At first, when I got questions about my vitiligo, I was embarrassed that people were calling attention to my skin disorder. However, I soon understood that it’s natural for people to be curious about something or someone else who looks different from them. I soon started to answer questions about my vitiligo without shame in an effort to educate them. I thought that if someone didn’t know about vitiligo, I could be the one to raise awareness about this condition. Most people that I encountered were genuinely curious about my vitiligo when asking questions. I could tell that they weren’t trying to be mean. However, when I went out in public, people would stare at me or look at me with pity. I didn’t mind when younger kids did that, because I knew that they were young and innocent and couldn’t help but be curious. However, when older people stared at me or looked at me in disgust, that made me feel bad because I knew that adults should behave more politely than kids. People also pitied me, which I didn’t like, because, objectively speaking, the only thing that made me different from them was my auto-immune disorder resulting in two different shades of skin. I wanted to be treated like everyone else. I had a hard time fitting in with people or crowds that didn’t know me; so I tended to wear hoodies to cover part of my face or I would sweep my hair over my face so that people wouldn’t see the vitiligo. I just wanted my vitiligo to go away quickly and I was frustrated that I was making very little progress with my treatments.
My Vitiligo Journey 
This is well-researched and well-articulated. Priyanka, thanks for sharing your personal story. While someone going through the same experience could look up multiple sites and gather information on the internet, there is always value to being able to access reliable, first-hand information. Your personal story informs, educates and helps the vitiligo community. Great job!! Thank you.
LikeLike