In a recent Instagram post, actor Zareen Khan called out a Reel where the social media user was seen making fake freckles using a brocolli. The actor shares her disappointment with current beauty trends on social media. “I’m not against freckles…I’m just against these nonsensical trends,” the actor, known for her outspokenness, wrote in the caption, expressing her disbelief.
Talking to us, the 37-year-old says, “There are some weird trends that have come now. I don’t know what people are up to! It’s beyond my understanding. I see this trend where people are trying to put fake freckles, it’s shocking. Why would you do that? I don’t understand the idea behind it.”
Reflecting on her own childhood struggles with freckles, and the societal pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards, Khan shared a personal revelation. “I have nothing against freckles. I had it as a kid. If it was right now, I wouldn’t have cared to remove it from my face. I didn’t have a say during childhood, so my parents were in a rut of ‘Oh my she is a girl child, daag nahi hone chahiye’. That was hurtful, you know. They didn’t understand freckles, they used to think ki pata nahi kya hogaya hain chehre par,” she says continuing, “My mom used to take me to homeopathic doctors to get them removed.”
Khan, who was last seen in Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele (2021), emphasised the importance of embracing natural beauty, urging sensitivity towards those with genuine childhood insecurities. “For the new generation, everything they see on social media, is validation. If you naturally have freckles, it’s beautiful but aise reels mein banaake uska mazaak mat banaao. Many people actually have childhood trauma because of these things,” she says.
Lamenting the the lack of depth in content and superficiality of today’s social media culture, Khan observes, “No one is putting the reel to normalise freckles.” “Everything has its pros and cons. Social media can be a really great way to spread messages to impact the society in a good manner. But I hardly see anybody doing that,” she ends.
