After 10 years of hiding behind a layer of makeup, former Bachelor contestant and model Breanne Rice is finally ready to show her bare face to the world. Over the past four months, Rice has documented her struggles living with vitiligo — a condition that causes the skin to lose color in patches — to show other women and men that there isn't just one definition of beauty.
"I thought it made me less attractive because I didn't have [normally] pigmented skin," she says in an Instagram post. "I wanted to be like everyone else — and to have the option to not wear makeup and feel confident doing so."
Through speaking out about vitiligo, Rice has regained some of her confidence and has received an overwhelming amount of support for her honesty. "I finally decided to talk about it, and the act of being vulnerable in itself made me gain confidence in a way I hadn't experienced before," she wrote.
Now Rice has made it her mission to own her beauty and help other people along the way. "When I say [I'm] gaining confidence, I don't mean that I don't ever have insecurities about [my skin]... Although I've been through some things, my situation can somehow help other people and other women," she wrote. "I can't change my circumstances, but I can change my attitude and how I view this situation."
Rice's words have a profound impact. There's no denying that society puts a premium on so-called perfection, which can lead any of us to feel insecure about the way we look from time to time. Cheers to Rice for finally discovering how to love herself — and for providing inspiration to others along the way.