Cassandra Naud of Alberta, Canada, was born with a condition called hypertrichosis, which causes excessive hair growth on certain areas of the body.
The 22-year-old has a birthmark under her right eye that covers up half of her face, but she has learned to embrace her unique appearance.
"I feel like it's been such a positive thing in my life," the professional dancer told People. "It helps me be more memorable, which is super important in this industry as a performer."
When she was younger, she could have had the birthmark (a nevus, or pigmented patch of skin) removed, but her parents decided against it because of the high risks associated with the procedure.
Though she is happy that she did not go through with the procedure, Naud did not have a pleasant experience in school.
"I was teased when I was in elementary school. People always had questions, but I was pretty confident in my appearance," she said.
Naud knew the bullying wouldn't stop there, and before entering high school at around age 13, she considered having the surgery. At the time, she was self-conscious and feared being ridiculed for her "different" look.
"I was going into high school and didn't know what the reaction would be. We made the appointment, and then right after I changed my mind."
Naud's positive attitude and talent as a dancer has helped others see her for the kind person that she is, which has also helped her "grow to love" herself and the beauty mark.
In other instances, the birthmark works to identify Naud and makes her stand out in a crowd full of people who are more or less the same.
"It definitely helps people remember me," Naud said. "One time I was shopping back in my hometown and this woman came up to me and said, 'I delivered you! I was one of the nurses in the delivery room!' It was cool that she was able to see me and just know that that was me."
Other than her bullying from the past, no one has been critical of her appearance, and her feedback from directors has "always been positive" during auditions.
"I hope that they see that I'm a super-positive person. Something like this, like a birthmark, it's not negative. You have to see the positive, let go, and know that it's okay."
Naud has become an inspiration, especially for young women (and her 19,000 followers on Instagram), and has helped other people gain confidence and learn to "love the skin they're in."
Naud now lives in L.A. where she works as a dancer and follows her IG motto on a daily basis: "Born to stand out."
Watch her impressive dancing here:
