A woman with a skin condition has been called "Meghan Markle with vitiligo" after becoming a model.
Reham Soliman, 34, was diagnosed with vitiligo when she was 14 and it has since spread to more than 60 per cent of her body.
Growing up, she was bullied for her skin condition and grew to resent it, until six years ago when she decided to stop caring what people thought.
Reham, from Cairo, Egypt, was then approached by a modelling agency in 2020 that wanted to feature her in a skincare brand.
Now she gets told she looks like " Meghan Markle with vitiligo".
She said: "Growing up as my vitiligo started spreading, children called me cow and clown.
"I noticed twice that people did not want to shake my hand as they believed vitiligo is contagious.
"There were situations in university where people did not want to sit beside me.
"They would purposefully change the direction they were going in, I have been stared at in the streets all my life.
"People come up to me to ask me what's wrong with my face, whether I am a burn victim or if I do not know how to apply makeup.
"My friends, however, have often commented that I look like Meghan Markle with vitiligo.
"That is why I was so surprised when a skincare brand approached me for a modelling opportunity.
"It was an unbelievable experience and I have seen how it has encouraged so many other people to accept their differences."
Reham did say that modelling isn't always enjoyable and not always a great experience.
She said: "A while ago I was approached by a modelling agency that wanted to feature me as a diverse model.
"However, when I went to their studio they had me in for a completely different photoshoot in a different category called TODAA.
"They were classifying people with unique characteristics and just using the veil of diversity for publicity.
"I asked them not to use my pictures and I was very disappointed by the agency as a whole after that incident.
"I have vitiligo but I am still a human being, I do not like being pigeonholed and categorised and locked in a corner."
Overall, Reham believes her being so confident in her skin has encouraged others to accept their flaws.
She said: "I get a lot of positive feedback from people all over the world for my pictures that I did not accept.
"And not just from the vitiligo community but from anyone that does not fit into society's standards of beauty.
"People with weight or health problems approach me to say that seeing me makes them feel alright with being different.
"People can be different and still live their lives and be happy."
