A model with vitiligo says strangers would avoid coming too close to him as they incorrectly believed the rare condition was contagious.
Roger Monte, 37, from Rio De Janeiro in Brazil, first developed the skin condition when he was just 23 and now has white patches on his skin due to a lack of melanin, which is caused by the condition.
Roger was left feeling devastated when he saw the white patches develop, and ended up spiralling into depression.
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Over the next decade, Roger was so unhappy with his looks he was unable to look at himself in the mirror and would daub thick make up on the white patches to try and hide them.
As well as feeling down about what he saw in the mirror, Roger also faced prejudice from strangers and says people would avoid sitting near him on public transport.
One stranger even told Roger he ought to be in a circus as he 'looks like a clown'.
However, he turned a corner in 2016 after he made some new friends at the gym who made him feel comfortable enough to be able to show off his skin.
Now, Roger loves his unique looks and will happily share photos of himself on Instagram or pose for photoshoots.
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Roger said: "Seeing my skin losing pigmentation was terrifying for me. I thought my life, which had barely even started yet, was over at that moment.
"I had a really dark few years and I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror.
"I didn't accept my condition at all and started using makeup to camouflage my spots.
"I had people avoid sitting next to me on public transport, thinking that my vitiligo was something that they could catch by being close to me.
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"One person said that I should be in the circus because the spots on my mouth make me look like a clown.
"When I found out that vitiligo can develop because of emotional stress, I blamed myself for it every single day.
"I didn't like what I saw in the mirror and I wore makeup to cover my vitiligo for ten long years.
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"It felt like I was being held hostage. I didn't like going to the beach or the gym or anything that made me sweat.
"In 2016, I met some incredible new friends who started to make me see my spots as something unique and beautiful.
"One day, I just woke up, took out my cell phone, took a picture and posted it to Instagram. I had never had a photo of me get so many comments and likes.
"People I hadn't seen in years were praising my skin and saying that they had never noticed that I had the disease.
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"I even had a boy who had also been hiding his own vitiligo with makeup contact me to say that my posts had inspired him to stop hiding his skin.
"So, I started posting more and more. On one of my posts, I had a comment from a photographer who wanted to photograph me.
"I was shy and completely raw in front of the camera, but I realised that I was happy being there."
Roger hopes that by sharing his photos - and his story - more people will be encouraged to embrace their natural beauty.
He added: "Today, I am truly happy. I love spending hours on the beach, outdoors and feeling the sun on my skin.
"If my photos are able to help other people embrace their true selves, then I am happy.
"I made the camera my ally as opposed to my enemy and I can't wait to see what the future holds."
Featured Image Credit: Media Drum WorldTopics: Inspirational