An incredible example of how to learn to love our differences
Ash Soto was diagnosed with vitiligo when he was 12 years old. As her vitiligo began to spread, she began to feel ashamed of her skin, especially after a girl asked if she had showered with bleach.
“I didn’t know how to react because I didn’t know what vitiligo was or what would happen to me,” Ash said in an interview with A Plus. “I remember my mother sitting there crying and I was just sitting there, confused and scared. I didn’t know how much my life would change from that moment on.”
Now this beautiful 21-year-old is not only not ashamed, but proud of her skin.
In her teens, Ash decided she wouldn’t let her skin hold her back anymore, so she began facing daily challenges like walking in public without a long-sleeved shirt, until the challenges led her to turn her body into beautiful works of art.
“I never realized how beautiful my vitiligo was until I traced it over with a black marker, it really helps bring out the different colors in my skin,” Ash told the Daily Mail.
Now, she’s made her body look like many different pieces of art, including Van Gogh’s Starry Night, and she doesn’t plan on stopping! “I have now turned what others would perceive as imperfection into something more beautiful and have helped make it more accepted than it was before.”
Vitiligo is a rare skin disease that causes loss of pigment, leaving large white patches all over the body. In 40% of cases, vitiligo is hereditary, but what is inherited is the genetic predisposition itself, not the disease itself.
During Ash’s teenage years, the vitiligo became more widespread and the criticism began.
“I excluded myself from everything and everyone. I tried to be happy and smile, but over time I was filled with self-hatred and stopped doing the things I loved,” Sotoa told A Plus. “It was so bad, I couldn’t even look people in the eye and I just wanted to be locked up all the time. I developed anxiety and depression.”
After a girl asked Ash if he had showered in bleach, Ash felt too ashamed of her skin and decided not to show anything in public.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but vitiligo also causes certain spots on your hair to grow gray and that happened to me, so I was challenged to see how my physical appearance changed. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through,” she said in her interview for A Plus. “I remember seeing girls in magazines or on social media and I was so jealous because they had perfect skin and I didn’t.”
“I was so shocked that someone would say something like that to me, to the point where I cried and cried, and I didn’t want to have this disease again,” Soto said.
However, in his teens, Ash forced himself to do these little challenges, like walking in public in a short-sleeved shirt.
“I remember writing on a piece of paper every day and telling myself that I am beautiful, that I am strong and that I am enough,” she told A Plus. “I told myself that I didn’t have to meet society’s standards to be beautiful and unique. I started challenging myself by doing things I wouldn’t do, like going out without a sweater or wearing shorts. I let go of all those negative thoughts and just started looking at life with a positive perspective.”
But it wasn’t until she started doing body art that she learned to love the condition of her skin, and her Instagram account played a big part in that.
At first she made an account to post self-portraits that showed off her impressive makeup skills, but hid her vitiligo, until the day came when she decided to show her followers a photo revealing her condition.
“The thought of sharing my entire image on social media was paralyzing. We have all experienced or seen how cruel people can be, especially behind the security of a keyboard,” Ash Soto told A Plus. “It took me a long time to share my true self. I decided to post it when I felt I was strong enough and mentally capable of handling the backlash, in whatever form it came.”
The reaction he received was overwhelmingly positive. Many people reached out to share their own experiences with vitiligo or their struggle with body image issues in general. The supportive response was enough to encourage Ash to share more photos showing her vitiligo.
He started by drawing around the white patches and saw that the strokes resembled a world map.
“I never realized how beautiful my vitiligo was until I traced it with a black marker; It really helps bring out the different colors of my skin.”
“I will continue to create different pieces of art with my skin and hopefully inspire others in the process.”
According to her own words, at only 21 years old, this woman has managed to turn what others perceived as an imperfection into beautiful lines of a work in progress that makes her feel completely proud.
“I want to continue to raise awareness about vitiligo and the importance of body positivity. I hope to continue doing what I’m doing now, which is inspiring others to accept themselves for who they are,” Ash said in his interview for A Plus.
“Each of us has a life to live and the things that set us apart are what make us special. The only person who has to accept and love you is you. Beauty standards in our society are unattainable for most. These standards should not be your goal, but acceptance of the things that make you imperfect should be your main focus. Self love is the best love, always remember that “
Source and contribution: Nation