Mum with birthmarks covering 98 per cent of body won't leave home without makeup

Mum with birthmarks covering 98 per cent of body won't leave home without makeup Laura Kelly, 28, was born with congenital melanocytic naevus and underwent 14 operations before her first birthday and spent her first three months following her birth in hospital A mum who lives with birthmarks that cover 98 per cent of her body said she will not leave the house without makeup, following a lifetime of stares from strangers. Laura Kelly, 28, was born with a rare skin condition called Congenital Melanocytic Naevus (CMN). She underwent 14 operations before her first birthday and spent the first three months of her life in hospital. Despite becoming more confident and sharing her journey online, Laura says she still spends hours covering her skin before taking her three-year-old son Freddie to school. Laura said strangers would often stare, point and whisper about her appearance. But now, the trainee solicitor said she went from hiding her birthmarks completely to sharing them. Laura, from Draperstown, Derry, Northern Ireland, said: "I won't leave the house with no makeup on. "I won't go into a shop. I won't drop my child off at school. None of that. People would blatantly come up and just ask, 'What's wrong with you?' "Through my teenage years it affected me vastly. I knew I was different to everyone else and I would cover myself from head to toe in makeup. "I didn't want anyone to see my birthmarks." She added: "I went from hiding my birthmarks completely to sharing them and trying to show people that we can't change how we look, but we can change how we see. "Being different is unique and being unique is better than being perfect. CMN is a rare genetic skin condition consisting of large, often hairy moles, and they cover 98 per cent of her body. Laura's first year of life was dominated by surgery and treatment. She said: "The first three months of my life were spent in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. "In my first year of life I underwent 14 operations. I had plaster casts covering the whole of my body. "My first proper bath was Christmas Eve 1998 - 9 months after I was born." She added: "My parents were told I would not live past the age of 8, yet here I am a mother and trainee solicitor about to get married. "I have achieved so much in life because my parents didn't wrap me in bubble wrap. I was raised to be resilient." Growing up in the close-knit town of Draperstown helped shield Laura from unwanted attention. She said: "Everybody knew Laura for being the wee girl with birthmarks. "But whenever I went further afield, there was staring, pointing and whispering. People would blatantly come up and ask, 'What's wrong with you?' "It hurt me as a child. It hurt my parents." Despite being supported by family and friends, Laura became increasingly self-conscious as she got older. She said: "Through my teenage years it affected me vastly. I knew I was different to everyone else and I would cover myself from head to toe in makeup. "I didn't want anyone to see my birthmarks." Laura admits she still spends hours getting ready before leaving the house. She said: "When I drop my son off at school, I'm up from seven o'clock in the morning applying makeup to my face and using my creams and ointments. Because her skin is extremely sensitive, she uses prescribed products to cover her birthmarks. She said: "My skin is very dry, it's flaky, and it bleeds as well. I feel like the products that irritate my skin more are the products that take the makeup off. "When I take the makeup off, my cheeks are always on fire. Sometimes I'm like, 'I'm not leaving the house today because my skin is sore today.'" Laura must also closely monitor her birthmarks because CMN can increase the risk of melanoma, a type of skin cancer. She attends regular dermatology appointments and says new birthmarks continue to appear. She said: "From birth until now, so many more birthmarks have formed. I feel like I know every spot on my skin, and I know whenever new ones have formed. "It is my job to keep an eye on them so that there are no changes and they don't look abnormal." Although she still struggles with confidence, Laura says 2026 has marked a turning point. She credits her fiancé Mark and young son with helping her slowly embrace her appearance. She said: "I feel like only now I wouldn't be slowly accepting myself and becoming more confident if it wasn't for them. "I'm just not there yet, but everything takes time. I hope someday I will embrace the skin that I'm in." Laura has now begun sharing her experiences on social media and engaging with the Charity 'Caring Matters Now' that works to raise awareness of CMN and support others living with the condition. She said: "I want to raise awareness of CMN and support others with visible skin differences. "Social media is a massive part of society right now. I can go on social media with no makeup because I'm behind the screen. "I can't delete what someone says to me in person. If I can make people aware of my condition and why I look like this, then I don't have to explain myself to others in public." Through the charity Caring Matters Now, Laura has connected with others living with CMN for the first time. She said: "I realised there are so many people with CMN but nobody sees these people. "They share experiences, they see how I see and they've been through the same things. Meeting people with CMN has increased my confidence as well. "I am so grateful I have started to share my story. The world is kinder than I thought, and I've had opportunities I never imagined." Despite a lifetime of surgeries, stares and setbacks, Laura hopes speaking out will help others facing similar struggles feel less alone. She said: "The older I get, I've got more things in life to worry about than people pointing at me. It still happens, and it still hurts. "But I hope someday I will fully embrace the skin that I'm in."