Stretch marks are something that most women of all shapes , sizes and ages have . But this week model and chef Chrissy Teigen bought them to the fore after she posted a picture of her legs to Instagram . The 29-year-old Sports Illustrated star is seen cross-legged after an all-day cooking session and says : 'Bruises from bumping kitchen drawer handles for a week . Stretchies say hi ! ' Women have been taken to Instagram to share pictures of their stretch marks after the body Chrissy Teigen posted an image of hers to the social networking site . Since then hundreds of other women have rushed to join the wife of John Legend , proudly posting photographs of their own stretch marks to the social media site . User @ saraelizabef wrote : 'Love it ! Real women have stretch marks # respect . ' Another follower @ emmalittle5 commented : ' I have so much respect for you ! I have stretchies too and I appreciate someone being real about them and acknowledging them thanks . ' Another wrote : 'If there ever was a role model on this planet Chrissie , ... it was you [ sic ] ' Chrissy posted a picture of her stretch marks to Instagram also showing off the bruises that she had got whilst opening her kitchen cupboards . This woman posted pictures of her stretch marks running along her side - she said that she had got them whilst pregnant with her daughter . And since Chrissy shared her picture hundreds of other women have decided to do the same , posting their images along with the hashtag # loveyourlines . Some have shared pictures of their stomachs whilst others have showed their legs and bums . Chrissy 's image has given a major boost to the campaign , which started last year . This woman showed off the stretch marks on her leg ( left ) saying she was proud of them and her body , whilst another shared a snap of the marks on her stomach ( right ) This lady said she shared her picture because she had hated her stretch marks for a long time . Stretch marks are thin lines that appear on the surface of the skin - they are usually purple in colour at first before they fade to a silver shade . They mostly effect the stomach , bottom or leg areas and can occur at any point in a woman 's life - often they can be spurred on by weight gain or pregnancy . Often , once you have stretch marks , they can be hard to get rid of . One user who shared her picture said : ' I struggle with my body . It is n't what it used to be , but I 'm learning that it 's OK. ' This lady commented that her pregnant belly looks like an orange as she proudly showed off her body . This Instagram user revealed that her stretch marks had come after having three children ( left ) while another said that she had learned to love the marks on her body ( right ) Stretch marks can start off as red or blue but they eventually turn silvery in colour . Another said : ' I have had these since I was 12 years old . I love my lines . Proud to share my stretch marks . ' The love your lines campaign was originally started by two east-coast mothers - who chose to remain anonymous . They said of the project : 'This account is curated by two mommas hoping to make a difference in the world of the female body image . 'All women of different shapes , sizes and cultural backgrounds are encouraged to submit . We ca n't wait to see your love lines . ' In a crop top the marks on this woman 's tummy can be seen around her belly button . This picture was one of the first added to the campaign which encourages people to embrace their 'tiger strips '
Chrissy Teigen shared a picture of her stretch marks all-day . The model was praised by those calling her a role model . Now hundreds of women have taken to Instagram to share their pictures .