Zara Hanawalt
Stop whispering, start talking: sharp, sassy takes on life in a female body.
Finally: The C-Section Shelf Gets Some Real Representation c/o Lo Bosworth
I gave birth to my twins over seven years ago, and guess what? My C-section flap? She's stuck around.
We live in a world that glorifies the snap back. That tells us that "oh my god, you don't look like you've ever had a baby!" is the highest compliment. That getting your exact post-baby body back is the ultimate goal.
But enough of that. Giving birth, however you do it, changes your body, sometimes forever. And it's time to normalize that.
Shout out to Lo Bosworth (yes, Laguna Beach's Lo Bosworth!) for doing just that. Bosworth, who has been incredibly candid about new motherhood in so many ways, recently shared a social media clip about her own postpartum body. At five-and-a-half months postpartum, she posts that her shelf still hangs over her C-section scar "and that's completely normal," she writes.
She's right: This is normal. Sometimes called the "C-section apron", there's evidence that this a common thing mothers experience after C-section deliveries thanks to redundant skin and tissue that hangs around that area. While this is often dismissed as a cosmetic concern, it can cause skin irritation, discomfort, and psychological distress.
One commenter puts it best: "Thank you so much! I’m almost 7 months post partum (unplanned c section) and I expected to be back to my old stomach by now. I truly had no idea. It’s so important that we see content like this. Feels so nice to know that this is completely normal!"
I agree: As millennial women, we grew up seeing airbrushed images of women. We rarely got to see the full range of what women's bodies look like up close, and I love that this beautiful mama is showing some representation for the C-section flap (because this hardly gets any attention!).
Listen, I'm not perfect here either: I go out of my way to hide my lower belly away because truth be told, I'm still really self-conscious about this area. Maybe that makes me part of the problem. Posts like this one, though? They inspire me to embrace it.
Why the Matching Set Trend Feels So Addictive
At 38, I'm mostly past the point of my life where I'm obsessively following trends. I don't really care what people are saying about bare nails, for example (this take is so good, BTW). But here's what I can't resist: A good matching set, which, as anyone who is chronically online knows, is very in at the moment.
This Winter, I went nuts over matching sweat sets, which instantly made me feel ten times cozier. As winter gave way to spring, I invested in a few sweatshirt-and-shorts combos (very Princess Diana, very cute, very limited seasonal window). And now that Summer is here, all I want are some shorts-and-tee combos that coordinate. I'm not exaggerating when I say this: I reach for a set at least three times a week.
I've been asking myself what exactly it is about a matching set that feels so addictive, and I think I've started to get somewhere. A matching set represents a fashion trend we've been craving — because it's a fashion trend that meets women where they are.
To be fair, we've been heading in this direction with the rise of athleisure, which is certainly nothing new. But while athleisure gives us a way to do comfort, style, and convenience all at once, matching sets take it a step further. It doesn't just give us a way to feel super comfortable and put together at the same time, it also reduces decision fatigue. In a world in which fashion opinions are in our face 24/7, with a trend cycle that's moving faster than ever, matching set culture feels comfortingly simple.
Like with the athleisure takeover and the rise of matching pajama sets, a good matching set feels like a way for me to dress for me. I feel put together, but I also feel like my own comfort is the main event. But matching sets also reduce my mental load, which yeah, sounds dramatic, but hear me out.
When skinny jeans fell out of vogue and baggier styles came into fashion? I know I'm not the only one who found myself scrambling — not just to find a pair of looser jeans that looked right, but also to figure out what shirts look good with those jeans...and what shoes actually worked with them. (And yes, I try to avoid the trend-hopping, but I'm not completely immune!). With matching sets, though? We don't have that problem. It's all laid out right there: When you're buying your items and when you're putting them on in the morning, it all feels beautifully cohesive. The trend itself is the whole formula.
Now, like all things, matching sets will fall out of style at some point. But here's the good news: When that happens, we can simply wear those pieces as separates. For now, though? Matching set culture feels a little bit like a way to escape a moment in style that has stopped feeling fun and started feeling confusing, overwhelming, and incredibly expensive.
The Permission to be Honest About Motherhood
On June 22, 2026, the world lost Jill Smokler, founder of Scary Mommy, to brain cancer.
