Many of us have birthmarks. No big deal. But many face struggles with the marks they are born with, and here are 10 stories of women who are now very proud of their birthmarks.
1. 23-year-old Lexxie Harford of Staffordshire, England, was born with a red mark on the right side of her face, and someone once told her the patch made her “too ugly to love.”
Well, that someone was just a mean, cruel person. Lexxie realized the mark made her different when she was 9 and when she became a teenager, she started covering it with makeup.
But Lexxie no longer does that. She’s even proud of that part of her and she wants to raise awareness about others with similar birthmarks.
2. In San Paulo, Brazil, Beatriz Puliese was born 22 years ago with a nevus birthmark that covers more than 80 percent of her skin. It’s a rare skin condition that affects only one in half a million people.
And it’s something that has caused her a great deal of grief in her life, with some throwing terrible and nasty remarks her way, like calling her a monkey, among others.
But today she has a boyfriend who loves her for who she is, and Beatriz, a lab assistant, couldn’t be happier, and has stopped further surgeries to alter her skin tone.
Says Beatriz: “I hope to inspire other people to embrace who they are, and to be confident in their own skin.”
3. 24-year-old Mariana Mendes of Brazille, has a very large mark on her face. And she had dealt many times with the negative comments.
But Mariana says her birthmark makes her very unique, and she loves that it makes her stand out in a crowd. And using it to make her stand out.. she does, as she shows off the real her in a bunch of modeling shots.
Says Mariana: “I feel more beautiful and totally different from other people because I have a nevus.”
4. Cassandra Naud is 24 and a professional dancer in Canada. And she has a large birthmark under her right eye, which, at casual glance, looks like someone gave her a very bad black eye.
Her parents had the option to have it removed when she was very young, but they chose not to, fearing bad scarring. And Cassandra is happy with that decision, even though she had to deal with rough comments from bullies in high school.
Says Cassandra: “Their cruel remarks were hard to deal with and I’d often fight back tears. I felt ugly – even if only for that moment.”
And now she has a boyfriend, a great time dancing, and her future is always looking brighter.
5. In North Carolina, 19-year-old Ciera Swaringen was taunted relentlessly by bullies in her school because of the hundreds of birthmarks covering her body. It was terrible. It was cruel. But Ciera endured all of it. And she came out smiling.
Says Ciera: “I’m so proud to be different and, at the end of the day, we all have something about us that’s unusual, whether it’s on the inside or the outside.”
6. Alba Parejo’s skin is jotted with spots, and she has withstood being called cruel names, including “Dalmation” and “alien.” As a youngster, mean children would point out the spots to her, and she felt like a monster.
But in 2016, she embraced her difference, and became a model. She is now featured in an empowerment campaign with her pictures on buses and billboards. Not bad, for someone who was once called an “alien.”
7. 25-year-old Kirsty Downie from Coatbridge, Scotland, also was called “Dalmation” by her classmates in school. She too, is covered head to toe in birthmark spots.
For years, she would cover her facial marks with a thick foundation. But she doesn’t do that anymore, because she has accepted the real her, and she’s proud of it.
Says Kirsty: “My spots are who I am and I love being unique. I refuse to let them hold me back.”
8. From the age of 13 on, Rachel Anderson of Las Vegas, wouldn’t leave her house without spending an hour to cover the large red mark on the left side of her face. She would often look at herself in the mirror, break down and cry. It was ugly, she thought.
But a few years back, she met a guy… a special guy… at a party, and sometime later, when she revealed her true self to him, he told her it was beautiful. Adam had given her the confidence she needed after all those years.
And now the two are married, and she no longer lets the birthmarks dictate her life. She’s got more important things to do… like a loving husband and children to raise.
9. Actress Paige Billiot also was born with a port wine colored birthmark on the left side of her face. And, like most others when she was young, it was something very hard to deal with. Bullies and all.
But now Paige has no problem showing off her difference, and she even encourages others to show their flaws, and love their flaws in a photo campaign.
By doing it, she hopes others will better accept their uniqueness.
10. It’s really not too often birthmarks are passed down, and whether or not you want to label this one a “birthmark” is entirely up to you… but it certainly IS unique.
In Ridgeland, South Carolina, 24-year-old Brianna Worthy was born with a wide white streak down the middle of her otherwise dark hair. It’s a distinctive trait caused by poliosis, where there is no pigment in the hair or skin around it.
Two years ago, Brianna gave birth to a daughter, MilliAnna, who is actually the fourth generation of the family to carry the white streak in her hair.
The little girl also has some light-colored patches around both of her legs. All in the family have embraced their uniqueness.
We are sure you enjoyed the above stories… watch for more: https://youtu.be/MOSNLtppjhE
