The love story of this young woman with vitiligo is inspiring

Melissa Taylor’s love story is a source of hope and inspiration to all those young women with vitiligo looking for their prince charming.

Melissa has vitiligo from a very young age and now it’s very much a part of her life that doesn’t bother her physically. But, she was not comfortable exposing those white spots and wondered if she would ever find someone special who accept her with those spots.

Vitiligo first appeared on her eyelids when she was six and quickly spread on her body. She tried every possible treatment including medication, light therapy and even self-tanning but it could not stop the vitiligo spreading.

Today, she is a mid 30s woman with more than 95% of the skin de-pigmented due to vitiligo.

She has some brown spots (non-depigmented skin) on her back and abdomen and nobody will ever notice that she has Vitiligo unless she wears a swimsuit or a backless dress.

Dating is never easy for a person with vitiligo

In the course of time, Melissa has accepted her skin condition and grown into a confident and graceful woman. But she had her own insecurities when it comes to dating and opening up to a potential match. The anticipatory fears of getting judged for vitiligo or rejected/dumped because of it would give her chills.

She had a few ‘superficial’ dating encounters here and there but never felt comfortable with those guys, let alone the thought of opening up or strengthening the relationship.

Finding her someone special

Melissa dated some of the guys before she met her current boyfriend Alex and she knew that he was the one for her. He was different from everyone else and she always basked in his radiance when they were together.

With Alex around, I felt truly comfortable in my skin without a worry about vitiligo. So, I realized very soon that he is the one for me.

They met by chance during a game of intramural volleyball and initially, she thought of setting him up with her younger sister! Sounds really strange, right? Soon after she realized that she has a huge crush on him and just can’t let him go.

Thus, they start dating to know each other each and gradually entered into a relationship. Fast forward to over 3 years and Melissa could not ask for a better partner. It’s like a dream come true for her.

Revelation of her ‘secret’

One day they were hanging out and Alex wanted to scratch her back. So, he pulled up her shirt and she was very concerned as she had a big brown spot on her back which looked like a butterfly.

It was the first time Alex got to see her spots. She was embarrassed and insecure, wondering how he would react. She was getting ready in her mind with some explanation for that brown spot to assure Alex that nothing is wrong with her.

To her surprise, the spot didn’t intimidate him at all. He just said he loves the butterfly on her back and hugged her. She was overwhelmed by his response because for the first time, she didn’t feel the need to explain about her vitiligo or hide it. Alex simply didn’t care about her skin ‘imperfection’ as he liked her for who she is inside and out.

The way he accepted her true authentic self was indeed a heartwarming event. She felt loved and he made her realize that she was beautiful and nothing can take that from her.

Melissa’s message to all those women with vitiligo looking for love

Do not enter or remain in a disconnected relation just for the sake of it.

The guy in your life should make you feel desirable and beautiful the way you are. He should be your number one support system and inspire you to become strong and confident rather than making you hide your spots or worry about them.

To confirm if he is the right partner for you, just ask yourself- are you super comfortable in your skin when he is around? If the answer is yes, you are lucky! And if it’s a no, you better move on because with such insecurities in mind, it will never turn into a fulfilling relationship bringing intimacy and emotional support in your life.

Life will eventually make you meet your Mr. Right. All you need to do is to have a little bit of trust in yourself, have a little more hope and love, and give life a chance. Wishing all the very best to everyone out there looking for true love and companionship.