My name is Ruth Akinwole. I was eight years old when I first noticed the changes on my face. At the time, I did not really understand what was happening. My parents thought it was eczema and believed that, eventually, it would leave my face. So, as a child, I did not have a particular reaction to it. I simply continued with my life.
As I grew older, I began to understand that my skin was changing in a way that made me different from the people around me. The comments started in primary school. One memory that has stayed with me is from Primary 5. One of my classmates started calling me “Coke and Fanta” because of the different colours on my skin. Every time he called me that, I became angry. I did not understand why something I had never chosen had become something other people could use to make fun of me.
One day, out of anger, I told him that what had happened to me would also happen to him. I was simply a child trying to defend myself from words that hurt me. I did not know how to process what I was experiencing or how to respond to the attention my skin was receiving.
Coke and Fanta is not the only name I was called. People also accused me of bleaching my skin. I was referred to as “Ojuju Calabar” and “half-caste.” Though these terms were often used in jest, they affected me deeply. What has developed on my skin is vitiligo.
Vitiligo affected my confidence throughout my primary and secondary education and even into my National Diploma years. There were times when my self-esteem was very low. Whenever I was going out, I would try every possible means to cover my face with scarves. I did not want people staring at me or asking questions. Most of all, I did not want to feel like my skin was the first thing people noticed about me.
For a long time, I struggled with being that different. Then social media changed something for me. I began seeing people online who also had vitiligo. For the first time, I was seeing people with skin like mine confidently showing themselves to the world. They were not hiding their faces behind scarves. They were living fully like everyone else.
That representation meant something to me. I began sharing vitiligo awareness online, and slowly, I started becoming more comfortable with myself. But even then, I would not say that I had completely found my confidence.
My real confidence came when I stopped being shy. I started attending events. I became more comfortable around people. I could relate to people easily and strike up conversations without constantly worrying about how they saw me. I was no longer the person who allowed the opinions of other people to determine how I felt about myself.
Today, I feel happy and excited about having a different skin tone. My vitiligo makes me unique, and I have come to see that uniqueness as part of my beauty. The same skin that once made me feel different is now one of the things that makes me proud of who I am.
My experience has also given me a reason to speak for others. Many people are living with vitiligo but have very low confidence. Some may be experiencing the same kind of comments and judgement that I experienced growing up. Some may be hiding because they have not yet seen enough people who look like them confidently living their lives.
That is one of the reasons I started my advocacy. This is why I am sharing my journey and experience. I believe awareness and representation can make a difference. Sometimes, seeing someone who has the same skin condition as you confidently showing up can remind you that you are not alone. You can still attend events, meet people, have conversations, build a career and pursue the things you love. You do not have to wait until everyone understands your skin before you start accepting yourself.
Today, I want everyone living with vitiligo to know one important thing: you are beautiful and unique. Your skin does not diminish your worth. You do not have to hide because your appearance is different. You don’t need to spend your life trying to fit into someone else’s definition of beauty.
I spent many years feeling shy about something I never chose. Today, I choose to embrace my skin. I choose to see the beauty in being different. Most importantly, I choose to use my story to remind someone else that they can do the same.
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