Alba Parejo was born with over 500 birthmarks on her body and was brutally bullied as a child. Now, at 16 years old, Alba has found success and happiness by learning to love her skin condition, and the beautiful girl is encouraging others to do the same.
The Barcelona native suffers from a rare form of the skin disease called melanocytic nevus, which caused large moles and dark patches of skin to form all over her body and face. She had surgery to correct several areas as an infant, which has left her with major scarring. Though her peers called her a 'monster' and relentlessly tortured her, she bravely decided to pursue a modeling career with her unconventional beauty.
Alba's beautiful photos have been featured on the cover of a local magazine, and she has done a number of professional photoshoots. She's also campaigning for self-love, and spreading awareness of others living with skin disease. "I feel much more body positive and am trying to make my disease more well known in order to help other people," the photo model wrote on a personal page.
This is Alba Parejo, a 16-year-old who was born with large birthmarks all over her body
Image credits: Sonia and Andrés Burgos
She suffers from congenital melanocytic nevus, a rare disease that caused her to have over 500 of these marks
Image credits: Àngel Carbonell
Children with CMN are born with large, dark patches of skin that form 'satellite' moles across their bodies as Alba pictured here
Image credits: Alba Parejo
She underwent 30 surgeries to correct parts of her skin as an infant, and now has large areas of scarring
Image credits: Alba Parejo
As a child, Alba was horribly bullied, with her peers calling her a 'monster' and 'dalmation'
Image credits: Alba Parejo
After years of struggling, she bravely decided to share her story and bare her skin to the world
Image credits: Alba Parejo
People responded very positively and she gained the courage to enter a modeling competition to become the public face for an empowerment campaign
Image credits: Alba Parejo
Now Alba is a model featured on billboards, buses and in newspapers
Image credits: Sonia and Andrés Burgos
"I feel much more body positive and am trying to make my disease more well known... to help other people" She wrote online
Image credits: Àngel Carbonell
She uses hashtags like #bareyourbirthmark on Instagram, encouraging others to embrace their skin
Image credits: Àngel Carbonell
Alba just keeps rising above her difficulties and empowering others, and we hope she never stops
Image credits: Alba Parejo