Melanie Gaydos used to be bullied at school for having a rare condition that left her with abnormalities in her teeth, skin and hair.

But the 26-year-old has proved all the naysayers wrong by forging a high-profile modelling and acting career which has taken her all over the world, starting when she moved to New York four years ago.

Talking about her past, Melanie said: "Growing up I didn't really have a lot of friends As a child I faced a lot of bullying and a lot of people stared at me.

"When I was about 17 I was depressed and suicidal. I didn't think that I would be alive past the age of 18."

The model said she is careful about who she works with as she doesn't want to become a 'gimmick' or be portrayed in a negative light by photographers.

But she hoped her success would inspire other people who feel like they don't 'fit in' to take more risks and follow their dreams. Melanie: "I just started modelling as a means to learn more about myself - I never thought that it would journey into where it has today."