A professional dancer said that she won’t have plastic surgery to remove a birthmark underneath her right eye.
The Mail noted that her parents had considered removing the birthmark upon her birth, but they feared the scarring and other issues would be worse. They eventually declined the surgery.
“My birthmark is a huge part of me,” she told the paper. “It makes me unique and memorable, which is especially important for the career I’ve chosen.”
She said that, however, one casting agent told her to digitally erase it from her headshots.
“As my birthmark sunk through several layers of skin, plastic surgery was the only option for removal. Doctors gave my parents a choice, warning them there could be scarring or I could be left with a lazy eye,” Naud told the Mail.
She added: “I’m so glad my parents chose to leave my birthmark as it’s part of who I am. Having a birthmark distinguishes me - and I don’t feel that it has ever held me back.”
The dancer said she is used to attracting attention from strangers.
“People come up to me in the street and ask me about it. I don’t shy away from questions - it’s natural to be curious,” Naud told the paper. “It’s covered in hair which makes it difficult to disguise, but I honestly don’t mind. I know some people might feel sorry for me, but I’m confident in how I look.”
When she was younger, Naud said she was bullied for her looks.
“Their cruel remarks were hard to deal with and I‘d often fight back tears. I felt ugly - even if only for that moment - and I was terrified of how I’d be treated once I got to high school,” she said.
“They‘d taunt me saying: ‘You’ll get beat up in high school.’ and ‘The hair on your cheek is gross,’” she said.
Later, when she got older, Naud said she considered getting plastic surgery.
However, when she approached a surgeon, they advised her that a procedure might leave negative, lasting results.
“I told my mum that I wanted to remove my birthmark. My parents were shocked but understanding of my decision and immediately booked an appointment with a plastic surgeon,” she said. “He explained the scarring I‘d be left with and I immediately changed my mind. I figured it wouldn’t be worth it and told my mum that I’d prefer to keep my individuality.”
In the People interview, Naud said she has “grown to love it.”
“It definitely helps people remember me,” Naud added. “One time I was shopping back in my hometown and this woman came up to me and said, ‘I delivered you! I was one of the nurses in the delivery room!’ It was cool that she was able to see me and just know that that was me.”
