ETK Talks: beauty that’s deeper than skin deep

Hi lovelies!

I was looking back at pictures from 2018 when I was at the world health assembly for what became a life changing event – but my face was at the worst it’s ever been:

I’m smiling so big because at the end of the day, this was a big opportunity for my public health career – so scars had to be forgotten about and I had to be on top form

I remember how I got to this position – the day before my graduation dinner I went to a spa in Ilorin as per treat myself, I had just finished medical school that was not a guarantee at some points (my journey was tumultuous) – so I felt a pamper session was deserved. That pamper session involved a technician forcefully pressing every pimple on my face and gosh it hurt so much – little did I know that I would develop scars on every single one of them – within 24 hours. It’s not like the pimples were bothering me, they were flesh colored so they didn’t stand out in photos – but by the time they scarred – I was covered in black spots; weeks before the most important conference of my life.

Me at the final year photo shoot just before the “spa session” later that day :’(

I was shattered having to see that in the mirror the next few days, seeing the look of pity on people’s faces when they first saw me…it all was a lot. You may wonder why I didn’t just wear makeup – it wasn’t an option to me then based on my upbringing in a certain church, so even when affronted with such a crisis on my face – I still didn’t opt for it because it was against my beliefs.

When I attended Omowunmi’s mum’s 50th with all my spots on full display. It might sound silly but I had just finished medical school, about to step out into the real world and all of a sudden my face was riddled with scars. Even these photos are filtered, I couldn’t bear to look at the raw images.

Sounds crazy but you know what, I appreciate the mental fortitude I was forced to develop – I had to give myself pep talks to remember that it’s not my face that got me into this job – it’s my brains and capacity. I had to put on a shield of self-confidence and a brave face and I still networked like no man’s business. I was meeting and greeting, sharing contact details and strategically positioning myself for opportunities despite how my skin looked – and it paid off; I did get an international non-governmental organization role from the networking I did that week.

My heavy networking got me right to the top – here is me with the Director General of the World Health Organization- Dr Tedros

I thought to document this experience because at the time it felt like my world was crashing down but in reality, people seemed to admire my tenacity – in spite of my challenges. So now that I’ve changed my stance on make up – it’s not a mask for me, it’s merely a way of showing my creativity. I got to really love myself for who I am, flaws and all, before makeup came into the picture. And I love that for me.