Model with genetic disorder takes on fashion world

Model with rare genetic disorder takes on fashion world

Melanie Gaydos was born with a disorder that left her bald and with no adult teeth - but that hasn't stopped her from becoming a fashion model.

Melanie Gaydos, 27, was born with a rare genetic disorder called ectodermal dysplasia which affects the growth of teeth, pores, cartilage, nails and hair.

This condition has left Melanie, who was born with a cleft palette and alopecia, with no hair and no teeth.

Born in Connecticut, Melanie was a keen artist and her passion for art took her to New York City’s Pratt Institute where she started focusing her work on self-portraits.

“I think it helps other people to see me in a different way rather than if they met me on the street, and what their preconceived notions might be,” Melanie told Yahoo!Style

Melanie had dreams of becoming “larger than life” but she was considering acting until her boyfriend suggested she get into fashion scene and try her hand at modelling.

“He encouraged me to try modelling just for the fun of it,” Melanie told Yahoo!Style. “He helped me to understand that I am the only person who looks like me, that there was potential.”

Melanie, who counts Miley Cyrus amongst her fans, has a growing portfolio of work including a music video for the band Rammstein.