10 beautiful women with vitiligo, photographed by a photographer with the same condition

Elizabeth Van Alderen achieved a lot. After graduating from the Utrecht School of Art, she applied to the photography department of the Fotovakschool in Amsterdam. Since then, she has worked in the fashion industry as a stylist and art director but eventually quit her job in pursuit of her dreams of becoming a photographer. However, about 8 years ago, when she was 25 years old, something appeared that tried to slow Elizabeth down. Vitiligo. A condition in which a lack of melanin results in white patches on the skin.

“I got tiny white spots on my left arm,” Elizabeth said. “After a few weeks, the small spots turned into one larger spot. That's when it all started. Today 60% of my skin is covered with vitiligo. "

Most people who live with vitiligo have these spots on several areas of their bodies.

10 PHOTOS

1. “When I was diagnosed, I started skin therapy: creams, brightening therapy, gluten-free diet, vegetarian diet, no sun, lots of suns, yoga. I've tried everything, ”Elizabeth said.

2. “Nothing worked. In the end, I stopped these procedures because I didn't want my life to be like this. I couldn't change the fact that I have vitiligo, so I started taking it. "

3. The photographer thinks she has vitiligo for a reason. "This is my biggest and most difficult path of self-acceptance."

4. The photographer thinks she has vitiligo for a reason. "This is my biggest and most difficult path of self-acceptance."

5. “During my daily work as a photographer, people asked me a lot of questions about my skin. It got me thinking: why not use these two experiences, photography and my skin condition? Photography is a great way to document the body of vitiligo. It is an ode to his beauty and uniqueness. "

6. Elizabeth called her project "Shades of the Pale" and set out to spread awareness of this condition. “About 60 million people worldwide suffer from vitiligo, but there are many people who do not know what it is,” she explained. “I also want to tell the story of strong women who embrace their beauty, which in this case sets them apart from others. I want to show women who love their skin.

7. I don't want people to see vitiligo as bad. When it comes to beauty, I believe that there is no bad thing. All kinds of beauty must be all-encompassing. Beauty can be what you want. "

8. “I have photographed women from all over the world who come in a wide variety of shapes and colors,” said Elizabeth. “Age ranges from 20 to 50 years. For them, this experience was not only a way of self-expression. He was also incredibly therapeutic. About 90% of them were not in front of the camera. They really went out of their comfort zone.

9. It is very pleasant that the photo session has contributed to their self-confidence. For many of the women I have photographed, it has been a process of healing and acceptance. It's great that there is such a large social media community that I was able to connect with all these wonderful people. It has been such a positive journey for me and for those I have filmed. "

10. There is still no known way to prevent or cure the disease. Doctors usually suggest using cosmetics and corticosteroid creams to improve the appearance of the affected skin. Other common solutions include re-pigmentation of white skin using ultraviolet light therapy, or skin lightening in intact areas, or a skin graft.