Curtis McDaniel, 22, from New Jersey, USA, was just 11-years-old when white speckles began to appear on his skin caused by vitiligo <\/p>\n
A MAN who was bullied for his rare skin condition has defied those who tormented him by becoming a successful magazine model. <\/p>\n
Curtis McDaniel, from New Jersey, USA, was just 11-years-old when white speckles began to appear on his skin caused by vitiligo an autoimmune disorder that stops cells from producing pigment. <\/p>\n
Caters News Agency <\/p>\n
Soon, his face and body developed large white patches and bullies labelled him zebra and Michael Jackson while kids would run away from him crying. <\/p>\n
But, when he was 17, the teen stopped seeing his condition, which affects one per cent of the worlds population, as a curse and a couple of years later he was scouted as a model after uploading a selfie. <\/p>\n
Now Curtis is a part-time model and soon he will feature on MTVs True Life show, which he hopes to use as a platform to educate others about vitiligo. <\/p>\n
Caters News Agency <\/p>\n
Caters News Agency <\/p>\n
Curtis, 22, said: I was the only person in my family to have vitiligo and took it pretty hard at school, I was bullied a lot by people for my skin. <\/p>\n
They would call me burnt lips, Michael Jackson, zebra, giraffe and people thought I was contagious I had a lot. <\/p>\n
Girls would ask if I was burned and would say Ew whenever they saw me. <\/p>\n
I was a spectacle everywhere I went, I once had kids running out of a store crying when they saw me and was called a monster. <\/p>\n
Vitiligo is a skin condition which causes patches of skin to lose their pigmentation it is causes by a lack of the pigment melanin in the skin. <\/p>\n
One percentof the population suffers from it and it affects every ethnicity and gender equally. <\/p>\n
The main symptom of vitiligo is flat, white spots or patches on your skin. <\/p>\n
Initially, the vitiligo may start as a patch of skin that is paler than the rest. Gradually, the patch will become completely white. <\/p>\n
Vitiligo does not cause discomfort to your skin, such as dryness, but patches may occasionally be itchy. <\/p>\n
If you have vitiligo, the pale areas of your skin are more vulnerable tosunburn. <\/p>\n
Treatment for vitiligo is based on improving your skins appearance, you cannot reverse the depigmentationandthe effects of treatment are not usually permanent. <\/p>\n
For smaller patches of vitiligo you may be prescribed a steroid cream, thiscan sometimes stop the spread of the patches, and may restore some of your original skin colour. <\/p>\n
Before I used to think my skin was a curse, but now I realise my skin is a gift, its allowing me to influence people. <\/p>\n
Once I had this new outlook on my skin, I stopped getting so angry and started to smile more. <\/p>\n
Before, I hated having my picture taken, so to me I never would have believed I could model. <\/p>\n
Caters News Agency <\/p>\n
Curtis suffered a deep depression for five years, while he struggled to understand why he had been affected by the condition. <\/p>\n
He said: It took over my wrists, arms, then went under my nose, around my lips and my left eyelid too. <\/p>\n
Whenever I saw a new white spot while looking in the mirror it would make me angry, once it started to affect my face I punched a mirror in anger. <\/p>\n
I was in a bad place. <\/p>\n
But, after returning to Christianity, Curtis mind-set changed, and he realised he should see his skin in a positive light. <\/p>\n
Curtis said: Its all a process, confidence isnt something you just get, youve got to look at yourself in the mirror and change your mind-set. <\/p>\n
Caters News Agency <\/p>\n
Caters News Agency <\/p>\n
Caters News Agency <\/p>\n
Skin is so materialistic, you have to love who you are. <\/p>\n
Now, Curtis models while studying and hopes that by proudly showing his skin he can inspire others with vitiligo to not hide away. <\/p>\n
Since embracing his condition, Curtishas found people are more attracted to him for both his appearance and his personality. <\/p>\n
Curtis said: Its pretty cool, people like the pattern of my skin and also the confidence I have too, I never could have imagined this would be my life now. <\/p>\n
Whenever I model or speak I dont want people to see my skin but my heart, I want them to see my heart through my skin. <\/p>\n
A lot of people have told me that when they first saw me they liked my skin but what was most attractive was reading about me as a person, thats what makes them fall in love with me. <\/p>\n
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Originally posted here:<\/p>\n
A man with vitiligo who was called 'zebra' by bullies has defied their cruel comments by becoming a model - The Sun<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Curtis McDaniel, 22, from New Jersey, USA, was just 11-years-old when white speckles began to appear on his skin caused by vitiligo A MAN who was bullied for his rare skin condition has defied those who tormented him by becoming a successful magazine model. Curtis McDaniel, from New Jersey, USA, was just 11-years-old when white speckles began to appear on his skin caused by vitiligo an autoimmune disorder that stops cells from producing pigment Continue reading