Albino woman wears fake tan to hide condition after being 'abused, bullied and spat on'

20.10.2022 - 16:05 / dailyrecord.co.uk

A young albino woman says she wears make-up everyday after being "abused, bullied and even spat on" because of her appearance. Billie-Jo Randall says she has been physically attacked in public because of her disability and has "rude comments hurled at her" whenever she leaves the house.

Her mental health has suffered as a result, with the 21-year-old saying she often wears fake tan and tones her hair to try hide her condition. Albinism reduces the amount of melanin produced by the body, which can affect colouring and eyesight. Those with the condition tend to have very light skin and hair as well as pink, red or violet eyes.

In an interview with Daily Star, Billie-Jo, from Yorkshire, said: “I started wearing fake tan around two years ago due to rude comments hurled at me about my fair, lily-white skin, which started to bother me a lot. I then went on to toning my hair around a year ago due to the bullying I was getting in public places for having naturally white hair.

"This affected my mental health, so I started toning my hair lilac. I currently wear makeup every day to hide the fact I’m albino due to the abusive behaviour I got from people in public places. I'm human, so the fact that I’m an albino should not be treated any differently.

"Due to my albinism, I have faced so much discrimination, such as being spat on in the face in a public environment during college. I have also had physical attacks in public due to my disability and how I look.”

Billie-Jo currently doesn’t work because of her disability and the effects it has on her day-to-day life. Her condition means she has visual impairments, which result in her struggling with everyday tasks such as walking and seeing things clearly.

People with albinism have skin that