'I'M PROUD TO BE DIFFERENT': US TEENAGER COVERED WITH HUNDREDS OF BIRTHMARKS AROUND HER BODY

A teenage girl who was taunted by school bullies has embraced the hundreds of birthmarks that cover her entire face and body.

Ciera Swaringen, 19, of Rockwell, North Carolina, was born with mole-like birthmarks that spread from her head to her toes.

Her rare skin condition affects just one in 500,000 people and covers more than two-thirds of her body - with the largest mark stretching from her lower thighs to her navel.

Since she was a child, the teenager has endured cruel taunts from strangers, but she has now grown to love her unique appearance.

'Teenage boys are usually the first ones to comment when they see me,' she said. 'They say things like, 'You look like you're dirty, take a wash.'


'But I'm so proud to be different and, at the end of the day, we all have something about us that's unusual, whether it's on the inside or the outside.

'Everyone is born to look different, and we should all feel beautiful in our own skin.'

At birth, Ciera was diagnosed with Giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevus - a skin condition that causes over-sized moles or birthmarks to appear on the body.