Sara Geurts, a model with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, is redefining beauty
Sara Geurts is a 29-year-old model with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a rare condition that causes baggy skin. Geurts was diagnosed with type 1 and type 12 EDS which affects the collagen and skin’s connective tissue when she was 10. Her skin is more delicate and less elastic than most people her age.
“In high school, I just tried to cover it up. I didn’t want anyone to ask me questions about it. I didn’t want to talk about it,” Geurts told The Sun. “I would say my biggest insecurity was my skin. As I got older it, it just kind of started to show more and more.”
But following a bad breakup when she was 22, Geurts decided she needed to change her perception of herself.
“I tried to cover up my skin constantly. But now I think it’s just the most beautiful thing ever,” Geurts told The Sun. “Just the uniqueness and the rarity, the way the lines form and the art that is made from the patterns that are there. It’s amazing.”
In 2015, Geurts embraced her appearance and submitted her story to the Love Your Lines body positivity campaign. Her experienced resonated with many and now she unapologetically shows off her body in photos.
Plus, Geurts isn’t alone. Models like Winnie Harlow, who has vitiligo, and Mirian Njoh, who has albinism, are introducing the world to a more expansive definition of beauty by celebrating their skin differences.
“I hope that it raises awareness for Ehlers-Danlos,” Geurts told People of sharing her story. “Even if it inspires just one person who thinks they might have it to look up the symptoms or talk to their doctor about it, that alone is the whole reason I’m doing it. That, and to ease the journey to self-love for every individual out there who thinks they need to hide their imperfections because society tells them to. Our imperfections are our perfections and they’re worth celebrating.”
If you liked this story, check out this article about deaf TikTok star Chrissy Marshall.
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