Maybe you've heard her name, maybe you haven't, but if you are a modern-day mother, I can almost bet you've been personally touched by what Smokler created. Because the truth is, it is much bigger than a web site.
I've been a writer in the parenting space for 11 years, and I've been a mother for seven. And if there's one thing I've learned from both experiences — if we're being honest, more so that latter — it's that motherhood is the most complicated, most human experience of all. You will hear someone say it's the best thing they've ever experienced, and you'll also hear that it's the hardest. And both perspectives are right...in fact, they may even both come from the same person.
At least if that person is anything like Smokler was. Because her legacy is so much bigger than Scary Mommy, which is already a big thing. She created a space for mothers to get honest, sometimes radically so, about everything from sex to guilt to friendship to the messy, nuanced, complexity of what this wild ride truly feels like. In doing so, she led a cultural shift. For so long, mothers (women in general, really) were not given permission to hold complicated truths about the one thing they've been told they were designed for. Smokler broke those unspoken rules.
Today, in our social media-driven world, extremes are being platformed, narratives are being flattened, and that feels particularly dangerous where motherhood is concerned. Because the hard stuff deserves a space in the culture. The complicated feelings need airspace. The moms should get to complain and to not be told "well, you signed up for this".
Jill Smokler gave us permission to do that. May her legacy live on in the stories we write, the conversations we have, and the duality we hold.
How the Cl*toris is Proof of How Broken Women's Health Truly Is
Okay, so...writing this makes me uncomfortable. And it absolutely shouldn't because there's nothing shameful about a woman's body. However, this is the reality of the world we live in: We're made to feel so ashamed of how our bodies function, which keeps us silent. Case in point: I'm not even spelling out the word cl*toris in this piece because I know there's a good chance it'll get flagged somehow.
But when I came across this article, I knew I had to cover it here. Because, well, what is BODYTALK if not a space to talk about the stuff we've been discouraged from opening up about?
Recently, during the HLTH Europe 2026's conference, renowned British physician Dame Lesley Regan, M.D., pointed out that what most people think of as the cl*toris is only a small bit of what the organ actually is, according to MedScape. “Most of it is under the surface, and you can't see it," said the expert. “It’s a lot bigger than you think."
Frankly, it's embarrassing that even experts know so little about the cl*toris, especially because there are serious issues that affect women's quality of life. A fundamental ignorance around how the organ functions has created a real gap in care for these issues.
According to MedScape, postpartum nerve damage and long-term side effects of pelvic surgeries have long plagued women, thanks in part to the lack of clinical understand of the cl*toris and all the nerves it entails. Now, quality imaging techniques are paving the way for mapping of the nerves underneath the surface, thanks to neuroscientist Ju Young Lee, PhD, who realized there was no nerve map of the organ...which leads women to suffer the awful consequences of nerve damage in an incredibly sensitive area.
This mapping is just the beginning: There is so much more left to learn, so many more steps to take to improve this area of women's health — which, like every area of women's health, is deeply underfunded and poorly understood. But unlike breast cancer, PCOS, and endometriosis, this one isn't just ignored by the research and knowledge and the care — it's also culturally shrouded in silence, and that needs to change.
Can Women Have it All? Here's My Take
If you're on the motherhood side of TikTok, you've probably seen the ~drama~ that's been popping off on the app. If not, here's what's going down: A woman (I won't name her here — that would give her the attention she so desperately craves) made a video essentially saying that whoever think women can be moms and have careers are "losers".
Yeah. As you can imagine, this one didn't land well. Like, at all.
Countless mothers have chimed in to say they're doing it every single day: Crushing their careers while also being fantastic moms. And you know what? Heck yeah! You can absolutely be amazing at your job and amazing in motherhood.
But can you have it all? Hot take: No. No you can't.
Before you come for me, let me explain: It's not because women aren't capable of doing it all, it's because the system is rigged against us.
The concept of "having it all" isn't just about having kids and having a career. It's about never missing a moment at home or a professional opportunity. It's about being the last one at the office, yet somehow making it home in time to make a home-cooked dinner. It's about keeping it all together: The family life, the career, the marriage, the friendships, the workout routine...everything. And this narrative has been drilled into women for so long, to the point that it is leaving a generation burnt out and exhausted. We're expected to mother like we don't work and work like we don't kids, and the pressure is bringing women to their breaking points. Let's face it: It's a lie we've sold to women to keep them constantly doing things for everybody else's gain.
