Yasmin Vossoughian: How I learned to stop worrying and love my giant purple birthmark (2024)

I have a birthmark, a big purple one. And it takes up my entire left leg. If I am wearing sandals you see it. A dress, you see it. A long or short skirt, you see it. Basically, if I ever tried to rob a bank with shorts on, I would be identified immediately. “Wanted: Woman with Purple Leg Who Walked out with $5 Million” (I have big ambitions).

For the last 40 years, I’ve been learning to accept myself, appreciate what I have and honor what makes me different. But some days are harder than others, especially now that summer is almost here and we start to shed clothing.

I am a journalist and news anchor and I have spent the majority of my adult professional life in front of the camera. As a woman, you already have an intense amount of scrutiny when it comes to the way you look, particularly on TV. The comments on your clothing, hair, makeup and weight are relentless.

I get more feedback on how I look than on what I say. I spend hours every day reading, calling sources, analyzing, reporting, writing and interviewing. And yet, at times I am reduced to the wrong color dress, an extra five pounds or showing too much cleavage.

The idea of adding scrutiny over my birthmark has often felt too much. Imagine turning your TV on tomorrow morning and seeing me sitting there with a dress and a purple leg. I can’t help but wonder: “What would you think? What would the executives that pay my salary think? Would it distract even more from the incredibly important news we’re trying to deliver? Would your opinion of me change? Would you think I was ugly or pretty? Would you wonder what exactly happened to me?”

Those are the thoughts that run through my head everyday when I get dressed for work. Instead of dealing with all those unknowns, I have previously chosen to cover up with pants, tights, whatever. But as the days get longer and warmer, those decisions get harder. And guess what? It hurts.

Worrying thoughts have encapsulated my life in some way for as long as I can remember — from teenage angst in dating, to starting college and meeting new people, to entering the work force and choosing a career that thrust me into the spotlight, to finding my husband and meeting everybody in his life.

Yasmin Vossoughian: How I learned to stop worrying and love my giant purple birthmark (1)

Once when I was 13 years old, I had just began to think about boys and their opinions. As I was getting dressed for school on a hot, early June day, my mom and I had discovered a cream to use to cover up my leg and create the illusion I had two “normal” legs. Well, this morning the color just wasn’t right. Despite our best efforts it looked wrong and fake. As hard as I tried, it just wasn’t working. I got so upset, crying to my mom, wondering “why me?” That was a bad day.

But not all days were like that. In college, I embraced my birthmark, showed it confidently and proudly — some would say too proudly. I wore shorts that may have been too short or a dress that looked more like a T-shirt. In both of those instances, there was one theme: questions of acceptance. Will he accept me? Will the world accept me?

Yasmin Vossoughian: How I learned to stop worrying and love my giant purple birthmark (2)

Yet I never asked the most important question. Do I accept myself? Instead, I found different ways to cope, including a decade-long eating disorder, chronic anxiety, overachieving and trying to be everything to everybody so they couldn’t see what I was hiding: a lack of self- acceptance and self-worth.

So often, as women, we base our self-worth on others. But, to be most comfortable in your own skin is to accept yourself, to like yourself. To me, this has been the hardest thing to do. With time, I am beginning to realize that I can choose to elevate my self-confidence and self- acceptance or knock it down. For me, seeing it as a choice is crucial and it’s a choice I have to consciously make every day.

How do I do it? How do I not constantly allow myself to only be a reflection of others? I am working on that. I owe it to myself.

I am beginning to try and notice when I say horrible things to myself in my head that I would never say to myself. The next time you wonder if other people think you are smart or pretty enough, pause. Ask yourself, like I have been doing “Does it even matter?” When I go home and hug my kids at night, do they care? No, they think I am the smartest, kindest, most able-bodied person they know. And I’ve found that helps me put things in perspective. Remind yourself, as I try to do: This is who you are, and everyone else just needs to accept it.

Yasmin Vossoughian: How I learned to stop worrying and love my giant purple birthmark (3)

I’ve also found mantras help. When you look in the mirror, come up with a mantra, and repeat it throughout the day. I have a reminder in my phone that my husband put there. It pops up every day, and it says, “Believe in yourself…God, family and friends love you very much.” While it’s just a sentence, I need it.

And, take care of yourself. We spend our lives taking care of others, making sure everybody else is doing well. But what about taking care of you? Go for a walk or a run, eat good food, drink water and most importantly find a way to reflect or meditate. Your meditation may come in the form of exercise, walking the dog, or yoga (my preferred method.) All of this contributes to getting one step closer to self-acceptance. After all, we have only one body and one mind with one chance to use them.

