I’m Sultan and I have vitiligo. Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition where areas of the skin have little to no melanocytes due to them being damaged or destroyed. Melanocytes are needed to produce melanin, which gives skin its pigment, so it leaves white patches across the body.
I developed the condition when I was 12 years old – an age where I could understand the changes I was seeing, but didn’t know why they were happening to me. Inside, I felt like any other cheeky, outgoing 12-year-old who loves playing football with his mates in the park, but I knew that outside I was different.
For a while, I struggled with my self-esteem. I cared too much about what people thought of me and ended up with a skewed vision of the world. I didn’t feel different, but I was made to feel different by others’ reactions. Constantly thinking that you’re standing out like a sore thumb is exhausting.
This had a severe effect on my mental health and personal development. To this day, it’s sometimes a challenge to see myself as a “normal” person.
However, I came to realise that developing vitiligo at a young age was a blessing. It was part of me and I grew up understanding that I wouldn’t be who I am today without it. Eventually, I got to a point where I was oblivious to what others thought of me.
Sultan felt like any other child, but people’s reactions made him aware of his difference
The support of my family was key to me accepting myself. My mum would always encourage me to socialise, join sports teams and do normal “kid things”. Although putting myself out there made me nervous, I knew she had my back.
Having a supportive network of people is one of the most important things to have in life. I know mine are there for me when I’m having a tough time but are also there to experience the highs with me too. They helped me to understand that my skin doesn’t define who I am, and that there’s more to a person than their appearance.
Thanks to the confidence they instilled in me, I’ve been able to break down barriers in the modelling industry by championing vitiligo on the global stage. For me, it’s a big achievement to be able to help people struggling with their confidence because of their perceived self-image – if I can do it, anyone can.
Being different in a world where everyone is trying to be the same truly is a superpower.
Now that I’m a campaigner for Changing Faces, I hope I can continue to use my platform to support others, not only with vitiligo but with any visible difference. It means the world to me when people reach out and tell me that I inspire them. I didn’t have anyone who looked like me to look up to when I was growing up, and it’s amazing that I can be that person for others now.
I don’t want people with visible differences to go through what I did, particularly those with vitiligo. It’s all too common for people who ask me about treatment for the condition to go on and explain that their child has it and they’re worried. This is especially the case in ethnic minority families, where there is sometimes more judgment due to reputational pressures.
Vitiligo, and other visible differences, shouldn’t be seen as taboo. The stigma that is still attached to looking different can have a huge impact on a person’s development and confidence and it needs to end. Education is an important part of achieving this – I’ve had multiple people ask me if my vitiligo is infectious, and it’s ignorance such as this that causes problems.
I want people to see their difference as their superpower, as this is something that really helped me when I was a kid and is still something I very much believe in! Embrace your difference and learn to be comfortable in your own skin, because being different in a world where everyone is trying to be the same truly is a superpower.
Sultan hopes to change attitudes towards visible difference through his modelling
I’m absolutely thrilled to be a campaigner for Changing Faces. I can’t wait to keep on spreading awareness, educating people and breaking down barriers surrounding people with visible differences.
My first major step as a campaigner will be running the London Marathon in aid of Changing Faces. I want to show myself and others that anything is possible, as this has been a mantra of mine throughout my life and has helped me to overcome my self-image issues.
I also made a promise to my younger self that one day I would run it, so that young people going through the same body confidence issues I’ve been through can see someone they identify with running a world-renowned race!
I’ve always played football, but a 26.2-mile run is quite different to anything I’ve ever done – it’s a challenge that I will rise to and train hard for with the great purpose behind it driving me.
I’m really excited to see what else the future holds.