People Called Her Ugly, This is Her Response
24-year-old Mariana Mendes from Brazil is an absolutely stunning young woman. But internet haters would (and have) gladly tell her something different because of one unique thing: a large, black birthmark on her face.
Mendes was born with a birthmark which covers part of her nose, her right eye, and her right cheek. The mark is called congenital melanocytic nevus, and it’s estimated to affect just one in every 20,000 babies. It’s caused by an increased amount of pigment beneath the skin, which makes the affected area look darker as a result.
When she was just five years old, Mendes was given a laser surgery treatment that doctors thought would reduce the nevus. It was her mother’s idea to try the surgery because she was afraid her daughter would be bullied for her birthmark. To her mom’s dismay, the surgery had very little effect and could not lighten the pigmented skin.
But as you can see below, the young stylist assistant from Juiz de Fora couldn’t be more proud of being different. In fact, just to make this incredibly clear to the internet, Mendes did a fabulous photo shoot showing off just how beautiful she is.“I feel more beautiful and totally different from other people because I have a nevus,” said Mariana. “There are many people who stare and who don’t like it, but I don’t care. I have been told by a few people that it’s “ugly” or “strange”, but it doesn’t bother me. That’s just their opinion and I think it’s beautiful. A lot of people ask me about my birthmark, sometimes they think it’s makeup or a tattoo but I don’t mind and explain it to them. I’m proud of having a nevus, it’s a part of who I am and how I learn to like myself.”
We love this attitude! She was given a unique facial feature, something she might have struggled with when she was growing up, and now she’s fully embracing her birthmark.
And she doesn’t just “deal” with it, she flaunts it! Mendes loves that this birthmark sets her apart from others and that makes her, in both our eyes and hers, even more beautiful.What do you think about her confident photo shoot as a response to any and all haters? We’re totally inspired by her embracing every part of her, and we hope that you are, too!
