skin

‘You ugly Dalmatian!’ He just laughed at me. ‘Why did God make me like THIS?’ I had to run away.’: Young woman with vitiligo fights for acceptance, ‘The struggle is worth it’

“I believed in God, but I did not understand: Why? Why me? Why did He allow me to become this ugly?” It got so bad that I had constant thoughts of ending my life.

Edited By Ioanna Vargianiti

‘I thought people had to be pretty to work here.’ I acted like I wasn’t bothered, but I cried the whole night.’: Woman with psoriatic arthritis says she ‘isn’t defined’ by her condition

“It was no bigger than a penny, but I wasn’t really concerned. Then a customer said, ‘What’s on your face?’ My boss asked if I was okay, and I put on a brave face and acted as if I wasn’t bothered. Neither of us could believe what had just happened.”

Edited By Sophia San Filippo

‘This clueless, white momma is humbly coming to you to ask for your help…’ I’d never met her. She was a stranger. ‘I can help.’: Woman helps adoptive mom learn to style African-American hair

“‘I need help. I don’t know how to style her hair.’ Stephanie and her daughter have different hair and skin. One of the questions people asked me was, ‘Why would a white woman adopt a black child?’ The only answer I had was LOVE! I immediately responded, ‘Let’s set a date and time.’ Every little girl deserves to look and feel great.”

Edited By Sophia San Filippo

‘This is when my daughter is most beautiful, covered in layers of extra skin. Celebrate her, instead of giving me pity.’: Mom of daughter with Harlequin Ichthyosis wishes people would ‘stare at her beauty’ instead of ‘hiding their stares’

“I remember vividly the first time Anna opened her eyes. She stared with such intent that I couldn’t bring myself to look away. The swelling from her eye lids had finally gone, and she opened her eyes and stared directly at me. I get mesmerized by the beauty in her skin. I know she was made for something special.”

Edited By Eliza Murphy

‘I rushed to the hospital. ‘I’ve never seen anything like this,’ the surgeon said. Our pregnancy checkup had gone well. There was never a reason to believe something was wrong. Our excitement turned to disbelief.’

“Her skin was pulled so tightly that her eyelids had flipped inside out. We were informed her limbs could suddenly detach on their own. Every day, we faced a new challenge.”

Edited By Megan Kujawa

‘His skull looked as thin as a piece of paper. We were given the option to terminate at 7 months pregnant. He’s not dead yet.’

“The next day I got the call. ‘Jessica, can you come into the doctor’s office tonight?’ I was just heading out the door for work, but she said, ‘Jessica, you need to come in now please’.”

Edited By LJ Herman

‘Her skin hardened within seconds. It began to split. My husband’s silence scared me.’: Mom says daughter born with Harlequin Ichthyosis is ‘beauty in the purest form’

“He told me, ‘Jennie, I looked in her eyes, and she has the most beautiful soul.’ Broken is the only way to describe the feeling as they placed her in my arms. They had never seen anything like this. She was fine; everything was perfect, and then it wasn’t. But Anna was meant for me, and I for her, and together, we will show the world what true beauty is.”

Edited By Eliza Murphy

‘I’ve never heard of that.’ The attending physician didn’t know what it was. I don’t think I slept for more than an hour that night. ‘Will he be OK?’: Mom births rainbow baby with CMTC, ‘He doesn’t let his difference keep him down’

“Before I knew it, at least 20 different people were in the room. Doctors, nurses, and students got to see my newborn baby before I did. My husband slowly told me, ‘Honey, there’s something wrong with his leg.’ I’m sorry, WHAT? His skin was purple and black, marbled down his whole right leg.”

Edited By Eliza Murphy

‘It is not my job to be a decoration at the beach’: Strangers unite to write ‘hurtful words’ on each other to ‘wash away’ negativity, celebrate their ‘bikini bodies’

“We found there is a common bond, among every single one of us, regardless of body type, that we have been shamed by others, and it was time to wash those words away.”

Edited By Eliza Murphy