Unseen Scars of Derma Fighters

We live in a world that has set toxic standards of beauty.  Girls with Korean/glossy skin are idealized and those with acne  or any other derma related issue like vitiligo( a skin condition in which skin loses colour and white or light patches appear on skin), hirsutism(a skin condition where there is masculine pattern of hair growth on face and body of women.) and Facial Psoriasis(a condition in which a person has scaly  skin and develop red or pink sores on the face)are judged negatively and  they face bullying,  stigmatization and rejection  especially when it comes to finding a suitable job or partner  for marriage.when a person  internalises these  toxic societal standards  of beauty but  fail to reach;  he/she starts feeling dissatisfied with himself/herself  and this leads to body image dissatisfaction, low self confidence, social withdrawl, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.

There is enough research evidence available . Salari N et al (2024) conducted a meta analysis of 113 studies and found that 39.4% individuals with skin related diseases  experience stress, 27.2% experience  depression and 28.8% experience anxiety. Depression was found more prevalent among individuals with vitiligo . Wajeeha S et al(2024)conducted a study on a sample of 327 adolescents and found that acne significantly leads to social appearance anxiety, low self esteem and poor Quality of life. Salma N &Trihandayani D(2024)  conducted a study on women with acne and found that women who are fighting with acne are dissatisfied with their physical appearance as they fail to meet the  toxic beauty standards of the society and this lead to low self confidence and affect social relationships.P. Charneyshov et al (2024) conducted a study on 715 derma patients and many of them reported  suicidal thoughts and feeling stigmatized.

Once I interacted with a  girl in 20s  suffering from vitiligo . She said , I face body shaming and discrimination everywhere; be it in family , society or college.  “ We live in a joint family and  whenever our family has rifts , I become the soft target for my  aunt . She calls  me names  in Kashmiri  '' two shaded cow” and “useless currency.” She doesn't  allow her daughters to shake hands with me ; she doesn't let them eat anything I prepare or serve and she even wash the door knob of her room whenever I touch it; out of the fear that it might be transmitted to her or her daughters as she believes it to be communicable disease.  While sobbing her tears, she said I prefer to stay home and don’t feel like going anywhere but one day after being insisted by my mother I decided to pay a visit to my maternal home after years and as I entered the house my maternal aunt took away all the bathroom accessories soap/bucket/jug/towel so that I may not contaminate them. The story doesn’t end here ; even on the way to college she used to be bullied by boys by laughing and saying who will marry her ..One day she got so overwhelmed by these negative reactions and comments she tried to end her life by jumping from the 2^nd storey of her house but luckily survived. She said I  have accepted myself  ; I no longer have problems with my looks and I know I have a lot of potential  but the comments, taunts and behaviour of society makes it hard to step out and venture into the world of academia or  jobs.

Hirsutism  (a skin condition where there is masculine pattern of hair growth on the face and body of women) mostly affecting women with PCOSalso is a huge psychological burden.  It causes emotional distress  and social embarrassment. Yashdeepsingh et al (2023) conducted a study on 50 women with hirsutism and found that it causes huge psychological and financial burden to women as this affects their appearance and  drains them emotionally and financially due to the need for frequent waxing, shaving or laser therapy.  Some women are made to feel by their spouses that they look less appealing . The same way some males have many myths regarding women with hirsutism; they doubt their femininity and the potential for entering parenthood as a result avoid entering or sustaining  a marital relationship with a woman with hirsutism.

Takeaway:   Losing the skin colour and facial charm is not as painful for a person with any skin related disease as is our negative societal attitude. Through our negative comments , reactions and discrimination a person loses the colours of life; they start feeling alienated  ;so let's take a pledge to be positive with our words and actions.  Derma fighters honour and love the beautiful you.  Try to Fill the tapestry of  your life with the threads of  love, empowerment  and  self- acceptance and Let not this noise shatter you.  Dear all ! Please stop believing and spreading ; myths like vitiligo is contagious/ communicable or Women with high facial growth can’t become a mother. Let's support and appreciate those who through their unique efforts are adding value to the lives of derma fighters through initiatives like aesthetic treatment, derma matrimony or offering jobs and making them live the life they deserve