Aussie bikini influencer Karina Irby slams trolls who labelled her a 'freak' over skin condition

An Aussie swimwear designer and influencer has slammed trolls for making fun of her skin and highlighted the misconceptions around her condition, saying she often felt like a 'freak'.

Karina Irby, 33, the founder of Moana Bikini, an Australian lifestyle brand, uploaded a photo of herself in a bikini and talked about her struggles seeing herself with her skin covered in Pityriasis.

Pityriasis is a rash that often begins as a spot on the face, chest, stomach, or back and can develop into smaller spots that sweep out from the middle of the body. The rash can be itchy and tends to go away on its own after 10 weeks.

Karina opened up on Instagram saying that she had a moment of looking at herself in the mirror and saying "yuck" out loud.

"Seeing my skin covered in Pityriasis can make me feel one of two ways," she captioned the post, talking about how sometimes she can see the condition in a positive light, and other days in a negative mindset.

"Having good and bad days is part of the human experience. Everyone has physical things they don't like about themselves. But why?" she asked.

"For me I was brainwashed my entire life into seeing only smooth, airbrushed skin. Never once did I see a model, actor, or public figure with a skin condition. Therefore... I was the 'freak'. And people LOVED commenting on how different my skin looked," she explained.

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Karina went on to end the post in a positive light, saying she wanted to be the change she wants to see.

"Even in moments of weakness I remind myself why I feel the way I feel. And can identify that it’s not my fault. But now, with the love and support from you and power of social media I can help be the change I want to see," she said.

Fans were quick to praise the designer and model for her body positivity.

"You’re so amazing & beautiful Karina I truly hope you know how special you are & nobody ever makes you feel any different," one person said.

"Thanks for sharing your vulnerabilities and empathising with others. I appreciate all your positive energy," another person commented.

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Karina often uses her social media to promote body positivity and call out people for their negative comments.

In 2021, she uploaded a collage of trolling she received, calling people out for their harmful opinions.

"I LOVE social media, and I LOVE putting myself out there to help others feel less alone, make someone smile and distract people from their busy life," she said.

"But I don’t love how people can treat one another on here. Hiding behind their screens. What gross and disgusting behaviour. We all need to #BEBETTER," she ended the post.

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