Ash Soto discovered he had vitiligo at the age of 12. After a young woman asked him if he had taken a bleach bath, he was embarrassed by the rapidly spreading vitiligo, a chronic (long-term) autoimmune disease that causes areas of skin to lose their pigment and color. This happens when melanocytes, the skin’s pigment-producing cells, are attacked and destroyed, causing the skin to turn milky. The young woman, now 21 years old, is no longer ashamed and even enjoys the color of her skin.
In her late teens, Soto decided that the color of her skin would no longer stop her from achieving her goals. He started challenging himself every day, for example going out in public without a long-sleeved shirt. But it wasn’t until she started doing body art that she finally came to terms with her skin condition.
He began by drawing a border around the white space and soon found he had created a map of the world. I didn’t realize how great my vitiligo was until I traced it with a black marker and saw the different colors come out. After overcoming many obstacles, Soto’s body became a work of art.
It really helps bring out the different tones in my skin,” Soto told the Daily Mail. “I felt so beautiful until I circled my vitiligo with a black marker. What was once despised is now admired and appreciated more than ever for its unique qualities. ” Now she paints her body to look like several works of art, including Van Gogh’s Starry Night, and she has no intention of stopping. What was once looked down upon is now admired?
For more info find her on Instagram(h/t)
Soto discovered he had vitiligo at the age of 12
A rare skin disease had been led to widespread pigment loss and make white patches
Her teen years were spent with a lot of bullying as the vitiligo spread the most
After being bullied Soto felt too ashamed of her skin and she used to avoid showing her body in public
Lately, she started doing body art, and she used her natural color differences for those arts
After drawing lines around the white patches Soto discovered that it looked like a world map
“I will continue creating different pieces of art with my skin and hope it inspires others in the process”
