Dumnie pokazuje swoje znamię na twarzy

The birthmark is a point of pride, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, THIS FASHION MODEL is changing the face of beauty through being loud and proud of her facial birthmark and now she is empowering others to do the same. Mariana Mendes Magalhães, 32, from São Paulo, Brazil, was born with a congenital melanocytic nevus – a rare skin condition marked by a dark patch caused by a concentration of pigment-producing cells.  This unique feature, which she describes as a ‘beauty mark,’ has become her trademark as she inspires nearly 200K followers on her Instagram where she goes by @marianamendes.m/. “A congenital melanocytic nevus is a dark mole or spot on the skin, present from birth or appearing in the first few weeks of life,” she explained.  “It can be of various sizes, from small ones measuring less than 0.5 cm to giant ones measuring over 20 cm.  “It doesn't affect my skin much, I just need to be more careful in my daily life, especially with the use of sunscreen, as the birthmark is more sensitive than the skin, it needs more attention.” Mariana grew up in a small town in the Brazilian countryside, and although she lacked public role models who looked like her, she was empowered from an early age thanks to her mother’s loving influence. “My mother empowered me, told me how beautiful I am and that my birthmark makes me unique,” she said.  “She was a great example for me because I always saw people asking her what I had, and she always spoke very positively and affectionately about me.” While her early years were shaped by positive reinforcement at home, she wasn’t immune to cruel remarks from others. “I have always heard mostly offensive questions, which made me feel embarrassed, especially when I was asked why I don't remove my birthmark,” she said.   “Questions like these sounded to me as if my birthmark was something 'wrong' or ‘bad’ and I needed to remove it.  “But even in these situations, I never let myself get shaken because I love having my birthmark and I know that my opinion about myself is worth much more than the opinion of an unpleasant or even uninformed person.” Though her birthmark hasn’t changed since infancy, Mariana’s relationship with it has grown stronger over time.  Her parents initially tried laser treatments when she was just six years old, but they ultimately left the decision to her. “I only had two sessions, and my mother decided to stop the treatment because she wanted to wait for me to grow up so that I could decide for myself what I wanted to do,” she said.  “And that was the best decision she could have made, because I love having my birthmark. “Under regular dermatological monitoring, I learned to conduct my own skin checks and remained vigilant, knowing that health risks do exist.” Despite this, she’s never let her condition define herÃłthough that hasn’t shielded her from online cruelty. “On social media, I receive a lot of offensive messages, such as people calling me animal names, telling me to remove that ugly thing on my face, often saying it's disgusting,” she said.  “But for me, the worst one so far was a message saying that I looked like the result of bestiality.  “This was a message that left me very upset and shaken, like I had never been before.” Now more confident and assertive than ever, Mariana is challenging conventional beauty standards while paving the way for others to feel empowered in their uniqueness. “Today I have much more confidence in who I am, my value and my potential,” she said.   “Today I don't keep quiet when bad situations happen, I respond and I don't let people intimidate me.” Her self-assurance extends to her personal life as well. Mariana is in a loving relationship and says her birthmark has never been an obstacle. “My boyfriend says that having or not having a birthmark doesn't make a difference to him, that he likes me as I am regardless of any characteristic, but that he thinks my beauty mark is beautiful,” she said.  Mariana began creating content online because she never saw anyone like her in the media. She wanted to be the representation she never had. “I decided to be what no one else was for me, a figure in the media who has a unique characteristic and who loves herself as she is,” she explained.  “I want to show them that beauty is in being who you are, in loving yourself. “That message clearly resonated with many people, I now receive messages from people around the world who have been inspired to embrace their own birthmarks, scars, and perceived imperfections. “It has been a source of gratitude for me to put my face on the internet, even with the bad comments.  “Having someone who is confident makes all the difference in one's own acceptance.”