WOMAN WITH "VITILGO" GETS THE MAKEOVER TRANSFORMATION OF HER LIFE WITH MAKEUP

Lisa Johnson developed vitiligo when she was a child and bullies have made her life a misery ever since
A woman was left with huge white patches all over her body after developing skin condition vitiligo as a child.

Lisa Johnson, 24, who is from Los Angeles, was targeted by bullies who made her life a misery.

But a new treatment and a state of the art makeover could be about to change that.


Lisa Johnson suffers from depigmentation of parts of her skin

Lisa suffered horrendous bullying for over 17 years before seeking professional help with the condition 

Lisa, here after her face treated with the specialist coverup, says it has boosted her confidence and allowed her to be herself again

Lisa, right, with her sister Jessica after her transformative makeover which covers her vitiligo 

She said: 'It's a condition which causes my skin to turn a different colour.

'I now have white patches covering more than a third of my body.'

The condition is not life-threatening but its psychological effects can be devastating to sufferers.

'When I was in high school the kids were very mean to me,' added the 24-year-old.

'The abuse, the name-calling and the fighting were all very difficult to deal with.

'I would just go home and cry - I would always run home straight to my sister, she has always had my back and fought my battles for me.

'I'm just so glad I had somebody there who would stick up for me and help me through the difficult times.

Lisa pictured with skin specialist Dr Pearl Grimes who hopes to give her Narrowband UV light therapy

Lisa, seen prior to a light therapy treatment, says she often receives stares and jibes in public 

'The years of bullying have led me to always expect the worst when I'm out in public. It's really difficult.'

When she is walking around her home city of Los Angeles in America, Lisa often attracts stares from passersby.

Her friend Robert Allen said: 'The stares are difficult to deal with. 

Until the light therapy has had a chance to take effect, Lisa is having make-up applied to cover her white patches 

The make-up is perfectly shaded to Lisa's skin using a specialist computer program 

The computer analysis means that the make up is an exact match to Lisa's skin, creating the illusion of normal skin and totally transforming Lisa's day-to-day life 

Lisa seen with dermatologist Lindakay Rendina after make up has been used to cover her vitiligo 

'Instead of just saying: 'Hello, how are you?' people just stare at her.

'Amazingly she does not let it get to her or if she does, she does not show it.'

WHAT IS VITILIGO? 

Vitiligo is a long-term condition that causes pale, white patches to develop on the skin due to lack of a chemical called melanin.

Melanin is produced by specialised skin cells called melanocytes, gives your skin its colour and protects it from the sun.

It is not exactly clear what causes this lack of melanin, but it has been linked to problems with the immune system (autoimmune conditions) and nerve endings in the skin.

Certain things can increase your chances of developing vitiligo, such as a family history of the condition or having another autoimmune problem, like hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland).

Vitiligo can affect any area of your skin, but most commonly occurs on skin exposed to the sun, such as your face, neck and hands.

The condition varies from person to person. Some people only get a few small, white patches that progress no further. Other people get bigger white patches that join up across large areas of their skin.

There is no way of predicting how much of your skin will be affected. The white patches are usually permanent.