Chantelle Brown-Young, or professionally known as Winnie Harlow has shed light in a skin condition that most people become ashamed of. She has proven that beauty comes in various shapes and sizes as she lands in 6th place in the twenty-first cycle of America's Next Top Model. Apparently, she has vitiligo.
Vitiligo is a skin condition that leads to loss of skin color in blotches. It can affect most parts of the body wherein patches of lighter skin color appear. It is caused by an autoimmune response of the body against melanoche ytes, cells producing melanin or pigment of the hair and skin.
The American Academy of Dermatology reports that vitiligo is not contagious and life-threatening. However, it can be life-altering because it leads to low self-esteem among those affected by the disease.
Winnie was diagnosed with vitiligo when she was just four years old. She was a victim of verbal abuse and bullying by other kids. She always changed schools because of her inability to cope with bullying as others call her a cow or zebra. Finally, she has decided to drop out of school when she was 16. She had suicidal thoughts and one day, she just accepted her appearance and did not care what others say.
In 2013, she was discovered after a YouTube personality saw her photos and asked her for a photo shoot. She then joined America's Next Top Model and things changed after the show. She was offered modeling stints for various companies and in 2015, she was chosen by Diesel.
She has become an inspiration for many individuals who are also suffering from vitiligo. According to NY Daily News, the fashion world has been openly blamed for various conditions like eating disorders, thinness, color discrimination and other expectations on women. However, the industry is now opening its doors to individuals with unique conditions.
Her image has inspired many people. In fact, a lot of women has been copying her pigments and posted them on social media sites. Though it garnered a lot of negative criticisms, she defended her fans that this is not something against people with vitiligo, but something to open the minds of people regarding the condition.
