The secret is out.  Barbie is perfectly imperfect just like the rest of us.  An image on Imgur created by Eddie Aguirre shows the 54 year-old beauty without any of her signature makeup, revealing messy hair, dark circles under her eyes, never before seen freckles, uneven skin tone, acne, as well as braces.  This image may be a far cry from the Barbie we're used to seeing, but many find it to be a refreshing image of reality and natural beauty.  Child and family therapist, Fran Walfish, shared her opinion of the image in a recent interview. 

"Barbie with braces and acne looks very much like the type of women and girls who come into my practice," Walfish said.  "Perhaps this new image is a good thing."  Barbie has been blamed in the past for setting a standard of unattainable beauty for young girls.  To transfer the doll's proportions into that of a real person, Barbie would stand at six feet, have a 39" bust, 18" waist and 33" hips.  These measurements are impossible and it is said that Barbie would be so physically disproportionate, she would nearly tip over.  Over the years, however, the makers of Barbie have worked to make her image more mainstream, adding a little more weight to her face and waist.

The new 'natural Barbie' is sparking controversy, with as many loving her new look, as there are those who don't like it at all.  Many online comments of Aguirre's image have equated Barbie's 'natural' look to having medical issues or a severe hangover.  Ouch!  Dr. Walfish explains the strong reaction some are having to this visual.  "It's human nature for people to build up iconic figures and then tear them down," said Walfish.  "We idealize public figures because we want something to aspire to but our standards are impossibly high.  And when these icons inevitably misstep, we feel disappointed and angry that our hopes have been dashed."  In the case of Barbie, Walfish surmises that the person who shared the image may have been trying to tell us that under all the glitz and glamour, Barbie is just a normal woman with run-of-the-mill flaws.

What do you think if Barbie sans makeup?  Love it or leave it?  Let us know in the comments section below.