Melanie Gaydos has a genetic disorder called ectodermal dysplasia, which affects her pores, hair, teeth, and fingernails. She’s also a high fashion model.
“When I go on a photo shoot, the other industry models don’t know what to make of me. They’re usually like, ‘What the f*** is this?’ It’s difficult for me in the fashion world; people think I’m a gimmick and that I’m just being exploited for my differences,” Gaydos says in the emotional video.
The What’s Underneath Project interviews people about how they feel judged for their bodies as they gradually undress and show their bodies as they really are. By the end of her beautifully told story, Gaydos is in her underwear.
“I have thought how I would be if I was born without a cleft palate and with a full head of hair, and I think I would be really boring,” she says. “Even though I’ve been through a lot, they’re my experiences, and I like where everything has brought me today.”
