People come in all shapes and sizes; this is not news to anyone. However, we are more used to certain physical attributes than others.
For instance, we're used to seeing lots of different skin colors or sizes, or even hair textures.
However, what most of us aren't used to is someone without any teeth or hair, which is the category that model Melanie Gaydos falls into.
The rising star is used to double-takes over her unusual appearance, but she has learned to love her looks.
The fashion industry, no longer as interested in conforming to traditional beauty standards, has embraced Melanie.
Today, Melanie is helping to break beauty barriers in the fashion world — she is well on her way to achieving true fashion icon status.
Be sure to SHARE Melanie's powerful story with your friends on Facebook!
Melanie Gaydos, 27, was born with a condition called ectodermal dysplasia.
According to the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias, the conditions area "a diverse group of genetic disorders that involve defects of the hair, nails, teeth, skin and glands."
Melanie's case of the disorder affects her hair and teeth, both of which she does not naturally have.
It also impacts her pores and ability to regulate her body temperature.
According to the Huffington Post, Melanie felt like she could never get enough water as a kid. However, her body doesn't bother her so much as an adult.
The Independent reports that the model was treated as if she were sick or contagious for most of her life, although she is neither.
Her unusual appearance may have opened her up to cruelty from people who don't know, but she's never let the opinions of others slow her down.
Now that Melanie is a little older and more comfortable with herself, she owns her unique image and embraces modeling and talking about her condition.
In fact, she even had a pair of dental implants custom-made on the show The Doctors. However, she had them removed and has mostly refused to wear dentures since.
Melanie tells The Independent that "the main reasons are that at my age I feel more comfortable eating the way I already do (and I eat quite a lot!) and the dentures were seriously more of a hindrance to me."
The 27-year-old first became involved with modeling when she was an art student in New York City. She spotted a Craigslist ad for "unique people" to be subjects for fashion photographers, according to Harper's Bazaar.
The first photos received a mixed response on the internet, which is no surprise for anyone who has been on the internet.
Haters aside, Melanie's career has taken off since she first had her picture taken. She has since worked with several world renowned photographers.
She has even appeared in a music video for German metal band Rammstein, which is a big step for any model to make, let alone one so unique
She walks in major fashion shows every year, and even has a major spread in i-D Magazine coming out this summer.
Check out Melanie's beautiful work on her Facebook page, and be sure to SHARE the model's story about overcoming obstacles and opening minds!
