I was 15 years old, and it was Boxing Day in Bridge of Weir, I was walking home past the local pub and a fight had broken out in the street. I’d always been bigger for my age, and someone thought I was part of the ongoing scrap. Unfortunately, I was impaled in the face with a pint glass. I ended up with 27 stitches on my face and inside my mouth and have been left with scarring on my face as a result.
I ask people to ponder these questions: Have you ever been followed around a shop because you look “dodgy”? Have you ever gone to a job interview and been asked how you got your scar? Have you ever looked in the mirror and been reminded of an assault? Have you ever been speaking to someone and seen their eyes move to peak at your scar? Have your facial features ever been vilified in basically every role that depicts them? That’s the daily reality.
I went to see a GP about my options in terms of support or surgery. I was told that I could wear make-up to cover my scar, but scar reduction treatment or plastic surgery wasn’t funded by the NHS for my circumstances.
I hope that me sharing my story helps others to have a voice and assists those who are unable to speak out.
“Surely there must be other forms of support for people like me?” I thought, so I searched online and found Changing Faces. The charity was the only organisation I could find working in this area in Scotland. While I respect Changing Faces for the support they provide, such as their Skin Camouflage service, which benefits so many people, it wasn’t quite right for me. I didn’t want to have to cover up my scar with make-up, I just want to be treated equally without having to hide part of myself.
More support needs to be in place for people who have acquired scars through assault. It has taken me over 20 years to talk about this issue publicly and I’m a public speaker. I hope that me sharing my story helps others to have a voice and assists those who are unable to speak out.
Everyone with scars will have gone through trauma in their own way, overcoming the barriers that having a visible difference brings. We need to make sure they are supported both medically and mentally.
I am a local elected Councillor, so I’m in a position that I can speak up about face equality in a public forum, which is what I did. Recently, I spoke about my scarring and my experiences at a meeting of my council in Renfrewshire. I put forward a motion asking my council area to work with charities and organisations to provide specialist support for people who acquire scarring due to assault.
The motion was passed unanimously, which was a hugely positive result. This is the first motion of its kind in Scotland, and across the UK. My desire is that my local area actioning my motion asks will be the beginning of vital work that can grow and evolve and most importantly help people. My hope is that more councils and our central governments take note of this move and can follow suit in future, providing more support for victims of facial scarring assaults and face equality issues in general.
Empathy is a powerful weapon if you use it correctly.