#Facial difference

[saszor]

Happy Face Equality Week :-D

(short ID in alt text, longer below)

I really wanted to draw some happy people with facial differences for this week so:)

if you tag this as "tw scars" or some other "body horror" I'm killing u btw:D!!!

[Image description: digital drawing of 7 character with facial differences against a patterned background. The left side shows a gay couple sitting and hugging; one from them has a large bump on his forehead and widespread eyes, while the other has paralysis on one side of his face. In the middle is a teen girl cuddling with a cat, both of which are missing their left eye. Below her is a nonbinary person smoking a cigarette with heart-shaped smoke surrounding them; they have facial atrophy on one side of their face. The right side is split into three small panels; top one shows a Black girl with a cystic hygroma on her jaw on a pastel pink background, middle shows an Indian man with Crouzon syndrome from the side smiling, bottom is a zoom on the side of the head of a person with microtia; they're wearing a bone-anchored hearing aid and have a buzz cut with stars patterned in it. At the bottom, "Happy Face Equality Week" is written. End image description.]

[cripplecharacters]

How to Support People with Facial Differences - the Face Equality Week 2024 Special

[large text: How to Support People with Facial Differences - the Face Equality Week 2024 Special]

Today is the 13th of May, which means that the Face Equality Week has just started. This year's theme is “My Face is a Masterpiece” which is probably my favorite sentence ever said about having a facial difference. Huge fan, should be used way more often in my opinion.

Because of this occasion, I would like to share some thoughts about Face Equality that I think are rather entry-level, i.e. you don't need to know much to execute these, but you can still support us.

Stop the stare.

I know it's fun to stare - or so I guess, at least - but maybe you shouldn't. Next time you see someone who has a scar or who's face does not move the same way as yours, just mind your business. We can tell when you're “discreetly” looking.

Don't call us deformed. 

Knowing how the people you're trying to support actually call themselves should be an absolute first step, but most people still fail here. Most of us don't appreciate being called “deformed”. I certainly don't. Say “facial difference”, or “disfigurement” if you must. It's 2024. Leave “deformed” to medical reports from the 70s.

No more “What happened?!”s.

If you aren't a doctor, there's a high-to-100% chance that it's none of your business. It's cool that you're curious - keep it to yourself.

Stop insinuating that we are ugly.

“Support people who are ugly!” isn't very supportive. I would say, not in the slightest. Say “people who don't fit the current beauty standards” if that's what you mean. 

Or, to go with this year's theme, “people whose faces are masterpieces” : )

Use critical thinking online.

Is the reaction photo actually funny, or is it just a person with a craniofacial condition? Is the meme actually a meme, or is it just making fun of a person with a facial disfigurement? Is body-shaming suddenly hilarious to you when the person shamed has strabismus? 

If the entire punchline is “lol they have a disability xd”, it's ableism. Plain and simple.

To go with the point above - your joke is probably not funny.

We get it! You can't help telling us how "you're going to hell for laughing" (which yeah, probably) and how we remind you of the ugliest character you have ever seen. I guarantee you that we heard it, and that you are behaving like an edgy middle schooler who hasn't "found out" yet. It's boring and annoying. Also ableist, but you're aware of that already if you're saying that you're going to hell.

Stop with the goddamn trigger warnings. 

We aren't “body horror”, we aren't “gore”, we aren't something that you need to advise your viewers to use their discretion over. Every “graphic footage: child with neurofibromatosis” and “#tw burn scar” is a sign of ableism and disfiguremisia. People with facial differences deserve to be seen. Ableds can survive seeing a person without a nose.

Do a basic reading on what disfiguremisia is.

New word! And a pretty damn important one. It's a brand of ableism that intersects with more or less everything, and it means discrimination and hatred of people with facial differences/disfigurements. The bullying, harassment, endless name-calling, and microaggressions are all results of disfiguremisia. The ways in which everything is harder for us isn't some unchangeable rule of how the world works, it's just an extremely prevalent type of discrimination.

Understand that we are people.

I know, revolutionary - and yet impossible for so many people to get. We can be a visual representation of evil when it's necessary, we can be a feel-good inspirational story on a morning talk-show, but not much else, it seems. In reality, we are complex, we have our own lives, we can be happy and sad and have the same exact joys and worries that you have.

Hey, artists - facial differences don't make you evil.

Title stolen from a great essay by Lise Deguire (link). When's the last time you saw a positive character with a facial difference that wasn't inspiration porn? I mean a character that's not edgy, full of angst, a murderer, or a villain. Based on what you see in the media, you'd think that having a scar renders you evil on the spot, but in reality it just makes you loathe how artists apparently think you are like. It's boring, it's overdone, it's ableism. Stop doing this, and start noticing when it's being done. Point it out if your friend is writing their new villain to be an evil burn survivor. This kind of portrayal needed to stop ages ago, but tomorrow will be a great time as well.

