![\"Indian](\"https:\/\/dermacupid.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Indian-Vitiligo-Model-Shantanu-Gosavi.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nVitiligo might be a challenge for some, making them conscious of their looks, but for Shantanu Gosavi, his patched skin has helped him become an art model.<\/p>\n
Hailed as one of the first male models with vitiligo in India, Shantanu has become the face of unconventional art modeling in a very short period of time.<\/p>\n
His dual shaded skin attracts immediate attention and he embrace and enjoys all this spotlight in a positive sense.<\/p>\n
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A textile design graduate from NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Shantanu is a freelance artist, trying his hands with modeling, photography, designing and dancing.<\/p>\n
He is not your average model<\/a><\/strong> you casually see on the billboards, but he himself is a work of art.<\/p>\n Having embraced his two different skin tones as strength, Shantanu is not only breaking barriers in the world of fashion but also bursting the conventional definition of beauty.<\/p>\n Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition; the immune system mistakenly attacks body\u2019s own skin cells to cause patches due to discoloration.<\/p>\n It\u2019s non-contagious, does not spread by physical contact and also, quite non-painful. So, on the physical level, vitiligo is not a big deal but the psychological consequences are hard to ignore for many.<\/p>\n Visible patches on the body, bringing frequent public stares can affect a person\u2019s self-esteem as s\/he harbors poor body image in the long run.<\/p>\n But that isn\u2019t the case for Shantanu. He first noticed the patches appearing when he was 8 or 9 years old. But his parents didn\u2019t seem too worried about it and the reason for that \u2018care-free\u2019 attitude might lie in the family itself.<\/p>\n “My mother is also having the white spots, so it was not something strange or unusual to me. I think this familiarity to vitiligo helped me embrace it without much struggle. Having seen my mother living almost a very normal life, I never thought that vitiligo is going to affect the quality of my life ever and I was not wrong thinking that way.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n The people around him, family and peers, never took vitiligo something out of the ordinary. According to Shantanu, during his school days, he never got the \u2018attention\u2019 due to vitiligo and it saved him from developing any negative mindset towards his skin.<\/p>\n It\u2019s only after the modeling assignments, words of appreciation and recognition has started to come his way and he is really enjoying this feeling.<\/p>\n Growing up, he was suggested numerous treatments and he tried them too, but nothing worked and then he accepted it as it was. Without resistance, he allowed the process of skin depigmentation to take the natural course and now that vitiligo is almost all over his skin, he shows off his skin with even more pride and confidence.<\/p>\n Modeling was not something Shantanu always thought of pursuing. Being a young man in early 20s, as he was getting comfortable with the changes in his skin, he was a bit self-conscious and camera shy. But seeing everyone being so accepting and encouraging around him, Shantanu decided to experiment with the camera on his social media profiles. His modeling journey started when the local seller of a reputed clothing brand spotted him and offered him a modeling assignment. As he posted his picture of collaboration with the brand, more and more brands and photographers started noticing him. They were on the lookout to find unconventional models and Shantanu\u2019s striking confidence and his unique appearance made him a perfect choice.<\/p>\n His favorite work is his collaboration with the photographer Arka Patra in \u2018Portraits of Men\u2019. Beautiful hand-drawn flowers all over his body as he posed with pastel flowers against his pale skin to emphasize more on the beauty his dual skin tone carries.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A post shared by | s h a n t a n u | (@shantanugosavi)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFamily and friends are Shantanu’s biggest support system<\/h3>\n
Vitiligo does not have a cure and it’s alright<\/h3>\n
How Shantanu became India’s first male model with Vitiligo?<\/h3>\n
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