I would much rather tell women that the concept of having it all shouldn't actually be the goal. For so long. celebrities have run the conversation around this....yet in most cases, they left out all the things that enabled them to create the illusion of having it all: The nannies, the assistants, the help of every kind, the privilege.
Instead, we ought to tell women that there will always be choices, but many of those choices will only be available to the lucky few. We ought to tell them that their priorities may change over time, and that this isn't a bad thing. We ought to tell them that it's okay to ask for help, to drop some balls, or to readjust goals over time. We ought to tell them that they don't need to have it all, or chase having it all, in order to be worthy.
Ask Clara:
"What is the motherhood penalty?"
Unpopular Opinion: 'Off Campus' Actually Doesn't Feel Nostalgic to Me. Hear Me Out.
Every millennial woman I know is obsessed with Off Campus, and many have cited the overwhelming sense of nostalgia they feel when watching the show. Once I started watching, though? I actually didn't find it nostalgic at all (for me, the shows that really evoke that sense of "oh-my-god-this-reminds-me-of-the-shows-I-came-of-age-with" are Tell Me Lies and The Summer I Turned Pretty!)
Okay, hear me out. This isn't a bad thing: Off Campus has odes to some of the shows I grew up loving. For example: It all starts with Hannah Wells, the sweet, smart, maybe a bit awkward girl next door, and Garrett Graham, the hotshot hockey star. He asks her to tutor him in exchange for helping her get her musician crush to notice her...and you know where this is headed. It's very Nathan Scott and Haley James, and if you get the reference, we should definitely be friends (also, are you in perimenopause yet?).
But while the tropes and the themes are familiar, I think what had made Off Campus such a runaway hit is the fact that this show is actually incredibly modern in its handling of certain issues. Think: Masculinity, consent, sexual trauma, female pleasure, and assault.
I won't give away too much here, because if you're one of the 12 people in the United States who hasn't watched this show yet, I think it's worth a try. But I will say this: Off Campus couldn't exist, at least not in this particular way, without our very 2026 understanding of some of these concepts.
Off Campus is what it is because of how much our culture has changed. It's because of survivors speaking up about how sexual assault has affected their ability to climax with a partner. Because we've confronted how deeply victims internalize the cycle of self-blame, and about how imperative it is that we remind them it was not their fault. Because we've finally started to talk about how explicit consent needs to be, and how emotional safety has to precede true intimacy. Because we are, at long last, unpacking how deeply toxic masculinity affects not just women and their mental well- being, but men as well.
Because at the end of the day, without that context, Off Campus is just another show. But with the context of all the work we've done in place, through this modern lens? Suddenly, it becomes something else entirely. It becomes something we've all been needing.
Ask Clara:
"How does sexual trauma show up?"
New Research Gives Us More Intel on the Real Risks on Moderate Drinking
Up until just a few years ago, a daily alcoholic drink seemed like a totally normal habit. A glass of wine with dinner, a beer after work, a cocktail as a nightcap...I know many people who held those rituals without much thought given to them.
And then, the pendulum swung. The demonization of alcohol? It's here. With emerging research about the health implications of alcohol consumption and the rise of things like social tonics (which are non-alcoholic beverages meant to provide a relaxing, 'buzzed' effect), people are seriously reevaluating their alcohol consumption.
We've all heard that alcohol can increase your risk of serious health issues, perhaps most notably cancer. But what we haven't had yet is a clear picture of what this really looks like. Is any amount of alcohol unsafe? Do you have to drink a lot for this effect to hold up? What about people who drank heavily for years and then cut out alcohol...are they still at risk?
A new study sheds some light on when exactly harmless drinking becomes harmful drinking. The TL;DR? That daily drink habit may not be the best practice. According to the study, which was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, two drinks a day (which is considered moderate consumption) is associated with a substantial increase in risk of premature death. A daily drink (or seven drinks per week) was associated with a minimally elevated risk for most conditions (such as cancer and heart disease), while the risk increased among those who consumed an average of 14 drinks a week (or two drinks a day).
