Reena Syed was just ten years old when a hair was turning white at the back of her head. She soon discovered that there was a vitiligo patch underneath this hair. “I remember when my doctor told me that I had vitiligo, I started crying. I was scared, speculating it would spread around my head and turn all my hair white,” now 22, Reena recalls the diagnosis.
As the years went by, the chronic skin disorder started spreading to Reena’s face. The patches would now grow little by little every week until her nose, cheeks and her elbows were covered with vitiligo. It is well-understood why living with such unpredictable skin condition was difficult for Reena as a child. “Going to hairdressers made me uneasy because they would always ask why a child has white hair and I would have to lie, saying it was a birthmark as I felt so self-conscious. Because my vitiligo would burn and turn bright pink whenever I would be out in the sun, people in school would ask me questions, and it made me feel embarrassed,” she shares,
Thankfully, Reena didn’t experience bullying at school, but she did witness (in her opinion) a very backward attitude towards vitiligo from her family. She reminiscences, “My family, being religious and traditionally Pakistani, believed strongly in prayer and superstitions. Under one superstition, they would advise me to eat only white foods, thinking this would help my vitiligo. They instructed me never to eat fish and milk together. I was taught to believe that if I pray on a piece of food, vitiligo will go away” But the worst superstition was yet to come. “I was told to apply my own saliva onto my vitiligo. My response was to shake my head and laugh in disbelief that people really believed this nonsensical magic over science.”
For a while, growing up, Reena did believe the superstitions because children often believe everything their parents say to them. But as she started to do her own research and delve into the science behind vitiligo, she learned to laugh at the superstitions and tried her best to educate her family in the reality of skin conditions. “Superstitions may be believed around the world, but they can be dangerous and truly hurt people if taken too far, especially regarding illnesses,” Reena makes a point.
There was a time when Reena used makeup to cover her vitiligo up. Every single day, she had to go through the tedious motions of layering concealer over concealer. But, now she only wears makeup for occasions. “I feel so confident in my skin with vitiligo now. It’s part of me and makes me who I am. If I could choose to remove it, I wouldn’t. I have camouflage creams and ointments for vitiligo, but I have never felt the need to use them because I don’t want my skin to change now.” she pours her heart out.
“Did it take a long time to get used to living with vitiligo?” Reena answers to this question, “Only till I turned 19 was when I had learned to accept my vitiligo and not be shocked if I woke up with a brand-new patch. I learned to ignore the ignorance of all the people around me and determined to be one with my skin to the point where I cannot imagine not having vitiligo. I made a breakthrough mentally when I started to love my vitiligo. To mark that moment, I got a heart tattoo around a patch on my wrist, which reminds me always to love my skin no matter what. I look at it when I struggle with vitiligo, and it still fills me with strength,” Reena feels proud of her vitiligo journey.
“So, what movies, books, poems, stories, or other works of art have inspired you and encouraged you through difficult times?” We asked Reena. She replied, “How To Be A Bawse by Lilly Singh is so honest and motivational. For years, I have looked up to Lilly Singh as my role model because she’s a normal person who’s ambitions and hunger to achieve. And she did it. Her book pushes me to think about things I could change in my life. It challenges my thought processes to become a more giving, thoughtful, and successful person not just career wise but life wise.” Reena also draws her inspiration from Winnie Harlow and motivational speakers such as Tony Robbins.
At present, Reena is residing in London and studying at university to become a social worker so that she can help others feel empowered to live their lives happily and successfully. “Making a breakthrough with my anxiety with vitiligo has made me realize that everyone can learn to love themselves with the right support system around them, and I aspire to be that person for someone.”
Reena meditates almost every day to calm her anxiety and to stay present at the moment. We asked her to leave us with a note for youngsters with vitiligo. She did have a very special message indeed! “For anyone struggling with accepting their vitiligo, I want you to know that your skin, whatever color, is yours. It is your skin to live in, your skin to cherish and your skin to be proud of. I have learned to be unaffected by negativity. What I think about myself only set me free. You should also try that. It feels liberating,” Reena signs off.