“I’m Allowed to Be Beautiful,” a Model With a Rare Skin Disorder Challenges the Beauty Industry

Model Jeyźa Kaelani is breaking barriers in the beauty industry, showing that elegance comes in many different forms. Her story is especially powerful because she lives with ichthyosis — a skin condition that leads to dryness and thickening. Although it affects roughly 1 in every 250 people in the U.S., it remains unfamiliar to many.

Jeyźa discovered her passion for modeling during her teenage years.

During her senior year of high school, Jeyźa discovered her passion for modeling, as she later shared in an interview. She recalled how her uncle took her to a prom photoshoot, where she modeled her gown and truly enjoyed the experience. Sometimes, it’s the unexpected moments in life that guide us toward who we are and what we truly want.

Encouraged by her friends and peers, Jeyźa decided to pursue modeling as a full-time career. She began sending applications to various agencies, facing her share of rejections before finally finding the one that was the perfect fit.

For Jeyźa, social media turned out to be both a blessing and a curse.

Social media can be a very scary place due to the anonymity it gives its users. Sometimes people can be mean to others online due to the lack of accountability. When Jeyźa started posting content online, she received hurtful comments from internet trolls.

As she recalls, she learned to ignore the mean comments and focus only on the positive ones. Although Jeyźa had some negative experiences online, she also had great opportunities knocking on her door. It was thanks to her Instagram that she found the agency she is currently working with.

The beauty industry’s long-standing standards are now being challenged.

Jeyźa has become a positive force in the beauty community, giving visibility to people who have long been underrepresented in the media. Thanks to her and other inspiring activists, the definition of beauty is steadily expanding.

Her recent milestones — appearing in Vogue Italia and landing the cover of Glamour magazine — mark not only personal triumphs but also victories for those who see themselves reflected in her success. In an emotional social media post, Jeyźa wrote: “I refuse to say ‘this is crazy’ anymore because I know this is meant. This is necessary.”

Her platform has become a powerful tool for inspiring and uplifting others.

“I want the platform I am walking into to be one full of boldness, confidence and inspiration,” Jeyźa once said about her social media presence — and her Instagram page reflects exactly that.

She also shared a powerful mantra that helps her embrace confidence, and it’s one we can all take to heart: “I am allowed to be beautiful. [...]. I am allowed to inspire. I can be free. I get to exist however I desire.”

From the moment he was born, Tomm Tennent amazed doctors and his family — he entered the world with enough skin to cover a 5-year-old child. But wait until you see him today — his transformation is truly remarkable!