A model with vitiligo says people ask him if his skin is a "Halloween costume" - or if he was "burned in a fire"."

Yvesmark Chery, 27, developed the autoimmune disorder - which causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color - aged four.

He got into modelling after being encouraged by an ex - and is now living in Paris and working for top brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Balmain, and Gucci.

Yvesmark says people often ask him about his vitiligo - which he describes as a bit like a "tattoo"."

He posted a TikTok about the condition which has received more than 1.2m 'likes'.

In the clip he highlights some of the questions he gets asked - including "yes, this is something Michael Jackson had"."

Yvesmark, from the US, said he tries to ignore the negativity - and is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Winnie Harlow.

The 29-year-old model also has vitiligo and shot to fame after appearing on TV.

Yvesmark said: "I laugh at [the comments] to be honest - it doesn't affect me."

"[But] I want other people to see that we still have a long way to go."

Yvesmark discovered he had the condition when he was four years old after he moved from New York to Philadelphia.

He woke up with a small little patch around his eye - which kept growing.

He said: "I thought it was dirt and kept rubbing my eye. But it ended up being vitiligo, after my parents and I went to the doctors."

"It's just been expanding over the years and it changes at random. Some days I wake up and will be like, ‘Oh, a new spot.’"

Growing up, Yvesmark kept a positive attitude towards his condition - even in the face of mean comments from other kids.

He said: "It was definitely something that was noticeable because kids were always very honest and blunt."

"They’d say things like 'what's wrong with your face?'. Or call me names like tiger or zebra."

"So it was definitely rough - but I never focused on the negativity."

Yvesmark was working for Apple in 2019 after he graduated from Penn State University.

But he quit in November 2022 to pursue modelling full-time.

He was encouraged to get into the industry by an ex - and has not looked back.

Yvesmark collaborates with his older brother Daniel Chery, 33, a celebrity stylist, and gives him credit for being an inspiration growing up.

He is hoping to venture into acting and works with an acting coach.

And he said: "Find out what makes you happy, what hobbies you like, because at the end of the day, people are always going to find something to say."

Yvesmark's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yvesmark.chery/video/7331424944573795627.