This 26-Year-Old Model Wears Her ‘Wrinkles’ With Pride

A 26-year-old woman with a rare condition that makes her look decades older is challenging beauty standards by becoming a model. Hoping to break into the modelling industry, Sara Geurts from Minneapolis, Minnesota, is determined to carve out a successful modelling career despite battling with Dermatosparaxis Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) - a genetic condition that leaves her with excessively saggy skin.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a fairly rare condition affecting only 1 in 5,000 worldwide, however only a dozen people have been diagnosed with Sara’s type of the condition, Dermatosparaxis Ehlers-Dalos syndrome. The syndrome causes Sara to have soft, doughy skin that is extremely fragile and her joints and muscles are also weak and often leave her in discomfort.

At one point in her life Sara’s skin was her biggest insecurity, now she takes pride in her unique look and fully embraces it as she heads towards a career in modelling.

“We are in the generation of albinism models. We have melanin models. We have vitiligo models. We have plus size models. And those are all fabulous things. But the one thing that we are really missing are people with disorders within our everyday commercials.” adds the brave young woman and we can’t help but wish her all the best in her future endeavors!

Videographer / director: William McLeod
Producer: Bunmi Adigun, Ruby Coote
Editor: Joshua Douglas