Most of us were not very happy with the changes that took place in our teenage years—pimples, transforming body and whatnot. Though change is not bad in and of itself, it causes issues that are very hard to deal with when one's a teen. It creates self-confidence, self-acceptance issues and a whole plethora of other problems. Most of us had these challenges when we were growing up; however, some had it worse than others.
Stephanie Yashimura was 14 at the time she spotted a white spot around her eye. It concerned her, so she went to a doctor. The doctor had some uncomfortable news: she was diagnosed with vitiligo, a skin condition which depletes melanin and causes the white spots to occur, and it's very hard to reverse. And so began Stephanie's unexpected journey of self-acceptance and body positivity.
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Meet Stephanie Yashimura, a girl from Rio De Janeiro with vitiligo who took up modeling to regain her self-confidence
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
She found a white spot around her eye when she was 14, and was soon diagnosed with vitiligo by a doctor
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
Vitiligo is a disease which causes a lack of pigment called melanin, which makes white patches appear on the skin
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
As a teenager, Stephanie was very self-conscious. She wore long-sleeved clothing to avoid drawing attention
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
She tried curing her vitiligo with all kinds of remedies, but to no avail
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
By 20, 80 percent of her skin had lost its pigment
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
At one point, she decided to fast-forward her vitiligo to complete the transition from one skin tone to another
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
"I underwent treatment to accelerate the disease and I went all white! Yes, I was dark and the stains were what was left of my birth color. I realized that it had been silly not to show me more with the stains, the way I really am."
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
But she realized that she’d be erasing a part of her own identity, so she decided to keep her dark spots
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
In 2020, Stephanie was approached by a famous local makeup artist who invited her to a photoshoot. She reluctantly agreed
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
The positive encouragement gave her confidence and motivation to pursue modeling
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
She began posting pictures of herself online to help others suffering from vitiligo
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
"Today I am happy, secure, I feel beautiful and I want to be an example for those who are discovering vitiligo now to accept and be happy with themselves."
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
She’s now very proud of who she is and is inspiring not only those who suffer from vitiligo, but from self-confidence issues in general
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
Stephanie, who works as a radiology technician, is 28 years old now, and it's been 14 years ever since her diagnosis. She's a completely different person now compared to then, but not because of her looks only. She managed to positively change the way she perceives herself and her condition, and took up modeling to encourage others who struggle with similar issues.
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
Stephanie changed her life around from shying away to showing off her unique looks
Image credits: stephanieyashimura
Image credits: stephanieyashimura