Last Updated on 10th September 2022 by Caroline Haye
An interview with Shankar Jalota
Better known online as The Vitiligo Man, Londoner Shankar Jalota has become a familiar face in the vitiligo community, and beyond. He was first diagnosed with the skin disorder at the age of fifteen and battled for years with low confidence and self-esteem, before finally embracing his condition. Now twenty-eight, he has spent the last seven years raising awareness and educating others about vitiligo through his modelling and campaigning.
Teaming up with the charity Changing Faces, Shankar has gained a reputation as an influencer who is breaking beauty boundaries. Not only has he been featured in numerous news media, including BBC News, The Daily Telegraph and Huff Post, but he has modelled for several diversity campaigns and appeared on the cover of the Boots Spring ’22 Health & Beauty magazine. In addition, he has spoken at vitiligo events with the charity The Vitiligo Society, sharing his story and advice to those struggling with the condition.
Because of his own vitiligo experiences, Shankar is passionate about encouraging inclusivity and acceptance of people’s differences by getting his message across to a new generation… Which is the motivation behind his recently published children’s book, The Adventures of the Vitiligo Man. So, before moving on to our interview, I’d like to briefly share my thoughts on reading this charming and insightful book.
The Adventures of the Vitiligo Man
With its colourful illustrations and easy reading level, The Adventures of the Vitiligo Man is simple enough for very young readers, as well as being ideal for adults to read aloud to their children. What’s more, reading it purely for myself, I found this book genuinely engaging and uplifting. I think this is because it appeals on so many levels at once and is so much more than just an entertaining story.
The book tells the tale of a boy called Awais who starts at his new school so anxious about the reactions his vitiligo will provoke in the other kids that he is tempted to hide his face behind a mask. And, true to real life, not all the other kids are kind to him at the start. But, thanks to some wise advice from his mum, and support from a schoolmate who has grown to love her freckles (each one is a magic star), he gradually changes the way he sees himself… Which, in turn, changes the way the other kids see him too. Not only does he find he can embrace his vitiligo, but he realises that it actually adds to who he is – giving him valuable “superpowers”.
This deceptively simple story has some powerful messages that we could all learn from. The way Awais answers the other kids’ questions about his skin is a perfect example of how best to respond simply and assertively to the curiosity of others. (“I have vitiligo,” he told everyone, “It doesn’t hurt, and you can’t catch it. It’s just a skin condition, and it’s part of who I am.”)
There are also other life lessons woven into the tale that are applicable to us all, regardless of our age and appearance. For example, that if you act brave and confident others will accept and respect you… That we should all accept and celebrate each other’s differences… And that it is a sign of personal growth to love who you are inside and out.
In my opinion, this is a book that every child with vitiligo or any visible difference should have a chance to read. But, more than that, it carries a powerfully empowering and healing message that, if just a percentage of us took it to heart, would change society for the better and add to the sum of human happiness and kindness.
After reading the book, I asked the man behind it about his own experiences and his work.
Shankar, how did your vitiligo diagnosis affect you?
I was around 15 years old when I developed vitiligo. It started off as a tiny white spec on my chest and under my eye. I thought perhaps I wasn’t cleaning myself properly so didn’t speak to anyone about it at the time as I was afraid of what people would think. As it grew bigger I’d wash myself rigorously, hoping it would disappear but it never did. In fact, it only got bigger through the stress I was having about it.
It was only when my gran came to visit on a summer’s day that she noticed it and told my mum to take me to the doctors. And, after several appointments and trying several different creams with no improvement, I was diagnosed with vitiligo.
Not knowing what the condition was, I remember finding it difficult to understand. I mean, whenever you visit the doctor you always think there is something they will prescribe to cure you. But this turned out not to be the case.
What was especially hard was that I didn’t know anyone else with the condition, or have anyone I could look up to. I began to really hate my skin and became self-conscious very quickly. My confidence also declined, especially as the spot grew bigger and people started to notice and ask questions.
I searched everywhere for cures and googling all the time became a daily ritual. I used to see these fake adverts for a magic cream that would get rid of it but they would charge over £200 for a small bottle. The more research I did, the more it got me feeling down. I understood there was no cure to the condition. So in my mind it was like, this is my life now… I don’t know how bad it is going to get, but please let me wake up from this nightmare.
I had several different treatments including UV light therapy, where I stood in a machine for seconds to get exposed to light that is meant to re-pigment the skin. But that didn’t work at all. At this point I was sixteen, I worked on a weekend at a retail store and I used the money I made to pay for my travel card into London to go to the hospital and have this treatment. It was so expensive but I did it because I believed it would help me and I would be cured. But, unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me.
I did however embrace the idea of make-up, which helped me feel more confident in going out. Although at first I was reluctant, it did help me a lot and became a part of my daily routine for several years.
What led you to become a model? And is that your main job now?
By pure luck, a friend asked me to do a shoot with him when I was back at university for my final year and wasn’t wearing make up any more. When I saw the photos I was amazed at the vitiligo beauty shining through. I shared them on social media and was spotted by a modelling agency Zebedee. Then, through them, I did some other amazing shoots, most recently being on the cover of Boots Health and Beauty magazine, which I am so proud of!
