Spots, pigment, tattoos, bumps, scars, stretch marks, acne, eczema, moles, freckles. The list is endless. Our skin is unique. We are taught that we need to ‘feel comfortable in our own skin’, but the types of skin our society seems to prefer are those no one seems to have. We expect our skin to be flawless, nothing out of the ordinary. We are getting used to an unnatural idea of what the norm of skin should be like. How can we ever feel comfortable in the skin we have, if what is deemed normal, is in reality unreachable? We live our entire life in the same skin. Why should we not make it interesting? It is the first thing we see: the pimple on somebody’s face, the large scar on the persons leg or the tattoo on their arm. Our skin tells a story. We can’t undo the scars of our past or alter how our skin responds to emotions or the world around us. We can not always change the way it looks, but we can change the way we look at our skin.

Story by Quinty Veenman

“When I first discovered I had vitiligo, my dermatologist gave me make-up so I could cover it. I didn’t really understand why, I never felt the need to hide it, I think it’s unique.’’ – Roxanne (21)

“I got tattoos because I think it’s beautiful and edgy at the same time. It is also sort of a sign of independence to me. It’s my skin, I can do what I want with it.’’ – Robin (23)

‘‘When I was young I grew very quickly because of puberty and boxing. It’s something people think mostly women have. So I always tell people my stretch marks are badass tiger scratches.’’
– Quinten (23)

“My skin does not define me. Being transparent about my perioral dermatitis and speaking up about it, not only helped my skin get better but also put my mind at ease. Never judge yourself for something that’s not your fault.” – Franzi (21)

‘‘I’ve had eczema my entire life. It’s very common, but people don’t always understand. They think it’s contagious or because of bad hygiene. Embracing my skin took time, but I learned that hiding it is not worth it because all skins are beautiful.’’ – Quinty (22)

‘‘I always was the only one with this many freckles. I used to get bullied for it as a little kid but as I grew older, people started to compliment them and say how unique I am. My freckles are now very valuable to me.’’ – Remi (23)