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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Natalie Ambersley

A moment that changed me: I felt hugely self conscious about my skin - until I had a revelation

Natalie Ambersley, in a white bodysuit and jeans, sitting in a director-style chair
Natalie Ambersley, pictured in 2025. Photograph: Courtesy of Natalie Ambersley

The microphone felt heavier than I expected. As I stood on stage at a London comedy club last December, I looked out at a room full of strangers sitting quietly, waiting for me to make them laugh. It felt nerve-racking and surreal. I had spent years hiding my vitiligo, hoping people wouldn’t notice it. Now I was about to joke about it in my set.

I was three years old when I developed my first patch of vitiligo on the back of my hand, which later spread to my arms, legs, face and other parts of my body. By the time I was six years old, 70% of me was covered. I was too young to understand what was happening.

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