Before you reply with “I've never seen this” - Darth Vader, Lion King’s Scar (subtle name, great thing to teach kids!), Freddy Krueger, Voldemort, we could be here forever. You're just not paying attention.

Pay attention to where we are not included.

As discussed, there are some places where you see us all the time. But where do you not see us?

Advertisements (unless it's for a scar-removal cream, of course). Fashion shows. Magazine covers. Romance movies where we are the main character.

We deserve to see ourselves in what's around us in the same way able-bodied people do. Trying to make it seem like we don't exist - that's deliberate. 

Interact with our art.

We draw, write, sing, act in movies, we do everything! Support us in the most tangible way - leave us a nice comment, read our books, listen to our songs. Watch movies where actual people with facial differences star, not pseudoinspirational stories about how “being disfigured is ok” where they shove an able-bodied actor into a full face prosthetic just to not have an actor with a disfigurement on set.

Include us.

As this year's Face Equality Week calls for, include us. In art, in movies, in books, in your life. Show us as positive people who are valuable, who are a part of your community - I guarantee that we are in every one that's out there. The world is hostile and unwelcoming to people with facial differences - be the change, wherever you are!

I know that it is different from the usual posts I make, but I hope it was somewhat educational. I just like to use every occasion that I can to force Face Equality into people's heads. To make this at least a bit about writing to keep the blog's theme, I will say that if you want to write about us, you need to care about us in real life as well. Otherwise, it's shallow and pointless.

Below the readmore are some links/resources that you can click to educate yourself further. A lot of them lead to Face Equality International because they have just about everything you should know. If you want to be a better ally to people with facial differences, I heavily recommend them!

#MyFaceIsAMasterpiece

mod Sasza

https://faceequalityinternational.org/2023/04/why-i-will-not-hide/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/disability-is-diversity/202111/hidden-community-the-movement-face-equality

https://faceequalityinternational.org/2022/05/facial-differences-in-the-media/

https://faceequalityinternational.org/2023/04/advertising-excludes-women-with-faces-like-mine/

https://www.phoenix-society.org/resources/burn-community-bookshelf

https://faceequalityinternational.org/about-fei/international-face-equality-week/

https://faceequalityinternational.org/2023/04/hidden-from-view-women-with-facial-differences-in-the-media/

https://www.phoenix-society.org/resources/i-dont-see-your-scars

whoa thanks for actually clicking the readmore!!

[energon-keeper]

Why does every story that has a character with Down’s syndrome reduce them to “oh this character has Down’s syndrome, isn’t that sad?” Fuck that! Can I have a gay romcom where someone with Down’s syndrome falls in love with their co-worker? How about a slice of life webcomic where a girl with Down’s syndrome and her buddies start a band? Or a supernatural story about a vampire hunter with Down’s syndrome. I don’t know there’s so much potential you could do but you just make it a sad thing!

[rainbow-banana-slug]

eye strain warning

gummy 🌈🐬

[plain text: gummy 🌈rainbow emoji🐬dolphin emoji]

(^ shark emoji not blue enough)

[id: dark skinned black person with williams syndrome in decora kei fashion walk with posterior walker. person have pink hair with rainbow bangs n all sorts hair clips in hair & stickers on cheek. have many rainbow necklace include one with double yoke egg. wear blue sweater with white cloud where one sleeve is yellow horse with pink leash thing. there many pins on sweater include gummies (gummy shark, peach ring, gummy worm, gummy bear) & green crayons & others. she wear cross body green dino plushie (bag?). rainbow vertical stripe pants with rainbow n star chain. one shoe red one shoe blue. posterior walker made of different color crayons. there text around character describe her which be functionally described below. end id]

🌈🐬.

girl (complicated gender) with williams syndrome n love decora kei fashion & bright colors (she call them happy colors/excited colors)!! she has lotssss of bows n head pieces n hair clips n necklaces n bracelets n other decoration & big wardrobe with bright colored clothing! she love wear different outfits but it consistently decora kei.

she love gummy candy & named herself after them >:) blue/red gummy worm & blue gummy shark her favorites (blue gummy shark also my favorite. to look at.)

williams syndrome (also known as williams-beuren syndrome) is genetic developmental disorder micro-deletion of some of chromosome 7. for gummy, WS lead her have moderate intellectual disability (ID) & global developmental delay, level 2 autism, ADHD-c; congenital heart defects (CHD); hypotonia (low muscle tone), & loose joints.

like many people with WS, gummy very friendly & social! she love hugs & talking to people & talk lot & very physical in show affection! but also often struggle tell when other people not want be social / be social with her, be called “a lot” & “too much,” which lead her have trouble make n keep friends n make her sad—even tho WS make her extra outgoing, she also still get sad n mad n not hide it. she also struggle with danger awareness & often treat strangers like would with friend, n it been something that her support team very focused on work with her entire life because this lead her be very easily taken advantage of n be put in danger.

also like many ppl with williams syndrome, language & verbal abilities her strong suit—tho it’s relative to her moderate ID, so one shouldn’t expect she write speak communicate like average person without struggle. her words more simple, n still need many help for communication, including various form of AAC & aide person.

she has aides that pretty much 24/7 present because WS & moderate ID but working on skills so can be more independent! it something she been work very hard on entire life n she quite proud of progress.

she has many classic facial features associate with williams syndrome, like epicanthal folds at eye, upturned nose, wide mouth & small teeth, small jaw, full cheeks (badly drawn), n large ears.

