The term ‘flawless beauty’ might sound like an oxymoron to many. Only fairness brands promote it with tag lines like ‘say no to scars’ and ‘go blemish-free’. But, does beauty really lie in flawlessness? Can a flaw be beautiful?
Even as runway models fret over a tiny zit and try to cover up acne scars with extra foundation, meet UK-based Indian entrepreneur and fitness model Ninu Galot, who boldly flaunts her vitiligo patches.
“I was 11 when I got my first patch behind my neck,” she says. “It remained there throughout my school and university days. Fortunately, it was behind my neck and I had a bob cut, so no one saw it. I had a sudden outburst of these patches when I left university. Panic-stricken, I started using steroid creams and different kinds of medication. I went for UV light treatment and even changed my diet. Nothing worked. Instead, it resulted in a skin reaction and the patches started spreading all over
my body.”
Despite knowing that vitiligo had no cure, she kept searching for one. She travelled to Milan for treatment, began wearing full-sleeved clothes and tried to camouflage the patches with makeup, but it ended up highlighting them. She was told that sunlight would help with re-pigmentation, so she often used to fly to Dubai from London to soak up the sun. “I would go to the beach before everyone else,” she says. “I used to wear a swimsuit and cover my face so that I would not see anyone looking at the white spots.”
She started reading books and articles related to vitiligo. The books did not provide a cure, but reading them helped heal her anxious mind. “I became stronger with every book I read,” she says. “Power of Now (Eckhart Tolle), Quantum Healing (Deepak Chopra) and books by Louise Hay changed my life. I learned to love myself and accept my patches. I realised it is my trademark; a fashion statement that cannot be bought in Harrods.”
As part of the process of accepting herself, she decided to contest in the Pure Elite fitness competition in London. Surely, what does not kill you makes you stronger. She went through 16 weeks of intense training to build muscle tone, learn how to catwalk and eat healthy. “I wanted to raise awareness about vitiligo and eliminate every wrong notion and myth associated with it,” she says. “The support I got from my family and friends was admirable. I think entering the competition has been my best decision. It helped me to set myself free by being open about my patches.”
Today, she is a spokesperson for the Vitiligo Society in London and has a website and a YouTube channel to raise awareness about the condition. Other than working in her family’s real-estate business, she is involved in dance, theatre, acting and modelling. “I wasted many years wallowing in self-pity,” she says. “Putting myself out there gave me the courage to pursue things I have always dreamed of pursuing.”
In India, vitiligo is seen as disgraceful and many who have it are isolated. There is not much awareness about it, leading to the propagation of many myths, like how it is contagious. There is also the stigma attached to marrying a person with vitiligo. “I want to change the mindset of people and empower those with this condition,” says Galot. “Not many know that vitiligo can also occur because of stress. From my experience and that of countless others, I believe we must do something to stop people suffering in silence. The doctors don’t consider it as something that needs addressing, as it is not a life-threatening illness.”
Persian philosopher Rumi said that “the wound is the place through which light enters you”. Galot let the light stream in through her patches. “Whatever makes you stand out makes you unique; this is the message I have for everyone,” she says.