“I Love My Body,” A Woman With a Rare Skin Condition Teaches People to Embrace Their Uniqueness

Meet Sara Geurts, a 31-year-old who embraces her unique beauty despite having a rare skin disorder. She spreads body-positive messages to inspire others and shares her experience of growing up with a different appearance. Geurts encourages everyone by saying, “You’re beautiful, and you can achieve whatever you want.”

She has a genetic skin condition.

At age 10, Sara Geurts was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition affecting her skin and joints. The condition reduces collagen production, leading to fragile and wrinkled skin at a young age. Geurts shares that her dream of becoming a model at that time seemed uncertain due to her prognosis.

A beauty campaign completely changed her life.

In 2015, Geurts decided to share her story with the Love Your Lines campaign, which celebrates unique skin features. The campaign encouraged people to submit stories and photos of their conditions. Geurts’ story was approved and shared by the #LoveYourLines campaign.

She opens up about her biggest insecurity, her skin, and confesses that she used to hide it in high school. She reveals that she didn’t want to discuss it and felt like she was being dishonest. Her story goes beyond herself; it resonates with millions of others who struggle with their own self-perception and body image.

She began to gradually accept and appreciate her own beauty.

Geurts shared that it took a while for her to gain the confidence she has today, even though she already has a supportive social media following and appeared in a short film. In an essay for The Mighty, she talked about how a past relationship in her early twenties made her realize how her body image struggles impacted herself and those close to her.

She decided to challenge fashion stereotypes.

Geurts chose to pursue photography and modeling instead of hiding, aiming to challenge society’s narrow definition of beauty set by the fashion and beauty industry. She expressed her desire to break down the invisible expectations of perfection that affect all areas of life, including work, socializing, and personal interactions.

Of course, navigating this journey alone would be incredibly tough, but Sara is fortunate to have caring people by her side. One of those special individuals is her mom, whom Sara recently shared a photo with, captioning it, “Thank you for all the amazing memories, love, and light you have brought into our lives thus far. All the countless more blessings and memories to come.”

There are so many inspiring people out there who motivate others to pursue their dreams and overcome obstacles. Their stories and achievements serve as a reminder that anything is possible with dedication and perseverance.