An Emirati woman suffering from vitiligo, a skin disorder, is going all out to raise awareness about the condition in a bid to help others deal with it.
Vitiligo is a disease in which the pigment cells of the skin, melanocytes, are destroyed in certain areas, leading to white patches on different parts of the body.
The condition can leave people with emotional trauma, depression and low self-esteem.
Helping others
Nadine Khalifa Al Maskari, 29 – who first noticed discolouration in her skin when she was just 13 – recently took to social media to talk about her condition and encourage others like her to come to terms with it.
A degree holder in arts and design, Nadine said her Instagram account @adappledlife has received an overwhelming response.
She said, “The hardest part about vitiligo is accepting the condition. As a child I didn’t really take note of my vitiligo as the patches on my skin were small and barely noticeable. It only began to bother me in my early 20s when the white patches started spreading on my hands, feet and elbows. My nieces would ask me why my skin looked this way. When I walked on the street, people would stare at me. Dealing with all this was not easy.” But Nadine said she began accepting her condition two years ago.
Felt liberated
“I felt liberated. Yes I have vitiligo, but it doesn’t make me less beautiful. I started looking at my skin in a more positive way and felt content with my life.
“I knew there were others feeling miserable like me and I wanted to reach out to them and comfort them.
“When you go online and read about vitiligo, it can be very scary. You see pictures of people with huge pigment loss all over their body and it can bring one’s morale down. I knew my Instagram handle had to inspire people, not scare them,” she said.
Negative emotions
Nadine, who shares her experience on Instagram, talks of how she feels really low on some days and what she does to overcome the negative emotions.
“I love to draw and paint and that is what I do on my skin. I have turned my skin into a canvas. The result is that my skin looks so beautiful and gives hope to people with vitiligo. They don’t have to look bad.”
Nadine said she has over 700 followers who include both those with and without vitiligo and appreciate the artistic approach I have taken to dealing with the condition.
“One person told me she was feeling very low one day thinking about her pigment loss. But my Instagram handle made her feel better. People love the artwork on my hands and feet as well,” Nadine added.
She said her main goal is to make others feel confident under their skin. “I don’t want people with vitiligo to be bullied or looked down upon. I want to inspire people through my artistic pictures and hope they will gradually learn to love their skin and body.”