This is how positive change takes place, how inclusivity and diversity becomes mainstream. By us putting ourselves out there and celebrating our differences. So I would encourage anyone interested by this idea to go out with a camera and have a photo shoot, see the beauty too and also see where it leads you.
Modelling is only like my side hustle/hobby my main job is in cyber security, which I love.
A lot of people feel they have a book in them somewhere but never act on it. What motivated you to go ahead and do it?
I totally agree with you. Everyone has the makings of a book. This is what makes life beautiful… When it is seen through many different lenses and perspectives.
It all began when I first started a comic series on my Instagram called “The adventures of the vitiligo man” a few years back. It was aimed at adults and followers within the visible difference community and its purpose was to help others in their embracing journey with a before-versus-after recollection of past events in my life. For example, I would recall how it felt to discover a new vitiligo spot, then follow this up with some advice and tips along the way. This is what started me on my creative journey to get across messaging to help support those that need it.
During COVID I had a lot of time to reflect, as we all did with lock-down especially! I thought back to when I was younger, the struggle I went through, the journey I went on, and not having a hero to look up to at such an important time in my life… A time that I now realise would define me as a person.
I got to thinking, what if I could be that support for others? Support them before they even reach their teens? What if I could empower children and help them understand what it is like to have vitiligo, help them through the same journey, and ultimately show them how to turn their differences into superpowers? That’s how the children’s book idea was born. It was in the hopes that, when these children grow up, they grow up embracing their differences, supporting one and another and being their own hero… Changing the world for the better.
So, how much of The Adventures of The Vitiligo Man is based on personal experience?
I would say a lot of the illustrations resonate with my thoughts and feelings as a teenager. One scene in particular, where Awais is holding an alien mask. This shows how Awais feels on the inside. He’d rather cover his face before going to school. I had that same feeling myself. But the breakthrough for me was one day, in my early 20s, when I accidentally left my make up at home while I was staying at a friend’s house. I had to make a choice whether to call in sick at my job to avoid going in as I was, or go in for the first time without make-up… Toughest decision of my life! After battling my mind, you could say that moment is when ‘”the alien mask” fully came off and changed my life forever, as I learnt to embrace my vitiligo for what it was.
Courage is always rewarded. And, for me, the reward was being able to be my true self for the first time in over seven years and not look back. In fact, ever since I was able to embrace it, I no longer see myself as a vitiligo “sufferer”. I see myself as an advocate and vitiligo as a blessing. I don’t wish to ever be cured. It’s a part of who I am and I couldn’t be prouder.
What was the process of writing the book like and has it changed you in any way?
I used online courses, through BBC Maestro, with popular children’s author Julia Donaldson. This helped me understand how I should be thinking, how I should be planning and the key things to include in a children’s book story.
When I came to writing the book, the story changed a number of times. There were many gaps too. I knew how I wanted to start it, and I knew the ending right away. But the most important part in the middle was the hardest part to unravel. I think this is why it took me so long to do. On top of that, I hired an illustrator and we had many different mock-ups of Awais and other characters until we came to the final version six months into the process. But I can say it was all worth it when I see the final book as it is. I couldn’t have asked for anything better!
I then used a self-publisher to help pull everything together and after several months it was complete and available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, amongst other stores.
One way writing the book has changed me is I have realised that, as humans, we really can do anything if we put our mind to it. So never think you aren’t capable of something you want to achieve. With time, effort, and hard work you will get there, whatever your dream!
Do you have any advice for readers of this blog whose vitiligo causes them mental distress?
Please know that you aren’t alone in any way and that you will get through these dark-seeming times. There is so much support out there. Charities like Changing Faces and The Vitiligo Society are great places to start, with advice, tips and support available. There is also a huge amount of positive social media, where people share their stories and celebrate their differences too. I’d say follow these types of accounts and, in time, you’ll see how it changes how you think and feel. The positive messages you read and take in everyday will definitely help your mindset.
I can promise you the journey you are going on has the biggest reward of all… When you can embrace yourself for who you are, you will see you can achieve and do anything in this world.
Finally, Shankar, as a vitiligo advocate, what future achievement would give you the most satisfaction?
I’d love for the book to really take off and be available worldwide in order to actively promote positive change and help as many children as possible from across the globe. The feedback I have received so far warms my heart and makes me so happy. It really is making the impact I wanted it to. Children are becoming their own superheroes, embracing who they are and, at least, understanding what vitiligo is at a young age. Ultimately, this has already given me the biggest satisfaction.
You can follow Shankar on Instagram @thevitiligoman and via his website – thevitiligoman.co.uk
Changing Faces is the UK’s leading charity for anyone with a scar, mark or visible condition on their face or body. Find out more about who they are and what they do to support people with visible difference and to educate and raise awareness at changingfaces.org.uk.
The Vitiligo Society is a UK-based charity with a global reach who supports, inspires and educates about vitiligo. Visit them at vitiligosociety.org
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