A woman who developed vitiligo thought her skin changing colour was from "cooking oil" burns - but said the condition "saved" her from an "unhealthy" relationship."

Akenna Kublal, 36, was working as an air steward when turbulence caused her to bang her right knee into an armrest in 2015.

After damaging the cartilage in her knee, Akenna underwent surgery at a local hospital and left her cabin crew role for a job in administration.

Two months later, she noticed "small white dots" appearing on the back of both hands. "

At first, Akenna thought it was "splatters of cooking oil" after having burnt herself cooking."

But when the dots spread to her fingers, she visited a dermatologist who diagnosis her with vitiligo - a rare autoimmune condition which causes the loss of pigment in skin and hair.

Akenna believed the stress of the injury "triggered" the vitiligo, and further stress before ending an "unhealthy" relationship made it "worse" - losing pigment to the entirety of her hands. "

By 2018, vitiligo had affected the pigment in her legs, tops of her feet and eventually her face.

The mum-of-two says strangers have referred to her vitiligo as "that thing" on her skin, but now she embraces her condition."



Akenna, an author, from Trinidad, the Caribbean, said: "I thought the marks were splatters from cooking oil burns."

"When my relationship with my ex-partner wasn't great, I saw a visual representation of how unhealthy it was between us."

"I could see the pigment in my skin change as our relationship became more turbulent. "

"Vitiligo saved me - it made me end things."

"Some people stare or make comments of "that thing" on my skin."

"But it doesn't affect me now because I see beauty in being unique. "

"I want to show my daughters the importance of self-worth." "

After sustaining a knee injury in December 2015, Akenna's six-year career as an air steward came to an end.

That same month, she had two-hour knee surgery and transferred into an administrative role for an airline.



In January 2016, Akenna started to notice "small dots" around her hands and fingers which she initially though was "splatters" from cooking oil. "

However, when they didn't fade, March 2016 she paid out of picked to visit a dermatologist who ran blood tests and examinations under a blue light.

Two weeks later, tests revealed that Akenna had developed the autoimmune condition vitiligo.



"The physical impact was minor, but it was the mental impact of not being able to continue to do the job that I loved," Akenna said. "

"I was sad when I had to change from cabin crew to administration - I loved being an air steward. "

"I believe the stress of it all caused me to develop vitiligo. "

"It was a shock as I didn't know too much about the condition, so I had to do lots of research myself." "

Whilst there is no treatment for vitiligo, it is thought that emotional stress is a trigger for the condition.

Over the course of four years, Akenna's vitiligo affected the pigment in her legs, tops of her feet and by 2019, her face.

But says going through a breakup from her ex-partner affected her condition the most.

Akenna said: "Things with me and my ex-partner were quite bad between us towards the end, which affected my vitiligo. "

"I literally saw it spreading over my body."

"It made me realise that I needed to make a change."

"The condition affected my body when I was going through the breakup too." "

Despite initially wearing hoodies and long sleeves to cover up, Akenna has learnt to "embrace and see beauty" in her condition. "

"I love my skin because it's unique and beautiful. "

"Strangers stare or make comments like suggesting I change my diet or use creams."

"It used to make me sad or angry, but now I just brush it off. "

"My children used to ask if their dad could pick them up from school because they felt embarrassed about my condition, which did hurt. "

"But I've gently educated them that my condition isn't something that should be hidden. "

"I show then that beauty comes from within."