Broadly defined, disfigurement is any long term, or permanent, aesthetic impairment. The designation usually denotes a mark, scar, discoloration, or some form of obvious asymmetry of the face or body. Living with disfigurement is challenging and often requires substantial psychosocial adjustments (Rumsey and Harcourt, 2004). Appearance directly affects self esteem and self efficacy; it is an integral facet of self identification. Appearance also has a powerful influence on our perception of others. How we interact with and respond to people, is heavily influenced by their physical appearance (Sontag & Sontag, 1990). Attractive people are perceived as smarter and more capable, they are also considered more trustworthy. Disfigured individuals
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A skin disorder like vitiligo which causes discoloration, is in many ways a social disability. The patches are frequently mistaken for dirty marks or believed to be contagious (Abraham & Raghavan, 2015). The fact that the exact cause has yet to be identified further perpetuates the idea of aberrancy. Difference from the norm is immediately recognizable in someone suffering with the disorder and social devaluation is swift and severe. Although vitiligo is a physical condition it has certain psychological implications, in fact the psychological impact of the disease is significantly more intense than the physical symptoms. It ultimately influences an individual's self-concept, behaviour, cognition and psychological health (Amer et al., 2015). A common response is to conceal lesions, which carries the possibility of avoiding stigmatization, but this can cause anxiety and an unhealthy preoccupation with concealment (Rumsey and Harcourt, 2004). The disfigurement caused by vitiligo and the stigma it carries with it, is associated with severe emotional and psychosocial challenges (Rumsey, Clarke, White, Wyn-Williams & Garlick,
A skin disorder like vitiligo which causes discoloration, is in many ways a social disability. The patches are frequently mistaken for dirty marks or believed to be contagious (Abraham & Raghavan, 2015). The fact that the exact cause has yet to be identified further perpetuates the idea of aberrancy. Difference from the norm is immediately recognizable in someone suffering with the disorder and social devaluation is swift and severe. Although vitiligo is a physical condition it has certain psychological implications, in fact the psychological impact of the disease is significantly more intense than the physical symptoms. It ultimately influences an individual's self-concept, behaviour, cognition and psychological health (Amer et al., 2015). A common response is to conceal lesions, which carries the possibility of avoiding stigmatization, but this can cause anxiety and an unhealthy preoccupation with concealment (Rumsey and Harcourt, 2004). The disfigurement caused by vitiligo and the stigma it carries with it, is associated with severe emotional and psychosocial challenges (Rumsey, Clarke, White, Wyn-Williams & Garlick,