People who moved out of conservative households share their amazing glow-ups

Many people change and develop their style as they grow older. However, those who grew up in conservative households often had to suppress their true selves until they could move out and express their individuality.

TikTok user @cherryemojigirl posted a video showing old photos of herself looking "preppy" and "popular" in high school. She explained that she couldn't be herself growing up. Once she moved out, she expressed her true self with dyed hair, long nails, and tattoos. Her video amassed millions of views and likes, sparking a trend.

"Did anyone else grow up in a really conservative household, so you were never allowed to express yourself through your appearance?" she asks. "And somehow in middle school and high school you ended up getting roped into the popular, preppy friend group, so you just looked like a basic a-- local for most of your life? 

"Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it just wasn't you, so the minute you graduated and went off on your own, you just... This. This happened. Just me? OK, cool." At the pause, she shows herself now. Her hair is dyed red and black, her fingernails are long and painted neon green, and she has tattoos on her arms and clavicle.  

It's a stark contrast to her previous photos, where she wore preppy clothes and had her natural hair color. @cherryemojigirl's video resonated with many, leading others to use her audio and share their own "glow-up" transformations.

"I've never felt so seen by an audio before," wrote TikTok user Mason Denver. Mason shared photos from his youth, where he had side-swept hair and looked to be a football player. 

But now, Mason has long, luxurious hair, cute overalls, and great makeup. It's so heartwarming to see all these people finally being able to express who they really are.  

One TikTok user who participated in the glow-up trend, Jay Burleigh, spoke to BuzzFeed about how much this she related to this story. The 24-year-old teacher and writer grew up in Louisiana, in a small, conservative, Catholic town.  

She knew she was queer since she was 12 years old, but didn't feel it was an option to come out and live authentically. "I knew that I had a lot of beliefs that were outside of the social norms of my town for my whole life," she said, "but always stayed very quiet about them from fear of being judged or shunned more than I already felt I was."

Once Jay went to college, she began to come out of her shell and be herself. "I was finally able to open up to these liberal thoughts and believes and really explore my sexuality," she said. "I was finally able to develop and educate myself on what I believe to be just and what I believe to be unjust."

Sharing her glow-up isn't just about showing off her awesome haircut (though it is great). It's about celebrating finally being able to live as herself.

"I didn't come out to my family until I was 22, but after coming out I fully embraced by gender fluidity and I continue to educate myself and fight for social justice and human rights every day," she said. 

Head to TikTok to watch some more of these inspiring transformations. Hopefully, these will provide some hope for those who might be in similar situations right now and solidarity for those who went through similar things. 

This article was originally published on September 22, 2024. It has since been updated.