Meet Mariana Mendes. She is a gorgeous 24-year-old model and stylist assistant that is defying society’s beauty standards by living life by her own guidelines.
Unconcerned to please the public’s eye, Mendes has set expectations for herself and no one else. From Brazil, Mendes was born with a birthmark, known as a congenital melanocytic nevus, which covers a large part of her face. According to Nevus Outreach, congenital melanocytic nevus is a pigment-producing disorder where the cells are not evenly distributed. Instead, they are clumped together which can result in dark colored moles containing a high concentration of melanin called nevomelanocytes.
The unique birthmark does not hinder Mendes’ confidence nor beauty. In fact, her nevus makes her stand out in a sea of basics. She is a beautiful exception. Mendes is different from the norm and loves that the nevus sets her apart from society’s “perfect” standards. “I feel more beautiful and totally different from other people because I have a nevus. There are many people who stare and who don’t like it, but I don’t care,” Mendes shared with Bored Panda.
When Mendes was five-years-old, her mother took her to complete laser surgery treatments to reduce the size of the nevus because her mother was afraid she’d be bullied for it, reported by Bored Panda. What was once something thought to inhibit the happiness of Mendes, is now what makes her courageous, strong, unique and more stunning than ever.
“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,” said Mendes.
Mendes and her inspiring story empower young girls and women everywhere, reminding us to take charge of our lives and thoughts. We are always fed ridiculous, unattainable standards of beauty through the media, which causes tremendous psychological harm to young teens, and even adults. It needs to stop.
Whether you have marks, freckles, rolls, no rolls, these are imperfections that make you, you. There is only one version of you, and that alone is more beautiful than anything.
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source: Bored Panda
