Well done Polly Gotschi and well done Dragons’ Den!

Last Updated on 2nd November 2024 by Caroline Haye

Great vitiligo coverage – in every sense of the word

I was delighted to see fledgling entrepreneur Polly Gotschi on the hugely popular prime-time BBC TV show Dragons’Den earlier this week.  Her simple and heartfelt business pitch for investment in her Vitiliglow camouflage make-up highlighted the practical and psychological issues facing vitiligo sufferers in a very public way. In the face of this high-pressure situation Gotschi did not – to her immense credit – feign commercial expertise that she clearly didn’t have. She was engagingly open and modest in her presentation and her passion for her business mission was obvious to all. Well done, Polly!

She won the warmth and approval of every one of the dragons – and how many others can claim to have achieved that? Not only did she get two dragons to make her an offer and eventually secured backing from one of them to the tune of £40K, but she also championed the cause of the estimated 1% of the population who suffer with vitiligo. For many viewers I am sure it will have been the first time they ever became aware of this pigmentation disorder. So to see such positive and high-profile exposure for it is very encouraging indeed.

I watched the usually hard-nosed dragons’ reactions to Polly’s presentation. And it was plain to see that every one of them bought in to it emotionally. (Even though only two actually made her an offer.) And what they bought into, it seemed to me, was not necessarily the make-up, but the person behind it. In fact, the mini bidding war that ensued between Touker Suleyman and Sarah Willingham was striking. It appeared to be driven as much by Gotschi’s sincerity, passion and personal charm as by her product.

More than just a business

The other thing I felt watching the programme was a strong, personal sense of kinship with Polly Gotschi. She talked about how she spends a lot of her time blogging, corresponding with other vitiligo sufferers and offering advice. And the dragons were quick to spot the fact that she has a strong social conscience. Her mission is obviously more than just a business.

She is obviously a lovely person to start with. But, added to that, she conveys a compassion and desire to help improve the quality of life for people with vitiligo. And that is something I identify with completely. It was exactly this that motivated me to share my own vitiligo story and to start my blog.

In fact, this same desire to help and share is something that characterises a lot of vitiligo sufferers.  I chat and email on a daily basis with vitiligo friends all over the world. And have noticed that, whilst some are angry and bitter about their condition, most have developed tremendous empathy with each other as a result of their own experiences.

I’m sure this heightened sense of fellow-feeling is not unique to vitiligo. A shared sense of suffering or overcoming has a way of binding people together. But there seems to be a law-of-compensation kind of thing that occurs when people learn to live with what is, for many, a severely disfiguring and confidence-robbing condition. It brings them face-to-face with all sorts of fundamental questions like “how do we perceive others?”, “why do we judge people based on how they look?”, “what matters about a person – their spirit or their skin colour?” And facing these sorts of questions on a daily basis tends to make you a lot more tolerant and compassionate. Probably more than you would ever have been without your vitiligo.

Walking into a dragons’ den every day of your life

This is why the forums and support groups are full of people like Polly who want to help. They are happy to take time to encourage others and share their own experiences. Ironically, many (though by no means all) people with vitiligo feel ugly. Or, at least, they fear that others will see them this way. But I have found more beauty of spirit (and often breathtaking physical beauty too) among my vitiligo friends than you could hope to find via all the modelling agencies on the planet!

Living with a skin condition like vitiligo attracts attention and the risk of judgement or rejection. So it can be a lot like walking into a dragons’ den every day of your life. But the more public exposure vitiligo receives, the easier it becomes to confront those dragons. So, well done the BBC for selecting Polly for the programme. And well done, Polly, for slaying your dragon with such courage and charm.