The Confidence I Found Through Living With Vitiligo

Alicia, 24, can’t remember a time when she didn’t have vitiligo.

She was just 2 years old when her mother noticed several spots on her skin that quickly spread across her entire body. Her mom took her to a research center at UCLA, where doctors ran tests and took blood samples. They ultimately diagnosed Alicia with vitiligo, but sent her mother home with more questions than answers.

That uncertainty made her mom fear vitiligo and view it as something Alicia needed to get rid of. Alicia remembers her mother desperately trying to “fix” her skin, while her parents spent time and money on approaches that didn’t work.

“My parents were convinced [my vitiligo] would be detrimental to my life,” Alicia explains. “Some of my earliest memories were of wondering what was wrong with me.”

By elementary school, other kids had started commenting on her skin. Between her parents’ disappointment and her peers’ teasing, Alicia couldn’t catch a break. “I would cry in the mornings getting dressed because my mom would try to put me in shorts or short sleeves on a sunny California day, and I wanted to hide my skin.”

Eventually, Alicia’s mom realized how much her approach was affecting her daughter. She began giving Alicia positive affirmations each morning and teaching her that other people’s reactions to her skin reflected them, not her.

Over time, those affirmations helped Alicia see herself in a new light and embrace what made her different. By fifth grade, she was wore shorts to school without a second thought — and even educated her classmates about vitiligo.

That didn’t mean the bullying stopped. In high school, rumors spread that Alicia was an acid burn victim. At pools and beaches, strangers openly stared at her. The stares haven’t stopped, but Alicia’s response to them has changed.

“I realized that my life, and others’ perception of vitiligo, was somewhat within my control, and this realization became a source of confidence for me,” Alicia explains. “There was no real reason for me to feel insecure, ashamed, or embarrassed outside of the fact that that’s the social stigma people have created about [vitiligo].”

Today, Alicia is a model, motivational speaker, and women’s health and wellness coach. Breaking into the beauty industry wasn’t easy — she heard plenty of no’s before getting her first “yes” — but she eventually found brands and companies that shared her vision. Through her platform, That Spotted Chick, she challenges stereotypes and highlights the beauty of vitiligo.

While Alicia has become a powerful voice in the vitiligo community, she admits she still has moments of self-doubt. What keeps her going are the emails and IRL “thank yous” she receives from people with vitiligo who tell her she has inspired them to find their own confidence.

“I don’t just aim to increase representation and try to help people ‘accept’ or ‘get by’ living with vitiligo,” she explains. “I teach people how to love and embrace exactly who they have been made to be.”

Alicia’s path to confidence took years, but experts say you can start building it now — wherever you are in your journey.

If You’re Living With Vitiligo, These Expert-Backed Tips Can Boost Your Confidence, Too

Feeling good in your skin can be complicated when you have a visible condition like vitiligo. Because our appearance plays a major role in how we see ourselves, vitiligo can make it easy to reduce your identity to your appearance, says Aliyah Price-Perry, a licensed social worker (LSW) and therapist at Serenium Therapy and Wellness.

Confidence comes from recognizing yourself as a whole person, Price-Perry explains, with vitiligo as just one part of your lived experience.

“Building confidence starts with yourself,” says Samantha Hill, LCSW and therapist at Octave. It comes from an internal understanding of your sense of self, values, and needs.

Here are five expert-backed ways to build confidence while living with vitiligo:

1. Find Community

Connecting with people who share your experiences can be validating and affirming, Price-Perry explains. Look for formal support groups, online communities, and one-on-one connections with people who understand what you’re going through.

2. Practice Physical Self-Care

Price-Perry recommends caring for your body as a reminder that it’s more than its appearance — it’s your home. Whether that means strength training, scheduling your yearly physical, or sticking to a nightly skin care routine, self-care can help you practice self-respect and appreciation for your body.

3. Practice Graded Exposure

If certain public situations make you uncomfortable, start small — like standing in front of a mirror — and gradually expose yourself to different social settings to build comfort and confidence, Hill says.

4. Find Inspiration In Others

Hill recommends following uplifting individuals on social media who have vitiligo, like Alicia and fashion model Winnie Harlow. Seeing real examples of what it means to love yourself, break down barriers, and find success can be motivating.

5. Seek Professional Guidance

If confidence still feels out of reach, Hill recommends working with a therapist who has experience supporting people with chronic and visible conditions. They can offer tools, advice, and perspective to help you work through whatever is holding you back.

Presented by BDG Studios