There are stories waiting to be told, to inspire and to warm our hearts. Sometimes, a simple tale can change the paths of our lives and motivate us to do better. Amidst a pandemic that vacillates between negative emotions and positive epiphanies, Aastha Shah’s sconces of radiating content lit up our spirit in the worst of days. A financial analyst and a digital content creator, Shah has been confidently speaking about her skin condition and inspiring people to shatter beauty stereotypes and define their own ‘perfect’.
We spoke to Shah about her vitiligo journey and how she transformed as a person to love herself unconditionally. Here are the excerpts.
HC: What Is Vitiligo?
AS: I was around eight years old when I first got diagnosed with a skin condition named Vitiligo. Vitiligo is a skin condition in which the cells which give colour to your skin—they are known as melanocytes—stop functioning. For example, if they stop functioning in one part of your body, that part becomes white. It loses pigment.
HC: Did Growing Up With Vitiligo Impact Your Self-Image?
AS: My life was literally going to school, coming back home, going to doctors, coming back and sleeping. People used to stare at me even when I was walking on the road and in school, I remember someone just came and told me that, ‘I’m not going to sit next to you in the exam because you have disgusting skin.’ I was called Dalmatian dog…people used to be like half Indian, half American. So I did get a lot of these comments and it did hit my confidence.
HC: Tell Us About Your Journey Of Self-Love
AS: We had realised that there is no scientific cure to this. So I just went up to my dad one day and told him, ‘I cannot do this anymore. I just want to focus on myself. I want to focus on my career.’ And I actually looked at myself in the mirror and I realised that I cannot attach my self-worth to the way I look.
Sometimes I used to feel weird…should I wear shorts and you know sleeveless clothes in public? And mom used to be like, ‘Ya, you should, why not? Flaunt your skin, it’s okay. You’re not different, you’re the same, like all of us.’
In March 2021, I put a transformation reel on vitiligo—my entire transformation from when I started to right now. And that reel hit 32 million views. I realised that people are actually liking the fact that I’m talking about it, so confidently, on a public platform.
HC: What Motivates You To Post Content On Vitiligo On Social Media?
AS: There are a lot of myths around vitiligo. People think that vitiligo is cancerous, it’s contagious, it’s a disease. It’s nothing! It does not harm your internal organs. And this is why, I ever started my content creation journey—to make people realise, to make them aware about what this condition is.
HC: How Should People Not Behave With Anyone Who Has A Skin Condition?
AS: I used to just walk on the streets with shorts, sleeveless clothes…and that time people would stare at me. But I think this is what you should not do if you actually see someone with vitiligo or any other external condition. You shouldn’t be staring or going and giving opinions and suggestions about how you can get the condition cured. I know people who do not take their children out on occasions because the person has vitiligo.
HC: Can You Give Tips For Women Struggling With Self-Love?
AS: All I’d like to tell the women who are actually into their shells because they have any kind of problems in their life is…first thing is external beauty does not matter, it’s what you build internally.
Secondly, do what makes you happy. And third thing is that you do not need to look perfect for anyone. Society has a definition of ‘perfect’ but actually, there is no definition of ‘perfect’. Just be yourself. Do what you like and just build on yourself.