Just imagine being only 26-years-old, how it feels to have wrinkles all over your body? It’s a difficult thing to picture right? But for Sara Geurts, this is her daily reality.
Sara was diagnosed with a rare skin condition called Dermatosparaxis Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome(DEDS) at the age of 10. DEDS is a disorder that affects the connective tissues, and is caused by a defect in collagen which results in saggy, wrinkled skin, amongst other symptoms.
"It wasn't till about the age of 22 that I started to look at myself and my body in a completely different way," she said in an interview with Barcroft TV.
But as you can see from these stunning pictures, the model, now 26, is determined to show the world that she has nothing to be ashamed of.
"Just the uniqueness and the rarity and the way the lines form, it makes me so sad that I looked at it as just this ugly thing at one point in time.", says Sara.
Originally from Minnesota, Geurts, who now lives in Los Angeles, is on a mission to change the way we think about beauty standards. In 2015, she submitted her story to the Love Your Lines campaign, a project that praises women’s imperfections, and her most recent video, produced by Barcroft TV, has so far been viewed almost two million times.
Sara hasn't stopped modelling since.
"Just when I thought of giving up…this is beautiful and so inspiring…I'm learning to love myself and love the skin I'm in," said one user on Instagram.
“My skin was my biggest insecurity, but now I think it’s the most beautiful thing ever,” says Sara Geurts.
"I'm trying to deal with a serious skin issue right now myself and I am trying to grab some of your attitude. You are inspiring," another Instagram user added.
According to Sara, her biggest goal is to break the "unhealthy mindsets" that exist in the fashion industry that models have to appear perfect and without flaws.
"My goal is to shed light on the unhealthy mindsets we currently have within the fashion and modelling industry today," she said.
"I believe the scars we have are reminders to the world of what we have been through…we should not be urged to cover them up, but instead glorify them.", says Sara.
Kudoos to her positive attitude! It’s not so easy to overcome but Sara with amazing will power fought against it and inspiring others. You are really awesome Sara.
How do you feel? Share us in the comments.
