Intended for healthcare professionals
Changing Faces

A helping hand

 

Changing Faces

Young people with skin conditions urgently need better support services, highlights new research by Changing Faces and ChildWise.

 

In a survey of over 2,000 children aged 7-16 years, almost half said they had a visible difference. Research shows that three-quarters of children with a visible difference say they have felt worried or anxious, and over half of children with a visible difference admit they feel lonely (56%), compared to 43% of their peers. Two-thirds of children with a visible difference say they fear they are not good enough.

 

However, as this article highlights, many young people with a visible difference are not getting the support they need, especially when it comes to mental health. A recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Skin found that fewer than 5% of dermatology clinics across the UK provide any level of specialist mental health support for children and young people.

 

A significant number of children referred to the Changing Faces' wellbeing service have skin conditions that affect their appearance, ranging from birthmarks, keloid scars, eczema, alopecia, to ichthyosis and vitiligo, and it offers a range of services to support them across the UK.

 

The article details the experience of two young people living with a visible difference in the UK and the challenges they have overcome.

Dermatology in practice 2021; 27(1): 22–23
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Dermatology in practice was previously supported by Wyeth from 2008 to 2010, by Wyeth and Serono in 2007, by Wyeth and Shire from 2005 to 2006, by Medlock Medical in 2004 and by SSL International from 2001 to 2003.

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ISSN 0262-5504 (Print) ISSN 2049-8446 (Online)