An influencer has learnt to love the large mole on her face because it ‘makes her unique’.
Mariana Mendes was born with a type of skin lesion called a congenital melanocytic naevus.
When she was growing up and sometimes teased, she was encouraged to love and accept the blemish by her mum.
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Mariana, 31, said: “When someone commented that I was ugly or talked about the birthmark in a negative way, my mum knew how to handle it and rise above the situation.
“I grew up hearing her praise me. If anyone said my face was dirty, she would make a point of saying it was precisely the birthmark that made me unique.
It was that uniqueness that led Mariana, who is from Patos de Minas, Brazil, to start modelling when she turned 18.
She now uses her profile as a model and influencer to talk about representation in fashion, as reported on What’s The Jam.
Mariana, who lives in São Paulo, said: “On social media, I came across the stories of other girls who also have birthmarks and realised everyone deals with it differently.
“Speaking up about it on the Internet is a way of saying, ‘Look, we exist’ while helping those who are still in the process of acceptance.
“It’s okay to be different, and it’s up to us to challenge the norms. Imagine if everyone were the same? How boring would that be?”
When she was six years old, Mariana underwent two laser sessions in a bid to reduce the mole’s visibility.
But her mum decided to stop the treatment so she could decide for herself when she reached adulthood.
Now, Mariana, who has 176,000 Instagram followers, has absolutely no intention of getting the birthmark removed.
She said: “I find myself beautiful like this. I never imagined myself without my birthmark, and I wouldn’t trade it for a scar.”
She added: “Beauty is believing in who you are, and being happy that way.”
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