Six Women on Unique Beauty and Feeling Seen

"I genuinely thought I'm the only person in the whole world with psoriasis because I never saw anyone who had it." Michelle used to compare herself to others and strive for a ‘picture perfect’ feed. Now, she’s a proud and passionate psoriasis advocate, raising awareness of her condition – and showing others that they have nothing to hide."

"I feel good that I'm able to wake up every day and just embrace who I am. I'm not having to compare myself with other people. Cheryl was born with a skin lesion called congenital melanocytic nevus, and used to hide her skin from the world. Now, she’s learnt to embrace beauty, and everything that makes her unique. By not hiding who she really is, she hopes to set an example for the next generation."

"It's very important to be unapologetically you because in the midst of the world that we live in and society, it's just always important to find a home in yourself. Joanne is a model who has albinism. She grew up saying the worst possible things to herself, so the words of bullies couldn’t touch her. Now, it’s another story. She’s owning her uniqueness, being herself unapologetically and finally feeling at home in her skin."

"It's definitely just taking time to pause and not compare … you can be so absorbed in what everybody else is doing on social media that you forget about all the small achievements that you've made. Raiche is a burns survivor and ambassador for the Scar Free Foundation. For her, meeting other kids with burns helped her feel seen and less alone. Now, she’s inspiring others to embrace differences too, because they are a part of what makes us unique and beautiful."

"I think being confident in my own skin is setting an example for my son. Angela is a model, but for her, body acceptance didn't come easily. She used to paint her face with foundation to cover 'every patch' of her vitiligo. Now, she’s most confident in front of the camera, inspiring others to be themselves – beautiful, just the way they are."

"I've learnt to be more self-aware and I think I've learnt that everyone has got their own worries, everyone has got their own insecurities, whether you can see it from the outside or not. Isobel-Rose has had alopecia since she was 6 years old and always used to wear hats and wigs. The moment when she first felt seen was ‘ripping off’ her wig while playing with a childhood friend. Now, she’s overcome her insecurities and knows that who she is, is more than enough."