Video: ‘He said he wasn't feeling the vibe again’ — Nigerian lady says boyfriend dumped her after vitiligo diagnosis

Precious Omolu 14:41 - 22 July 2026

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After facing heartbreak, medical confusion, and societal stigma following a vitiligo diagnosis, Blessing has chosen to step out of the shadows, transforming her personal struggles into a powerful story of self-acceptance and advocacy

A Nigerian woman has opened up about how her boyfriend allegedly ended their relationship after she developed vitiligo, sharing the emotional journey, common misconceptions about the skin condition, and how she found the strength to become an advocate.

A Nigerian woman said her former boyfriend allegedly ended their relationship after she developed vitiligo.
She shared her story during an interview with Punch Newspaper, describing how emotional stress worsened her condition.
She debunked common myths linking vitiligo to curses, deities or fire accidents, explaining it is an autoimmune disorder.
She says she has now accepted her condition, found a supportive partner and is using her experience to create awareness about vitiligo.

A Nigerian woman named Blessing Opeyemi Oduola, living with vitiligo has shared how her relationship fell apart shortly after she developed the skin condition, saying she believes her former boyfriend walked away because of the changes in her appearance.

She made the emotional revelation during an interview with Punch Newspaper, where she spoke about the physical and emotional challenges of living with vitiligo, the stigma attached to it in Nigeria, and how she has learned to embrace her condition.

According to her, everything started in 2024 while she was preparing to make her hair for her Passing Out Parade (POP). What looked like a small injury on her scalp later spread into white patches that were eventually diagnosed as vitiligo after months of uncertainty.

She admitted that, at first, she thought her hairstylist or makeup artist had caused the skin changes before doctors confirmed it was an autoimmune disorder.

"He just stopped talking to me"

What initially appeared to be a minor scalp injury during her Passing Out Parade preparation in 2024 eventually spread into white patches. She initially suspected salon tools or cosmetics before receiving a formal medical diagnosis.

Speaking about her relationship, she said she and her boyfriend officially started dating in January, but things changed only a few months later.

"My former boyfriend left me because of vitiligo. I felt he left because of vitiligo."

She explained that instead of telling her directly what the issue was, he slowly became distant.

"He just stopped talking to me and was giving me a lot of body languages."

She added that whenever she asked him what was wrong, he never gave a clear explanation.

Eventually, he ended things by saying: "He's not feeling the vibe again."

The experience hit her hard because she was already struggling to accept her diagnosis.

She said she constantly covered herself with jeans, round-neck tops and scarves to avoid people asking questions about the white patches on her skin.

Emotional stress made the condition worse

According to her, the emotional pain from the failed relationship appeared to affect her health.

She revealed that while she initially responded well to treatment and her skin started repigmenting, the stress she experienced caused the vitiligo to spread much faster.

Eventually, she stopped taking the medication because she was no longer seeing any improvement despite spending money on treatment.

"People thought I survived a fire accident"

The young woman also spoke about the many misconceptions Nigerians still have about vitiligo.

She said strangers often assumed she survived a fire accident or used harmful skin products.

Others even suggested that she had offended a deity known as Obatala and needed to perform traditional rituals.

She rejected those claims completely.

"A lot of people have the misconception that, okay, it's caused by a deity called Obatala... I've even seen somebody that said he has gone to Kogi, spent money to appease the god... the vitiligo is still there."

She also explained that vitiligo is not hereditary in the way many people believe.

According to her, it is an autoimmune condition where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing skin pigment.

A new chapter

Breaking free from the fear of judgment, she has found love with a partner who sees her for who she is, while stepping into her role as an advocate to educate the public and empower others living with the condition

Despite everything she has gone through, she says life has taken a different turn.

The woman disclosed that she now has a new boyfriend who accepts her for who she is.

"I have a new boyfriend, but he does not have issues with my vitiligo because he sees me before seeing my skin condition."

She also said she has stopped hiding and has become an advocate, using her platform to educate Nigerians about vitiligo and support others living with the condition.

"I would not stop living. I will not hide. I will not shrink. I would keep making awareness..."

Medical experts describe vitiligo as a chronic autoimmune condition that causes patches of skin to lose their natural pigment. While it is not contagious or life-threatening, many people living with it face discrimination, misinformation and mental health challenges because of societal stigma.