Pageant winner with vitiligo encourages others to embrace their differences

Fifth-grader Mallory Habstritt is always on the move, keeping busy with middle school, ballet, piano, and flute. She raises money and awareness about Parkinson’s disease as a youth ambassador for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. And last year, she added pageants to her list of activities.

In July 2020, Habstritt was crowned Miss Minnesota Jr. Pre-Teen, and she represented Minnesota at the National American Miss pageant in November. At the national competition, she gave a speech about embracing the differences that make us all unique. It’s a subject she knows a lot about: since she was a baby, Habstritt has had vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder that causes white patches on the skin.

“Vitiligo is a skin condition in which the body’s immune system affects melanocytes, the cells in the skin that produce pigment. Vitiligo appears as white patches on the skin and can occur anywhere on the body. It’s considered an autoimmune disorder, but typically kids with vitiligo are otherwise healthy,” said Pediatric Dermatologist Ingrid Polcari, MD, who has been treating Habstritt at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital for about four years.

Vitiligo is a chronic condition that can progress over time – but it doesn’t always. It can also spontaneously clear up, though that is uncommon. Treatment focuses on calming the immune system’s effects in the skin in order to restore the skin’s natural color. Treatments can include a variety of topical medications and light therapy, but vitiligo doesn’t always respond to therapy.

Fortunately, the team of board-certified, fellowship-trained pediatric dermatologists at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital tackle the toughest skin conditions that affect children.

“Our practice is unique in that we only treat kids,” said Polcari. “We often see children who have particularly tough-to-treat problems or who have other complex medical conditions.”

Because vitiligo doesn’t typically involve any other symptoms, some people choose not to treat it. But after consultation with her parents and Polcari, Mallory Habstritt decided to pursue treatment options.

Polcari took a flexible, solutions-oriented approach to Habstritt’s treatment. When one treatment wasn’t working, or when Habstritt faced challenges keeping up with the treatment schedule, Polcari suggested they try a new medication. When light therapy was consistently interfering with Mallory’s school attendance, causing stress, Polcari advocated on the Habstritt family’s behalf with their health insurance company. As a result, Habstritt was able to have her light box treatments at home, on her schedule. With Polcari’s help, her vitiligo slowly began to improve.

“I was impressed that Dr. Polcari involved Mallory in the decision-making process right away. She normalized and demystified vitiligo for Mallory,” said Annalee Habstritt, Mallory’s mom. “Dr. Polcari takes a loving and compassionate approach to helping Mallory find a treatment plan that works for her. Mallory trusts her, and so do we."

“I think Dr. Polcari is the most loving and caring doctor I have ever had. She just has so many ideas and good things she is doing for me,” said Mallory Habstritt. “It’s really great that I’m getting this help, but at the same time, I also feel good about it myself. I would be OK with it if my vitiligo doesn’t go away. It’s just a part of me.”

“Mallory is a mature, accomplished, and confident child, even though she has marks on her skin that may make her look different,” Polcari said. “I’m proud of her for not letting those marks change her confidence in any way and for teaching others about this.”

During her national pageant speech, Habstritt shared how she used to feel self-conscious about her vitiligo. She avoided wearing shorts so others didn’t see the patches on her legs. Over time, however, she grew to understand that vitiligo was a part of what makes her unique.

“I’m learning to embrace my uniqueness, including my flaws and my differences. It’s a small part of what makes me special,” she said.