I have lived with Vitiligo from the age of three. ‘Vitiligo is a long-term condition that causes pale, white patches to develop on the skin due to the lack of a chemical called melanin.’
I hated the white patches on my dark-skinned body. I hated getting changed for PE, swimming and the summer when the patches under my arms, knees and pubic area were so bold and obvious.
I hated the way people looked at me and was painfully aware of the comments and nudges of passers-by.
I was called ‘Alien’ and laughed at at school, though this was luckily short- lived and my friends stuck up big time for me.
I was put on different diets, tried various creams but nothing eliminated the pure white patches of skin that made me feel ‘less than’ everyone else.
I realised as I got older that I was stuck with this condition. Was I going to hate myself and my body forever? It seemed such a waste as apart from that, my body was healthy inside and out. I had to dig a little bit deep and try to stop being so self-obsessed. I had to work on feeling good and happy with myself – to change the way I thought and felt so to change the inside not cover up the outside.
It wasn’t about ignoring my issues around vitiligo but rather acknowledging them and learning to live with them. I made a decision not to use the cover up make up I was offered and began to work on loving myself for who I was and building my self-esteem.
I now, most of the time, feel pretty happy in my skin. Of course, I would rather not have vitiligo, but I have and that’s that.
My life lesson, in this journey with vitiligo, is that no one is perfect and building our self-esteem isn’t about ‘being perfect’ – it is about self-acceptance – and I do now accept myself, patches and all, as part of who I am.
Further reading: www.nhs.uk/conditions/Vitiligo