ALBA Parejo, 21, from Barcelona, was born with congenital melanocytic nevus - a rare skin condition which causes moles to form all over the body. For years, Alba would cover up her body in jeans and jumpers. She told Truly: "I didn't wear shorts or short dresses, because I was very afraid to show all my body." Alba saw a psychologist, who taught her how to accept her body and now she loves herself. Sharing her body on social media, Alba's now on a mission to normalise her condition. Alba currently has over 1,200 moles on her skin - including one spanning over her back and lower body - and it's something she wants to celebrate. She said: "I love my body. I'm special and unique. It's a different beauty."
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 I was born with more than a thousand moles in my body.
00:03 I didn't wear shorts or short dresses
00:07 because I was very afraid to show all my body
00:11 because of the reaction of the people.
00:14 When I was out in public, I noticed that people stare at me.
00:18 People comment, like, "Oh, you seem like a Dalmatian."
00:23 When I went to the psychologist, I learned how to accept my body.
00:28 I love my skin. I feel that I am special.
00:31 Today is very important because I'm going to show my body
00:36 wearing a bikini on TikTok for the first time.
00:39 I don't know how people are going to react.
00:41 Congenital malnutrition is a rare condition.
00:46 In my whole body, I have 1,212 moles.
00:54 In all my body.
00:55 When I was born, doctors said to operate
00:58 because there is a percentage to develop skin cancer.
01:03 But currently, they say that if you take care of your body
01:08 and skin and so on, and you put sun cream and cream,
01:12 there is no big percentage.
01:14 When I was a teenager, I used to wear clothes that covered my body.
01:19 I used to feel very strange with my body.
01:22 So I think that I reflected with the clothes.
01:25 So as you can see, I wear, for example, long skirts,
01:31 long shorts, big jumpers, so in that way I can cover my body.
01:37 So in that way, people don't look at me in a strange way.
01:43 People comment with different groups or say to me like,
01:50 "Oh, you seem like a Dalmatian."
01:52 Or for example, some people like "Aleleian"
01:55 because of the scars.
01:57 Clothes that I use currently that I didn't imagine before to wear them
02:01 are, for example, the dresses that are very old, a shirt.
02:06 The little tops that when I wear them,
02:11 you can see all my big scars.
02:14 So I show all my moles, the scars, and so on.
02:19 My confidence has changed over these years.
02:22 And currently, for example, I love to show my body.
02:26 I love summer because I can show my scars, I can show my mole.
02:29 Hi!
02:32 When Alba was born, we were afraid that her birthmarks
02:39 maybe would stop her from doing lots of things.
02:42 But the fact is that she has done more things than we could ever have thought.
02:51 I think she's living a normal life with some exceptions.
02:56 But what do you think?
02:59 Yes, I think that I try to normalise my situation.
03:04 So instead of covering my skin or not going to places
03:09 because of what people are going to say,
03:12 I try to normalise and wear bikinis, swimsuits and shorts
03:17 and go to these places believing that I am normal.
03:21 And also very important is that you help people with the situation.
03:28 And when she posts her situation on Instagram, TikTok or other channels,
03:37 and she normalises the situation, what she does,
03:40 I think you are helping a lot of people.
03:43 When I went to the psychologist, I learned how to accept my body.
03:48 But a few years later, when I began with different shootings,
03:53 seeing myself in different photos, and I like that photo.
03:57 So this helped me to love myself.
04:01 I love my big mole.
04:03 I mean, I was born with it, so I love it.
04:06 For me, it's natural. For me, it's normal.
04:09 The first time that I showed my body on social media was on Twitter.
04:14 I posted photos about my scars.
04:17 And I posted a comment like,
04:20 "I love my body, but some days it's very hard to love it and accept it."
04:25 So because of this tweet, a photographer said,
04:29 "I saw your photo, so I would like to shoot you."
04:34 And this was my first shooting.
04:37 And when I posted the different photos of my body,
04:41 people began to say a lot of beautiful things about me.
04:47 It helped me a lot to my confidence,
04:49 to see that people see me like I see myself, in a normal way.
04:55 There are a few comments that are negative.
04:57 There are a few comments, so I don't look at the comments,
05:01 or I don't even answer them.
05:04 At the beginning, when she started sharing on social media,
05:07 yes, I was afraid because we know that people on the internet,
05:13 they say all kinds of comments.
05:17 We saw that they were mostly good.
05:21 So today I'm going to film myself doing a TikTok,
05:25 wearing a bikini, and it's my first time.
05:27 I'm very proud because she has this facility
05:33 to speak in front of a camera, in front of strange people.
05:37 And I think this is something very positive.
05:41 So I'm very happy and excited
05:44 because I don't know how people are going to react.
05:47 But let's see.
05:49 So the different comments that I have received
05:59 because of the TikTok post,
06:01 are like, "You're beautiful."
06:04 "Wow."
06:05 "How stunning."
06:07 "I congratulate you."
06:10 "I love you."
06:12 I feel very happy to post this TikTok
06:15 because it's my first time showing my body wearing a bikini.
06:21 At the beginning, I was a little bit curious
06:23 about how people were going to react.
06:26 But I see that there's a lot of positive comments.
06:30 So I'm very happy.
06:32 I love my body.
06:34 I love it because I feel that I am not normal.
06:38 So I am special. I'm unique.
06:40 So I think that it's a different beauty.
06:43 It should be mandatory to accept yourself
06:46 because it's your body and it's yours.
06:48 It's very beautiful to feel that you love yourself.
06:52 We have two trans kids.
06:59 Anyone can be whoever they want.
07:02 I'm just owning it.
07:04 Our family is seen to be very unconventional.
07:09 So I had kids and I can't be hot anymore.
07:11 Like, moms are hot too.
07:13 People say I look like a thug, but I love thugs.
07:15 I take that as a compliment.
07:17 I'm bored of people thinking that I cannot be intimate.
07:20 I'm a young, single, hot piece of disabled booty.
07:24 I feel like I'm going to look at myself
07:26 and be like, "Who is that?"
07:29 (MUSIC)
07:32 Life is way too short to be hiding.
07:35 It is my story. It is my truth.
07:37 (MUSIC)
07:40 (MUSIC)
07:43 (MUSIC)
07:46 (MUSIC)
07:49 (MUSIC)
07:52 (MUSIC)
07:55 (MUSIC)
07:58 (MUSIC)
08:01 (MUSIC)