“The worst thing I’ve heard is, ‘Don’t let anyone see your back because no one wants an ugly girlfriend.'”
Alba Parejo is a stunning 16-year-old beauty from Barcelona, Spain. She recently won a modeling contest to become the face of the body positive campaign, and can now be seen in magazines, on billboards, and on buses across Spain.
But the teenager admits she wasn’t always confident about her appearance. Parejo was born with a melanocytic nevus, a condition that causes brown birthmarks and dark spots on the skin.
“I have birthmarks on my hips, buttocks and thighs, and over 500 moles all over my body,” the model said in an interview with Caters News Agency.
By the age of five, Parejo had already undergone 30 surgeries to remove parts of the birthmark because it was so painful.
According to Nevus Outreach, some of the affected skin can be uncomfortable: The skin over the birthmark may itch and be more fragile and prone to tearing than other skin that isn’t affected by the birthmark.
After the operation, Parejo had to deal with visible bruising as well as scars from the operation. Growing up, he was laughed at mercilessly, called everything from a dalmatian to an alien, and asked if he had paint on his skin.
“I realized people were staring at me because of my skin and it made me feel bad. Strangers looking at me as if I was a monster,” she said in the interview.
“The worst thing I’ve heard is, ‘Don’t let anyone see your back because no one wants an ugly girlfriend.'”
As a child, she was ashamed to show her skin to others – she longed to be “normal” and would spend days crying and wishing she was someone else.
She endured years of treatment and support from family and friends before finally learning to love herself and embrace her in her own skin.
“Over time, I’ve realised that my moles, scars and birthmarks are a big part of me, both physically and emotionally,” she said.
The story continues
Last year, the girl was tired of being a victim: She posted a photo of her bruises online, after which she received hundreds of retweets, more than 1,500 likes, and supportive comments from people around the world who likened her to everything from a beautiful galaxy to a work of art.
“We are all born different, and just because certain people are born different than others doesn’t make us lesser,” she said on Instagram.
Encouraged by this positive support, she entered a modelling contest and won. Now she is the face of the Anekbrau shopping centre, has appeared on the cover of Anekbrau magazine and has since landed jobs with other photographers.
She is working to feel more positive about her body and raise awareness of her condition to help others.
“What’s the use of being scared? What’s the use of looking down every time a teenager walks past you? What’s the use of not doing anything because you’re scared of what other people will think? It’s not worth it. So I love myself and I love the skin I’m in,” she said.
Large congenital birthmarks occur in 1 in 20,000 births. Birthmarks form in the womb within the first 3 months of pregnancy and are caused by defects during fetal development.
It is not hereditary, there is currently no known way to prevent it, and it can affect men, women and people of all races.