Meet Tarik

“I was just irritated. I don’t really remember because I was younger and there was no real diagnosis!

When children annoy you and you have to deal with it, it's a challenge as a child!!

Sometimes people think it's a burn or it’s contagious, which is totally stupid.

The best thing that has always helped me was sport and acceptance!

Of course, it does something to you, and at first you no longer feel like the person you actually are!

It takes some time to realize that the smile and the person remains the same.

In fact, I have never tried any treatment or therapy for it!

I have actually experienced a fetish for it or that people have a fetish for it…not nice!

There are indeed moments when you discover new spots and are happy about them, because they have a beautiful shape, like a heart, for example. But of course, there are also moments when you discover new spots and think, oh, not again!

Look at other people with vitiligo and talk to them! Try to work on your self-confidence, perhaps through coaching. The most important thing is your inner self. You won't change, and you'll stay the person you are.

There are so many successes to celebrate, and many more to come. We should look forward to them.

One of my next goals is to increase visibility and community work in Germany and the world. Perhaps a trip around the world.

Learning to accept yourself is very, very, very, very important, and it's important to promote it, teach it, and communicate it! We should advertise it more, and we should encourage it more.”