An amazing service by an amazing organisation
Do you remember those times when you were going out and your Mum would tell you to
take a coat, you wouldn’t and then would not only immediately regret it but would outright
refuse to admit you were cold? Well this is one of those situations however I’m going to be
mature enough to admit….Mum was right.
She has been telling me to try this for years and because I’m a stupid bloke and didn’t want
to go down the route of “make-up” I shied away from it. However, after some recent work
with Changing Faces I once again came across their Skin Camouflage service and thought
it was time to give it a go.
I felt like a bit of a fraud going in as this service helps some of the most courageous
individuals in our society. For example, people who have acquired severe burns or scarring,
who have not only overcome a life-changing event but also have to handle life with a visible
difference afterwards. However, my practitioner couldn’t have been more lovely from
start to finish and the information was all very manageable.
My skin has been reasonably good recently so I didn’t think it would make too much
difference but when I was shown the mirror it immediately gave me a lump in my throat. It
made a VERY big difference and it certainly didn’t look like I was covered in make-up.
I see this as another tool in the toolbox for when I need it. It’s so reassuring to know I have
this option. Social events in the calendar can be so daunting as I just never know what
condition I’m going to wake up in and I believe the anxiety alone from this lack of control can worsen my symptoms. However, having the Skin Camouflage products feels like
I’ve been given an element of control and an option for if the worst happens and I do wake
up with a flare.
We went to our good friends (very hot) wedding a few days ago. This scenario would usually have been massively anxiety inducing as there was a lot of people I didn't know and my face would usually be very flushed. However just a light covering of skin camouflage kept the redness at bay and allowed me to enjoy the day with my beautiful wife. This is something that many take for granted but feels like such a gift to someone like me.
At the end of my appointment, I was sent away with paperwork and guidance as to exactly
what products I needed. I was told that this would be sent to my GP to be put on
prescription, but these are at GP discretion and vary between health boards. As such I have to decide whether it’s worth the fight to try and achieve this. In my opinion
many healthcare professionals still don’t truly appreciate the catastrophic emotional toll of
visible conditions and the dangerous psychological impact they can have. This can create
some push back and reluctance to provide what is needed. For example, my symptoms are
highly photoaggravated and I therefore have to apply suncream multiple times per day. A
letter was sent to my GP for this to be placed on repeat prescription by my consultant, but I
know for a fact this won’t be done without applying significant pressure.
Nevertheless, I would strongly recommend this service to anyone. It doesn’t mean
applying tons of make up to your face every day if you don't want to. It can simply be an
option to have in your back pocket and I thought the results were pretty amazing. You can
find more info below:
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