Yasmin Vossoughian: How I learned to stop worrying and love my giant purple birthmark (4)

Finally, root for yourself but remember it is OK to have hard days. I still have them, particularly when the air turns warmer and I worry about my different body and how the world will judge it. But, the struggle just makes us stronger. We are only given what we can handle.

I will leave you with this, you just read my coming out story. I have never publicly revealed that I have a long, purple leg. While I hope you accept it, if you don’t, know that I can handle it.

Today is a good day.

Yasmin Vossoughian: How I learned to stop worrying and love my giant purple birthmark (2024)

FAQs

What illness does Yasmin Vossoughian have? ›

In Vossoughian's case, she had both pericarditis and myocarditis. The two differ because they relate to different points of inflammation in or around the heart.

What is Yasmin Vossoughian doing now? ›

Yasmin Vossoughian is a television journalist currently serving as a national reporter on MSNBC.

What race is Yasmin Vossoughian? ›

Being a minority myself, being Iranian-American and growing up with Muslim parents and being from a small town, all of that plays into it.” Photos by C. Taylor Crothers for Occidental magazine. Additional photos courtesy MSNBC.

Is Yasmin Vossoughian married? ›

Yasmin Vossoughian is known for All Hallows' Eve (2007), MSNBC Reports Yasmin Vossoughian Reports (2021) and MSNBC Reports Craig Melvin Reports (2021). She has been married to Whittaker Lindsay Clifford since June 2016. They have two children.

What happened to Yasmin's leg? ›

Earlier this month, Vossoughian shared an Instagram post revealing the painstaking treatments she received to manage a congenital vascular disorder called Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS). A rare condition, it's affected by the port-wine stain that runs down the length of her left leg.

Who are Yasmin Vossoughian's parents? ›

Daughter of Dr. Ahad Vossoughian, and Shamsi Vossoughian. Has two sons: Azur Vossoughian Clifford (b.

What nationality is Yasmin? ›

Derived from the Persian word yasamin, meaning Jasmine flower, it evokes imagery of beauty, elegance, and grace. In Persian literature and poetry, the jasmine flower symbolizes love and purity, making the name Yasmin a popular choice among Iranians throughout history.

Is Ali Belcher married? ›

What is the religion of Yasmin Vossoughian? ›

“I've been talking with students a lot about what it's like to feel different and then know what it's like to have a voice and be accepted,” said Vossoughian, who is Iranian-American and was raised culturally Muslim in a small, predominantly white town.

Was Yasmin Vossoughian's show cancelled? ›

Three and half years and my time as host of Yasmin Vossoughian Reports has come to an end. I am so thankful to my team who made sure this show was spectacular everyday. We kicked ass. And thank you to all of you for watching each and every weekend.

What female anchor left MSNBC? ›

On September 21, 2020, Kasie Hunt began anchoring a restart of the MSNBC talk show Way Too Early under the new name Way Too Early with Kasie Hunt. That program aired on weekday mornings from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. ET. On July 16, 2021, Hunt announced it was her last day with the network.

Does Ayman have children? ›

Ayman Mohyeldin is known for CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip (2001), Ship at War: Inside the Carrier Stennis (2002) and Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers (2006). He has been married to Kenza Fourati since April 26, 2016. They have one child.

What ethnicity is Yasmin Finney? ›

Finney was born on 30 August 2003, to a Jamaican mother and an English father of Irish and Italian descent. She attended Ashton-on-Mersey School. She and her half-sister were raised in Manchester by her single mother.

What is the common cold pericarditis? ›

Your heart has a protective fluid-filled sac around it called the pericardium. In pericarditis, the pericardium gets inflamed, and blood or fluid can leak into it. It's difficult to confirm the exact cause of pericarditis, but it's usually a viral infection, such as a cold or flu.

Can a common cold cause myocarditis? ›

Myocarditis is rare, but when it occurs, it is most commonly caused by an infection in the body. Infections from viruses (most common, including those that cause the common cold, influenza or COVID-19), bacteria, fungus or parasites can lead to myocardial inflammation.

What happened to Hallie Jackson from msnbc? ›

On September 20, 2021, Jackson moved to the 3 p.m. hour of MSNBC Live. On November 17, 2021, Jackson began hosting Hallie Jackson NOW on NBC News' streaming channel, NBC News NOW, which streams Mondays through Fridays at 5 p.m. ET. Her streaming show expanded to two hours in March 2023.

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