Since the age of 12, Ash Soto has suffered from vitiligo. This autoimmune dermatological disease is characterized by the appearance of lighter spots on the skin: around 1% of the French population suffers from it, women and men, the elderly and babies.
People with vitiligo produce abnormal antibodies that directly attack melanocytes (cells in the epidermis) and block their action, thus preventing melanogenesis (or melanin production). As a result, the epidermis is covered with hypopigmented “spots”: well-defined whitish patches devoid of pigment, especially in the joints.
First embarrassed by her illness (often considered, wrongly, as linked to a lack of hygiene or considered contagious), the young American decided to accept herself as she was in 2016. On her Instagram account (@ radiantbambi), there are now many photos where his vitiligo is highlighted.
“I accept my difference and I love it”
The 21-year-old young woman notably traces the outlines of her plates to draw a giant map of the world on her body… An initiative body positive which reminds us of the one, conducted in May 2014, by the model Chantelle Brown-Young: the muse of the Desigual brand had published photos where she fully assumed her vitiligo.
“Beauty begins when you decide to accept yourself as you are,” Ash Soto explains on his Instagram. I accept my difference, I love it more and more every day. We say “yes”!
To read :
Vitiligo: a still poorly understood disease
Light or dark eyes: what they reveal about your health
#inmyskiniwin: a hashtag to raise awareness of dermatological disorders
Are tattoos dangerous for the skin?
