Winnie Harlow Poses Nude on the Cover of 'Women's Health' to Show the Beauty of Her Vitiligo: 'Inspiration'

"I got a lot of no's along the way, but I just pushed through," Harlow said of conquering the modeling industry with her vitiligo

Winnie Harlow is laying it all bare.

The 28-year-old model shows off her body on the cover of Women's Health in a series of photos shot in the desert while discussing the beauty of having vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color.

Harlow was photographed in several different poses, each showcasing the pigmentation across her body. She accessorized with only a pair of silver V-shaped earrings to complete the look, with her hair styled in beachy waves.

Harlow, whose real name is Chantelle Whitney Brown-Young, admitted to PEOPLE in 2021 that there was a time when she doubted if she could make it in the modeling industry, but said she persevered to build a career.

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"My younger self always believed in the power of faith, strength, and perseverance, while learning vulnerability and being authentically myself," she expanded to Women's Health. "I got a lot of no's along the way, but I just pushed through."

"To achieve my goals with the world watching has been scary at times, but all in all, the ultimate blessing," she added.

Related:'Making the Cut' Star Winnie Harlow on Her Supermodel Fame: 'My Plan Was to Never Fail'

The CAY Skin founder told Women's Health that now that she's in front of the camera, she wants to be an "inspiration" to others with the disease. She recalled one fan who came up to her and told her that their mother also had vitiligo and had tried to cover her arms out of embarrassment.

"They said, 'My whole life, my mother never felt beautiful, and then I showed her a picture of you and now she wears short sleeves,'" Harlow told the publication. "It's beautiful that I can help inspire confidence in people, no matter what walk of life they are from."

Along with inspiring people to become more comfortable in their own skin, she also told the publication that she is passionate about sun care and her brand CAY Skin, after getting sunburned so badly during a Bahamas photo shoot that her vitiligo was altered.

"I was shooting from sunup to sundown on the beach," she told the publication, adding that she'd been discouraged from reapplying sunscreen during the shoot due to its white cast. "Obviously, shooting on the beach without sunscreen is insane, but I did it to get good shots."

Related:Winnie Harlow on Launching Her First Skincare Brand CAY Skin: 'It's My Own Child'

Harlow said sunscreen is now a must for her, along with focusing on strength training to keep her body strong. She noted that she wants people to define their own beauty, too.

"I want to show the world that beauty is whatever we each want it to be," Harlow said.

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