I was born with vitiligo, and since I was a child, I’ve always been scared. I spent a lot of my time hiding and didn’t really like meeting new people. I felt so shy, with this constant feeling that someone was always watching me. It was just a nervous way to live. In school, I used to cover up my arms or my face whenever a patch was showing. I was always worried that people would ask questions, or laugh, or judge me. Some of them actually did.
But over time, it slowly started to spread more. It appeared on my face, hands, legs, back, and even my stomach. Now my whole body is covered. It isn’t uneven anymore; I don’t look patchy now. It’s just complete vitiligo everywhere. And the strange thing is, I feel much more confident. It’s not because my skin is even now, or because it looks “better.” It’s because the people around me never made me feel like I was different. They never used big words to tell me I was “special” or “unique.” They just treated me like a normal, regular person, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. I love that so much.
Nowadays, I don’t hide. I don’t force myself to wear full-sleeved shirts in the summer just to cover my skin. I laugh more, I go out more, and I feel normal. Sometimes, I even feel pretty.
The last time I remember, a little boy on the train looked at me and said, “Mummy, look, this person looks like a cow.” Honestly, it was funny. I didn’t even feel bad. It felt… cute 
So yeah, this is me. I’m not hiding anymore.
