Sara Geurts Is A 26 Year Old Model With A Rare Skin Condition Who's Redefining Beauty

26 Year old body-positive model Sara Geurts has a rare skin condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), the disorder affects the connective tissues supporting the skin, bones, and blood vessels. And although she's very young, it causes her skin to wrinkle as though she was much older. Bit for Sara Geurts it's a skin disorder that isn’t going to stop her from living her life to the fullest and pursue a successful modelling career.

The skin condition inhibits the body's ability to produce collagen and this causes the skin to sag and wrinkle. And while 26 year old Geurts admits that it has caused her to feel insecure about her looks, as it would, she's also now embraced it. She's achieved this by deciding to confront contemporary beauty standards head on and become a model, proudly showing off her skin condition and challenging traditional perceptions of attractiveness.

“My skin was my biggest insecurity,” Sara Geurts remarks in the video above by Barcroft TV. “But now I think it’s the most beautiful thing ever. Each imperfection you have is individual to you, and it tells a story about you and who you are, and the struggle and the journey that you have been on.”

26 Year Old Sara Geurts & Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

26 Year Old Model Sara Geurts With Ehlers-Danlos syndrome 11.

The rare skin condition, which around 1 in 5,000 people can suffer from, causes the skin to look very saggy but it also makes it fragile too. It also makes her muscles and joints fragile as well, which can be painful. "The classical type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome affects our joints, it affects our skin, everything." Guerts says. "It’s a multi systematic disorder, so it affects every system within our body.”

So not only is Geurts fighting prejudice of how she looks as a 26 year old, but she's also doing it while fighting the discomfort of the skin condition too. Originally from Minnesota Guerts has now moved to Los Angeles to pursue her modelling career. While there she hopes to change people's preconceptions and confront out culture's ideas of beauty. Even if that means confronting an industry built around convention.

“You’re going to meet people who are intimidated by you,” she's said on her Instagram. “At 26 years old you’re different. People don’t know how to react or how to accept someone who doesn’t follow the crowd. They are not used to someone who doesn’t try to fit in — So instead of bolstering your uniqueness, they’ll try and make you feel like you’re weird or damaged. I’m here to offer some well earned advice : Screw them.”

Follow Sara Guerts on Instagram here.