Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for TIDALAlessia Cara's new song, "Scars to Your Beautiful," speaks volumes to anyone who hears it...especially the pop star herself.
The new tune, which is an anthem for anyone who has felt uncomfortable and awkward in his/her own skin, will only be performed by Cara totally makeup free, because she wants to stay true to the song's message. In a new essay for Glamour, Cara opens up about her bold choice and the ailment that led her to writing the powerful song.
"We decided that every performance I do of 'Scars,' every interview I do about it, I am not going to be wearing any makeup, because how could I be preaching a song about being yourself and being beautiful and perfect the way you are—and have a full face of makeup?" she writes in her essay. "I want to show people that I am comfortable enough to go on national television and just be myself. It would only feel right if I am 100 percent me."
Although she's comfortable in her skin now, Cara used to constantly fret about her appearance because she started to go bald when she was just a preteen. "I started losing my hair in chunks in the shower. It was one of the scariest things. It got to the point where it was visibly gone," she admits. "I struggled with that a lot, especially going into high school. You have so many pressures—what people are going to think of you—and I was going into it losing all my hair. I had, like, nothing left."
Having been in early high school at the time, Cara was mocked for her bald spots. "It was patches of missing hair that people would point out, because people are mean in high school," she shares. But after being thrust into the spotlight, the "Here" songstress learned to accept her flaws.
"I was constantly looking for hairstyles to hide the bald spots. And I didn't know why it was happening. I just kept thinking, 'Why am I so young and having to deal with this?' I didn't want people to look at me, I didn't want people to get too close," she confesses.
"Even now, I struggle with it; sometimes, you can see that my hair is missing in some spots. I have just learned how to accept it," she adds. "Being in the public eye, you're always worried about what angle people are going to take pictures of you at. I don't really care anymore. I just let my hair dry naturally; I don't hide it."