Jeyźa’s story
Jeyźa was born with a rare skin condition called Iamellar Ichthyosis, which causes her skin to shed every two weeks. Rather than allowing it to define her, Jeyźa has taken the condition in her stride and you will not catch her apologising for this. She grew up in a home that mirrored as much normalcy as possible. She explains, “my family had a way of normalising what made me different to the point of genuine acceptance.” However, confidence in her skin hasn’t always been easy. Jeyźa found it hard to understand that at home “I was normal but the world thought otherwise.”
Jeyźa, now 21, is the first model with Iamellar Ichthyosis. She recently was featured on the cover of Glamour magazine for their ‘Self Love’ issue. The goal behind this story was to portray that beauty can not be defined by one viewpoint or one face.
Jeyźa continually challenges traditional concepts of beauty and she is doing so by simply “being myself unapologetically”. She is determined to become an example without a guide, which to Jeyza embodies, “being something for others I’ve never had. I grew up without any representation that mimicked my own beauty. I knew if I felt unrepresented so many others felt the same.”
“I’ve fully accepted myself, my skin and my life, and I find ways to love it more on a daily basis. I love the body I was gifted and I try to embody that in everything I do.”
3 quick questions
Favourite thing about being a woman?
My favorite thing about being a woman is knowing that possibilities are endless and we are strong beyond belief.
What do you believe makes a woman beautiful?
Beauty to me is courage, it’s bold and fearless. If I could put beauty into words for me, it would be someone owning their truth in any form and pushing past any limitations set for them. Beauty to me is honest, transparent and imperfect.
What is one piece of advice you would give to women of all ages?
Be yourself. I’m sure it sounds cliché but I promise you it’s the best advice I have came across. When you are unapologetically yourself, you show others that there is no wrong in marching to the beat of your own drum.
