It can be hard to go through the ups and downs of life especially when you look different than everyone else.
That’s something Melanie Gaydos knows all too well. She’s grown up with a rare genetic disorder called ectodermal dysplasia. Even though she’s been stigmatized for it all her life it didn’t stop her from becoming a sought-after model .
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Ectodermal Dysplasia prevents teeth, nails, pores, cartilage, and bones from developing.
And this is the reason for Melanie’s unique appearance. But she has embraced her condition with gusto.
Melanie also has alopecia and is partially blind after the growth of her eyelashes scratched her eyes.
However, that doesn’t seem to prevent her from getting stunning photos.
Even though there are enhancements such as dentures and wigs that could be available to Melanie, she refuses to use them because she is more comfortable in her own skin.
Way to embrace your unique beauty!
Melanie is an art graduate who lives in NYC.
But apparently, at first, she hated having her pictures taken but was later encouraged to model by a boyfriend.
Even though the fashion industry is changing, Melanie believes it still has long ways to go in order to have more diverse people represented.
But the change is positive.
It’s definitely great to see that not just skinny, perfect-looking models are now starting to grace covers of coveted fashion magazines and are walking many more fashion runways.
It’s such a positive change!
At the age of 26, Melanie appeared on the popular reality TV show “The Doctors” and received three dental implants as well as her first set of dentures.
But after eight months she decided to take them out and has refused to wear them ever since.
This lady is showing such a strong will at such a young age.
She has said that at her age the dentures were more of a hindrance than anything else.
She doesn’t feel like she’s missing anything as she never had teeth anyway.
Melanie has now worked with famous photographers including the world-renowned Spanish photographer Eugenio Recuenco.
She also appeared in a video for the German metal band Rammstein, directed by Recuenco.
Her photoshoots are incredible.
She shows how versatile and unique her look can be when modeling, and what the makeup artists come up with is so creative!
Her career first took off after she answered an add on Craigslist looking for “unique people” for a fashion photographers to shoot while she was still a student.
Sometimes, it’s worth it to take a chance and answer an ad!
The initial responses to her pictures that were posted online and on social media were both positive and negative.
Most people were shocked by how different she looked compared to conventional models.
Melanie credits her successful modeling career by giving her more confidence about how she looks and embracing it even more.
She is now much stronger and happier in her existence.
She was even featured in German metal band Rammstein’s music video for their song ‘Mein Herz Brennt.’
She was a huge fan of the band for a long time , since about the age of 11 or 12. This was a dream come true for her.
She is absolutely helping to redefine standards of beauty.
And that’s what models should be — people help shape our definitions of beauty and highlight our differences, because we are all different.
It’s amazing to see that different looking people are now being embraced by the fashion industry.
Because in the end, we are all unique and special in our own way.