These findings don't give us all the answers, but they provide a bit more clarity. Guidelines have only gotten more vague: Previously, U.S. dietary guidelines recommended a daily limit of two drinks a day for men and one for women. Now, they simply advise people to drink less.
But, according to the researchers behind this study: “Having a clearer threshold helps people better understand what level of drinking is associated with increased risk and make more informed decisions when drinking.”
The study also challenges some long-held beliefs that alcohol can offer protective health benefits (for example, a reduced risk of heart disease).
Drinking has become this black and white thing, and I don't think it needs to be that way. We know candy isn't great for us, right? But we understand that snacking on it once in a while can be okay. Similarly, this study points out that even moderate alcohol consumption carries risks, and those risks increase the more you drink.
This research provides some important context around alcohol. While the findings don't provide all the answers, they suggest limiting consumption to one drink a day (and make sure you're following the guidelines around how much alcohol is in one drink!). Now, is less better? Yeah, I think we can presume that a weekly glass of wine is better than a nightly one. But this research provides a concrete upper limit...and forces people who routinely have more than one drink a day a reason to take a good hard look at how the habit is affecting their long-term health.
Ask Clara:
"How much alcohol is safe?"
The FDA Just Updated Sunscreen Guidelines for the First Time in Decades
K-Beauty and french pharmacy lovers, rejoice: The FDA just approved bemotrizinol, an active ingredient that has been used in sunscreens produced in Europe and Asia, to be used in over-the-counter sunscreens right here in the United States. This is the first new active ingredient that's been approved for sunscreens produced in the U.S. since the late '90s.
According to the FDA release announcing this news, bemotrizinol provides protection against both ultraviolet A and B rays. Per the CDC, ultraviolet rays are non-iodizing radiation emitted by the sun and other sources (think tanning beds and certain lights and lasers).
Here's why this is so exciting for many beauty enthusiasts: If you've talked to a skincare guru at all, you'll know that the beauty and skincare communities love sunscreens made overseas. Some of us (it's me, I'm some of us) have even gone out of our way to buy sunscreens during overseas travel or order them via sites that ship products from Asia or Europe. The sunscreens produced overseas have always felt more comfortable and cosmetically elegant, according to many skincare lovers.
The value here? When sunscreen feels more pleasant to apply and actually have on your skin, you're way more likely to actually wear it. I know that I've really struggled to find anything that doesn't leave a nasty white cast on my brown skin among the U.S. sunscreens I've tried, but Asian sunscreens always feel like they blend in so much better.
The value of this FDA approval isn't just about improving user experience, though. According to a social media clip from dermatologist Dr. Scott Walter (@denverskindoc), bemotrizinol is extremely photostable, meaning it doesn't break down as quickly in the sun as other sunscreen filters.
Dermatologist Dr. Dray (@drdrayzday) adds that this ingredient tends to be well-tolerated, which means now that it has FDA approval, US manufacturers have the opportunity to create less irritating sunscreen formulas. And as a sensitive-skinned girlie who has always had a tough time finding sunscreens that are readily available, cosmetically elegant, and non-irritating? This has me feeling very excited for what's to come.
Obviously, it's going to take some time for these formulas to hit the shelves. In the meantime, I'll be working my way through the K-beauty product I managed to score.
Ask Clara:
"How important is daily sunscreen?"
The Summer House Reunion and What Beta Blockers Actually Do
Unless you've been living under a rock (or, like, are just not a reality TV person), you know that Bravo's hit show Summer House has been at the center of mega pop culture drama. The TL;DR? Two of the show's stars, Amanda Batula and West Wilson, recently hard launched their relationship, which is a very big deal because...Wilson broke Batula's BFF's heart (all hail queen Ciara Miller).
Oh, and he was also close friends with Batula's ex husband.
So yeah, it's all very messy, and the drama was so big, the show needed a three-part reunion (plus a bonus episode to go over the aftermath of said reunion) to cover it all.
But when the reunion aired, people couldn't help but notice how...well, emotionless Wilson and Batula seemed. Audiences couldn't detect any real remorse, or even any real feelings. Everyone else at the reunion was emotional, yet the two at the epicenter of the drama seemed...numb? Callous? Disconnected?
