Bullied at school? These photos of awkward teens who blossomed is for you

YOU'RE not the only one who buried their childhood photos - check out more awkward teens who have improved with age.

'Awkies' get better with age

YOU'RE not the only one who buried their childhood photos.

What with the big unkempt hair, braces, bad clothes - it was a miracle you even made it out of high school in one piece.

But awkward teens unite: US-based photographer Merilee Allred has proved once and for all that you can turn your awkwardness around.

Allred tries to show us that teenage insecurities don't have to hold us back as an adult in her project 'Awkward Years'.

Gallery: The awkward years

Bullied as a child, the 35-year-old embarked on the project after a friend didn't believe Merilee was a self-described "queen of the nerds'' as a child.

She asked people to pose with unflattering pictures of themselves when they were young to highlight how things can turn out all right:

"To all the nerds, geeks, and fashion victims, past or present, this project is for you!"

Want to join in? Send a selfie with your awkward pics to [e-mail]. We promise - we'll show you ours if you show us yours!

Martie. Then: 12 years old, 6th grade, Taylorsville, Utah. Now: 28 years old, international model and policy and procedure analyst at Discovery Financial Services, residing in South Jordan, Utah.

See more awkwardness in our gallery.

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