In the media, disfigurement is often described with negative words and imagery. Words – like horrifically disfigured, grotesquely scarred, ugly birthmark, misshapen head – are commonly used.

Coverage also tends to be medicalised – people with disfigurements are often the subject of documentaries that present them as quirks of nature, abnormal or in need of surgery. They are rarely seen in soaps, game shows or as incidental characters in drama or comedy. In film, disfigurement is often used as a device to portray evil characteristics such as Freddie Kreuger in Nightmare on Elm Street, and the countless villains in Bond movies and many other films.

Advertisements for cosmetic surgery and the beauty industry portray scars, blemishes and other forms of disfigurement as unsightly and to be removed.

Those that get it right in the media, advertising and film in relation to portrayals of disfigurement make sure that they are:

● Informed about the causes and effects of disfigurement.

● Have an open mind about the life and prospects of people with disfigurements.

● Develop films, programmes and adverts in partnerships with organisations like Changing Faces and people who have disfigurements themselves.

Use this area to get informed about disfigurement and find out how Changing Faces is raising awareness in the media.