Gone are the days of dolls that look alike and somehow not like most of us. Today’s toys have begun to reflect diversity, reppin’ nearly every skin color, body type and physical feature represented in our everyday lives. Now, a Missouri artist, Crystal Kay, has taken it a step further, creating custom dolls with the skin condition vitiligo.
“I’m motivated by everyday people I see walking up and down the streets,” said Crystal, who sells the dolls through her brand Kay Customz. The idea was initially a hobby — making dolls and earrings — on top of working an “average job,” People reports.
Each porcelain doll is hand painted by Crystal, and can take hours or days to customize all the features. Her “vitiligo dolls” have gone viral on social media, receiving an overwhelming response from women who’ve never seen anything like this. They’ve never had a doll that looks so much like them. Crystal is proud that her work can fulfill such a great need and help others feel confident in their skin.
“There’s not a lot of reflection out there as far as various medical and skin conditions, and that’s where the ideas came from for the vitiligo, albinism, and so on,” she told Daily Mail. “The possibilities with these dolls are endless because there’s so much diversity in the world,” she added.
What is vitiligo?
“Vitiligo is a condition that causes patchy loss of skin coloring (pigmentation),” according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. “The average age of onset of vitiligo is in the mid-twenties, but it can appear at any age. It tends to progress over time, with larger areas of the skin losing pigment. Some people with vitiligo also have patches of pigment loss affecting the hair on their scalp or body.”
It’s important to note that the skin condition is generally considered an autoimmune disorder, which occurs when the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues and organs. It is believed that vitiligo happens when the immune system attacks pigment cells in the skin.
Vitiligo does not impact overall health in the absence of an autoimmune condition. However, around 15 to 25 percent of those with the skin condition, are often affected by autoimmune disorders including: autoimmune thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, pernicious anemia, Addison disease, or systemic lupus erythematosus.
Sometimes, the skin condition runs in families. Experts suggest that the inheritance pattern is complex and involves several factors, noting that one-fifth of people with vitiligo have one close relative with the condition.
Diverse Beauty
In addition to dolls with vitiligo, Crystal creates other relatable figurines featuring albinism, freckles and natural, curly hair. Fans, celebrities included, can’t get enough. “People are literally in tears when they get their dolls,” said Crystal, who has caught the eye of stars like Tia Mowry and Mike Epps.
“WHEN MIKE EPPS SHARES UR WORK I THINK IT SAFE TO SAY THIS DOLL WENT VIRAL!!” she once wrote on Instagram.
Of course, Crystal isn’t the only one advocating for people with vitiligo and putting the skin condition in the spotlight. You may recall that season 21 of “America’s Next Top Model,” featured Winnie Harlow, a model with vitiligo.
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. ❤️ – Nelson Mandela,” Harlow wrote on Instagram, alongside a stunning selfie.
For more information on Kay Customz dolls, check her out on the ‘Gram @kaycustoms.
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