Shaun Ross is a model. At only 22 years old, this African-American is already a fashion figure: we have seen him alongside stars such as Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey and Katy Perry, or even on the cover of the famous magazine vogue. But Shaun Ross has a particularity: he is albino.
Albinism is a genetic particularity which affects approximately 1 in 20,000 babies and which results in dermatological symptoms: children are born with a very light, almost white skin and hair color, due to the absence of melanin.
To raise public awareness of albinism, Shaun Ross then decided to launch the hashtag #inmyskiniwin (“my skin, my victory”, in French). “In some African countries (in Tanzania, for example), albinos are still hunted, like animals” recalled the young man.
Soon, the “hashtag” went viral on Twitter and Instagram: personalities as well as strangers seized on it to raise public awareness of their various dermatological disorders. Thus, the model Leonie Timothy (affected by vitiligo, a condition that causes discolored “patches” on the skin) didn’t hesitate to post a photo of herself, marked with the characteristic #inmyskiniwin. Just like other anonymous people with albinism or other dermatoses. A great initiative that should boost the self-esteem of all patients with a skin disease!
Dermographism: another poorly understood dermatological disorder.
