody said a word, I'm glad to report.
Dear parents, allow your kids to express themselves while young so once they reach adulthood they don’t do a 180 on you. Quit caring so much about what Karen next door will say. They’re your kids. Let them be happy. Sincerely, one of those adults who grew up with strict parents
There's no such thing as "trans people". They are mentally ill delusionals.
Load More Replies...Why does everything need to be extreme? Parents hinder their children in developing self-esteem, children compensate with a strive for total transformation. It unlikely will make them really happier...gaining self-conscious and finding unconditional love would. At the same time, we know nothing about these people. Some may truly suffer from their childhoods, some may live a delayed puberty and some might simply like to show off.
*everything* isn't 'extreme', or nothing would be. These people are just enjoying the freedom to live and look how they want to. Some may continue their whole lives, others will go back to looking more conventional. I don't see why people get het up over this.
Load More Replies...When I turned 18, I got my ears pierced with 2 holes in each ear. My mother found out, and she hit the roof, saying things like how I went to the 'other side' and how I was probably hanging with some local gang. I was neither, and I was always more respectful of others than she ever was. But, that goes to show you how little faith parents have in their children.
People learn these dumb rules about life that they enforce on their children and they don't even stop to question where these beliefs came from in the first place. It's like, hereditary misinformation and mental blindness.
Load More Replies...Our society seems to postpone teenage rebellion into the next decade. It seems that 20-somethings are the new adolescents. It would be more interesting if they focused on a group 10 years older and showed how, once they got the weirdness out of their system, many of them were able to get back to reality and lead productive lives.
Seems weird to assume that they're not leading productive lives just because they're letting go with tattoos and hair dye.
Load More Replies...I think it's normal for people to change as they get older. My parents allowed me to express myself however I deemed fit, but I'm definitely not the same person I was in High School or even College. Sure many of my core values are the same, but how I dress and how I present myself have changed. Some of my likes and dislikes have changed. And hey I'm only 30, who knows how I will change over the next 10 years.
I'm glad they were all able to find themselves. Sad but sweet :)
im 23 and still havent find myself lol...nor am i allowed to
Load More Replies...The US is weird - this is fairly standard behaviour for UK kids when they go off to uni, it's no big deal.
Standard here too for as many generations as we have documented. Independent people rebel when they are controlled. These people are celebrating their rebellion. Age old story and yet there are controlling folks in here clucking as if this was the first generation to do so.
Load More Replies...I call it the "how soon they forget" syndrome. Every generation goes through phases. Remember the hippies era? That was mine. Now we are old and have teenagers of our own. Who like purple dreds and nose rings. The parents are appalled. They don't remember how it was when their parents criticized them for their Beatles hair cut, pink wide wale hip hugger dungarees and granny glasses...
Barbara Baldwin, I'm right there with you. I remember having a mother who told me I couldn't wear two different patterns (a striped shirt and a flowered skirt) because they didn't "match". I encouraged my kids to wear what they liked. And they did go to school in "non-matching" patterns. One is now an artist, one has a bunch of tattoos, and one always has hair in vibrant colors. I love that they are people that have come into their own. I'm always being surprised by their personalities, and love it. All I've ever asked is that they be kind.
Load More Replies...I raised my daughter to understand that how she behaved, how she treated others, and how hard she tried were the things that mattered. Appearance was just a matter of personal preference. She started high school with a mohawk in our very conservative small town. Nobody said a word, I'm glad to report.
Dear parents, allow your kids to express themselves while young so once they reach adulthood they don’t do a 180 on you. Quit caring so much about what Karen next door will say. They’re your kids. Let them be happy. Sincerely, one of those adults who grew up with strict parents
There's no such thing as "trans people". They are mentally ill delusionals.
Load More Replies...Why does everything need to be extreme? Parents hinder their children in developing self-esteem, children compensate with a strive for total transformation. It unlikely will make them really happier...gaining self-conscious and finding unconditional love would. At the same time, we know nothing about these people. Some may truly suffer from their childhoods, some may live a delayed puberty and some might simply like to show off.
*everything* isn't 'extreme', or nothing would be. These people are just enjoying the freedom to live and look how they want to. Some may continue their whole lives, others will go back to looking more conventional. I don't see why people get het up over this.
Load More Replies...When I turned 18, I got my ears pierced with 2 holes in each ear. My mother found out, and she hit the roof, saying things like how I went to the 'other side' and how I was probably hanging with some local gang. I was neither, and I was always more respectful of others than she ever was. But, that goes to show you how little faith parents have in their children.
People learn these dumb rules about life that they enforce on their children and they don't even stop to question where these beliefs came from in the first place. It's like, hereditary misinformation and mental blindness.
Load More Replies...Our society seems to postpone teenage rebellion into the next decade. It seems that 20-somethings are the new adolescents. It would be more interesting if they focused on a group 10 years older and showed how, once they got the weirdness out of their system, many of them were able to get back to reality and lead productive lives.
Seems weird to assume that they're not leading productive lives just because they're letting go with tattoos and hair dye.
Load More Replies...I think it's normal for people to change as they get older. My parents allowed me to express myself however I deemed fit, but I'm definitely not the same person I was in High School or even College. Sure many of my core values are the same, but how I dress and how I present myself have changed. Some of my likes and dislikes have changed. And hey I'm only 30, who knows how I will change over the next 10 years.
I'm glad they were all able to find themselves. Sad but sweet :)
im 23 and still havent find myself lol...nor am i allowed to
Load More Replies...The US is weird - this is fairly standard behaviour for UK kids when they go off to uni, it's no big deal.
Standard here too for as many generations as we have documented. Independent people rebel when they are controlled. These people are celebrating their rebellion. Age old story and yet there are controlling folks in here clucking as if this was the first generation to do so.
Load More Replies...I call it the "how soon they forget" syndrome. Every generation goes through phases. Remember the hippies era? That was mine. Now we are old and have teenagers of our own. Who like purple dreds and nose rings. The parents are appalled. They don't remember how it was when their parents criticized them for their Beatles hair cut, pink wide wale hip hugger dungarees and granny glasses...
Barbara Baldwin, I'm right there with you. I remember having a mother who told me I couldn't wear two different patterns (a striped shirt and a flowered skirt) because they didn't "match". I encouraged my kids to wear what they liked. And they did go to school in "non-matching" patterns. One is now an artist, one has a bunch of tattoos, and one always has hair in vibrant colors. I love that they are people that have come into their own. I'm always being surprised by their personalities, and love it. All I've ever asked is that they be kind.
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