Many people speculated this meant they were on some sort of substance that affected their responses, and many people wondered if they could have taken beta blockers ahead of filming the reunion. When host Andy Cohen point blank asked Wilson, he received confirmation: Wilson had, in fact, taken a beta blocker before hitting the reunion stage.
But does that excuse his cold, emotionally removed behavior? Spoiler alert: No.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a beta blocker is a medication that lowers blood pressure by making your heart beat more slowly and with less force. Some people use these drugs to calm themselves down before a major event, and research from Harvard University indicates they may make people feel tired or listless. According to Cleveland Clinic, beta blockers may be prescribed for off-label use to help manage performance anxiety. But popping a beta blocker doesn't explain this level of emotional disconnectedness, according to Ciara Miller (who, in addition to being absolutely central to this story, is also a nurse).
"Just a medical note: beta blockers DON’T remove emotion," Miller writes on Threads. "They work by blocking adrenaline from binding to beta receptors in your heart, blood vessels, and muscles (the receptors responsible for the physical symptoms of anxiety like increased heart rate, raised blood pressure, and trembling). The EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE remains, but the physical stress response can’t fully activate. It’s like putting your 'fight or flight' symptoms on DND…. enough with the beta blocker bullshit."
Well, there you have it. A beta blocker doesn't explain a bizarre emotional reaction (or lack thereof). I have no idea how to explain the incredibly unsettling reactions we saw from these two reality stars. I won't speculate on whether they're on other substances, whether it's a personality thing, or whether this is all just a reaction to extreme public scrutiny. It's not my place.
But I can say this: What we saw was weird...right?
Ask Clara:
"How does anxiety manifest physically?"
The Fatphobic Rage Bait is Actually Unhinged
Does anyone else feel like it's suddenly become impossible to log on to social media without encountering some sort of blatant fatphobia? This type of content is all over my feeds — granted, most of the content I'm seeing is stitches or reaction videos from people who are calling out the fatphobia, but regardless: This type of Internet content is getting a ton of attention right now, and we need to unpack that.
Make no mistake: This is rage bait (which is a social media tactic that creators use when posting extremely controversial messaging in order to provoke people to leave comments and engage with their content, which in turn boosts its visibility and virality).
Arguably the most relevant example of fatphobic rage bait? That uber viral take about how girls "need to start acting their weight". If you haven't come across this one (or any of the reactions to it), consider yourself lucky. Here's the gist: the video features a woman speaking to the camera to deliver this absolutely bonkers message: According to her, your weight determines...how you're allowed to behave, apparently?
"If you are 160 pounds, I don't want to see any attitude. I want to see you giving all that attitude to the treadmill. Give it to your nutritionist. Give it to that pilates class," she says. It gets worse, trust me — but we don't need to get into all that.
Of course, the video itself has over a million views, because that's what happens on the Internet. The most controversial, inflammatory things gain traction, while the nuanced, thoughtful takes land with a whisper. Enter: The era of fatphobic rage bait.
This particular viral video is certainly not the only one of its kind. Across my feeds, I'm seeing countless similar pieces of content. Undoubtedly, people are drawing inspiration here: They're seeing other people go viral and copying this particular brand of rage bait for one simple reason: They know that the more outlandish your message, the more offensive you get, the more you pop off on the apps. But like…is it worth selling your soul for a viral moment?
The problem, of course, is that this type of content has a big impact. And yes, I realize that I'm amplifying it in some way by writing this very piece, but I guess the thing here is this: The attention economy doesn't always reward the things that deserve our attention, and we have to accept the reality: We live in a time in which problematic messages spread like wildfire, and we can tamp some of that wildfire down by commenting on how utterly ridiculous and harmful this type of messaging is.
In some ways, fatphobic rage bait feels like the very intersection of some of the biggest issues we're facing in the wellness world. Not only is skinny supremacy back in a big way, we're also very much in the thick of the misinformation era — which is fueled by our algorithms and their prioritization of shock value over credibility. With those two factors at large, are we even surprised by the rise of fatphobic rage bait?
Here’s what we need to remember when taking in this type of content: It exists just to elicit a response from people. It may get a lot of attention, but it doesn’t deserve to take up space underneath your skin. So don’t let it get there.
Ask Clara:
"How is fatphobia rising in 2026?"