Visible and Facial Difference

Visible difference is a term used to describe something that makes someone look different. It could be a birth mark, scar, or condition on the face or body. Someone might be born with a difference or it could happen at some point in their life.

According to the charity Changing Faces, most people prefer to say they “look different”, have an “altered appearance” or just like to use the name of their scar or condition. You can read more about what a visible difference is on the Changing Faces website.

We are all unique and so the way we think and feel about things is different. The same thing goes for having a visible difference. Some people love and embrace their visible difference and consider it a part of them, whereas it might make others feel stressed or anxious.

Changing Faces has some great resources on talking to young people about visible differences. Their youth work resource guide covers everything from creating a safe learning environment, to support for young people and a glossary of terms for talking  about visible difference. It even has two workshops that could be run during unit meetings – they come with a matching PowerPoint and a PDF resource.