Meet Faye

I was diagnosed with vitiligo 30 years ago, in my early teens. At that age, anything that made you stand out felt like a target, and for me, that target was on my skin.

When the dermatologist confirmed it was vitiligo, I didn’t fully understand what that meant. I just knew I was changing, and it felt like something was being taken away from me, my colour, my confidence, my sense of normal.

Emotionally, it hit me hard. I was confused, ashamed, and deeply insecure. I avoided mirrors. I covered up with makeup or long sleeves even in the middle of summer. I pretended I was okay, but underneath, I carried a lot of fear about being seen.

One of the biggest challenges was the silence around it. People would stare or ask questions like “Did you burn yourself?” or “Is it contagious?” Not out of malice, but from ignorance. Over time, I realised I had a choice. I could either shrink myself to fit what the world expected, or I could learn to expand into who I really was.

Healing didn’t happen overnight. For years, I internalized the idea that I needed to be fixed. I tried light therapy, topical treatments, dietary changes, all with varying results. But the biggest shift didn’t come from creams or cures. It came from within.

I began to challenge the narrative that my worth was tied to appearance. I sought therapy, read books, journaled, and slowly started to look at my skin with compassion rather than criticism. I learned to sit with discomfort, to ask myself what I truly needed, and to give myself grace.

Relationships were tough at times. I often worried that I wouldn’t be accepted or loved fully because of how I looked. But the truth is, the more I accepted myself, the more I attracted people who loved me for who I really was.

Becoming the President of the Vitiligo Association of Australia (VAA) is one of the proudest moments of my life. For years, I tried to hide my skin. Now I lead with it.

Your difference is not your weakness. It is your superpower.