After Hiding His Vitiligo With Makeup for 10 Years, This 37-Year-Old Model Proudly Showed His Face in Hopes of Inspiring Others

There are moments in our life when being able to love ourselves to the fullest may prove to be difficult. For Roger Monte, this was when he discovered that he has vitiligo. After hiding in the dark for 10 years, he finally came out and faced the world, full of confidence.

Bright Side is glad to be able to share Roger’s story and message of positivity with you.

He noticed his condition when he was 23 years old.

Roger started to discover that parts of his skin were losing pigmentation. Although his family had no history of having vitiligo, recent studies indicate that stress could have been a factor. Soon, his confidence dropped and at one point he even thought that his life was over.

People avoided getting close to him.

There were times when people were not very kind to him. Even though vitiligo is not contagious, strangers would keep their distance from him. Others left harsh remarks regarding his appearance. Because of these, Roger began to hide his real appearance.

For years, he used thick makeup to hide his condition.

Roger initially never liked what happened to him. He covered his real appearance under makeup. He was so conscious about it that he started to dislike going out to the beach, the gym, or doing any activity that would make him sweat.

He met friends that encouraged him to show his real face.

Everything began to change for the better in 2016 when he made new friends at the gym. After opening up to them regarding his condition, they encouraged Roger to show his face to the world. They saw the beauty that Roger had been hiding for too long. He finally got the courage to take a picture without makeup, and posted it on Instagram.

Roger started to get noticed, and his new career took off.

Roger was overwhelmed by the positive response that he got. So he continued posting more pictures, and eventually got back his confidence. He was even noticed by photographers, who asked him to work in front of the camera.

Cameras are now his ally.

Today, Roger is happy and enjoys spending time outdoors and feeling the sun on his skin without worries. Roger hopes that his photos are able to help other people embrace their true selves. He wants to reach those who are suffering in silence to also be able to love their natural beauty one day.

What do you think of Roger’s story and his work? Have you ever hid something about your appearance before?