Question

In a society that values outward appearance, and often judges individuals by that standard, how could you help someone with a disfiguring condition? Conditions or deformities involving the skin and face are often difficult for patients to deal with. How would you counsel a patient? What kind of practical solutions could you offer? 

Answer 1

We live in a society, where the people value outward appearance than the values of the person. Often external things, appearance, dressing, accessories , grooming are deciding a person's acceptance and welcome.

A nurse can help the person who is having disfiguring condition or deformities of skin and face by encouraging and counselling them and discuss with them the practical tips to deal with the difficulties in day to day life. Facial or skin deformities might be congenital or acquired. Facial paralysis, skin disorders, burns and resultant scaring, cancers( head and neck) are the main acquired causes of facial or skin deformities.

Counselling and practical solutions

* Hearing them and listening is the primary need in every counselling. Listen and understand their concerns and difficulties with day to day social life. Encourage the person with the counselling and tell them that who are staring at them or asking for their appearance are may not be against them or displeased with them, the staring may be due to curiosity.

Tips to deal with the difficulties of every day life:

* If a person stares at, look back and smile at them or tell them a hello. Many of them will stop staring with this and they may greet back you with a hello.

* Show the confidence in your body language by using a confident tone in the voice, maintain eye contact, and also use the face hands to express the feelings.

* After looking back and smiling at them, If they continue to stare at you, Show your displeasure by raising your eyebrows at them. Also you can directly speak to them your displeasure in an assertive way not in a threatening way.

* Increase the socialization by interacting with people, colleagues. Those who ask about the disfigurement answer them in a brief way what happened ( not necessary to open everything) and tell them now a days you don't talk about it.

* Encourage them to meet their life courageously so they can achieve their goals. This deformities are nothing to deal with their capabilities and skills. Bothering about the society and other's staring will not do any good to us instead will harm us. So over come the barriers and lead a successful life.