Teenage worries about poor skin, crooked teeth, or obesity might last a lifetime. Stephanie Yashimura was able to transform what she was once ashamed of into something she is now proud of. Furthermore, she began to profit from it.

She became aware of a white spot near her eye when she was 14 years old.

When she went to the doctor, she discovered that her black skin would change. And a location was only the beginning. This condition is known as vitiligo.

This chronic condition is highly rare and is caused by a lack of skin pigment cells (melanocytes). It affects just about 2% of the population.

Stephanie was initially quite insecure and wore clothing that disguised the parts of the skin where the dreaded spots were beginning to develop. After six years, 80% of her skin’s pigmentation had faded. The girl’s reluctance to accept such an outcome pushed her to go to extreme measures, bleaching portions of swarthy skin. The treatment was successful, but the child knew she was losing a piece of herself.

At some point, she decided to go along with this feature, and in 2020, by serendipity, she was scouted by a makeup artist. The girl was scared, but still decided to take a photo shoot.

The photos were accepted by the public with a bang, which gave Stephanie confidence and encouraged her to even think of herself as a model.

Later, she launched her blog on Instagram, the purpose of which is to help others accept themselves.

“I hope my example will help people to accept themselves and be happy here and now,” writes the young girl.