A 17-year-old girl has spoken frankly about her battle with bullies who ridiculed her for having thick eyebrows - before winning a modelling contract.

While models like Cara Delevingne and Georgia May Jagger have paved the way for girls with stand-out features, Natalia Castellar says she knows exactly how it feels to be insecure about your appearance.

"When I was younger they were all anyone would point out," the young model told W Magazine.

"I was bullied terribly because of how thick and long they were, so I wanted to shave them down."

She added: "Now I don't care if they stay trendy or not, I love my eyebrows. They set me aside from other models.

"They're my trademark, and I wish I would have embraced them sooner."

Thanks to her sister, who is a photographer, Natalia gained an impressive following on Tumblr and Instagram and earned a contract with NEXT Models as a result.

"I just finalised my paperwork for my contract," she said in an interview with Urban Outfitters’ blog.

"I’m very excited about becoming a part of their family. I can’t wait to travel and work. I’m the type of person that’s content when they’re constantly doing something."

Despite earning model status, Natalia still receives abuse from commenters online but says she doesn’t care what people think anymore.