70% or more people with WS have some sort cardiovascular problem, n so do gummy. she has supravalvar aortic stenosis (narrowing of aorta) which form of congenital heart defect (CHD). hers not very severe n be closely monitored.

she also have hypotonia & loose joints due to WS & uses posterior walker full time to get around. she really like her posterior walker, it shaped like many crayons :D also wear SMOs but forgot write it so oops

art fight character profile

[reblog welcome but please no repost]

[the-kitty-hell-system]

okay supposed cripple punk user what are your thoughts on severely disabled people, limb/facially different disabled people, and disabled people that are "scary" or "inconviencing"

[queer-ghosts]

i would recommend any artist to draw some people/characters with facial differences.

1. because I'd just like to see it more

2. because it can help expand your unconscious biases of what a person has to look like

I'm sure it'd be nice for people with facial differences to see more representation too

[nightmaretour]

I would really like to see disability pride posts that mention hemiplegia. The ones that mention paralysis at all always mention paraplegia and quadriplegia and stop there. Idk if people are just unaware that it exists or what.

Anyway happy disability pride month to people with hemiplegia, especially people with facial paralysis. You're cool and awesome and we deserve to be seen.

[imbecominggayer]

Writing Advice Part 2: Disability And EVIL

Disabled adults are adults and because they're adults they have a wide variety of morality and characters since humans are an exceedingly diverse group with even more diversed existences.

WRONG!

No. No. In reality:

👿👿DISABLED ADULTS ARE EVIL, ALL EVIL!!!!!!! 👿👿 According to certain writers!

When writers take communities and existences such as the facial difference gang or the intellectually disabled doers this results in horrific portrayals of "demonization". Obviously, people with physical disabilities are often portrayed horribly. I will mention them in the facial differences saga. The only reason I am specifically talking about facial differences and intellectual disability is because physical disability and facial differences tend to overlap while intellectual disability is a common yet undertalked form of representation.

Demonization: it's just like what it sounds like. Disablity always equals evil

However, the ways that facial differences gang is demonized is different to how intellectually disabled doers are demonized.

THIS BECAUSE OF A COMMON ASSOCIATION aka

Good = Beautiful/Handsome, Evil = Ugly

For future reference, when I say ugly I mean "not conventionally attractive" and when I say beautiful I mean "conventionally attractive". Afterall, Harvey Dent is attractive. That's a fact.

A popular example of this is the James Bond franchise which has stocks full of villainous characters with various limb differences, scars, and other such things. These ugly and bad characters fight against the cool and handsome James Bond

Literally, the association between evil and "ugly" is so ubiquitous that when a character becomes disabled they also become evil. The transition between being law-abiding handsome attorney Harvey Dent and evil insane "ugly" Two-Face is marked by fire/acid.

Let me tell you, there is no link between being a bad person and being not conventionally attractive. I'm not saying you can't write bad people with facial differences but they're not bad people because of their facial differences.

Secondly, Facial differences aren't only scars. They are often congenital. There are hundreds of different kinds of facial differences. This was just to talk about the fact that most people hear "facial difference" and think "scar".

FOR INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED DOERS, their evilness comes from their supposed "mental status as a six-year old". For the purposes of clarity, I am just going to say that's not how intellectual disability is labeled and move on.

Because of their supposed "mental status" 🤢, they have no ability to guage morality. They're " *derogatory term* who does evil out of ignorance"

Firstly, intellectually disabled people can learn things, like morality. Especially, if we are talking about the majority of intellectually disabled people who have to mild-to-moderate intellectual disability. Either way, there are hundreds of education prgrams designed to help people in learning about things from periods to childrearing to reading to everything necessary for life.

Secondly, intellectually disabled people aren't children. I talked about that in Part 1 named Writing Advice: Disability And Infantilization. Check it out, it's fun.

Thirdly, intellectually disabled people exist in the real world. If you want to write a character who is intellectually disabled, you can ask them for assistance. There is nothing stopping you.

CONCLUSION: No matter what disability someone has, that shouldn't stop them from being human. You can write disabled characters as evil but disabled characters should be evil not because of disability but regardless of disability. Evil Doesn't Equal Not Conventional.

[ink-asunder]

I wish everybody who writes stories about dystopias where "plastic surgery is mandatory" and "being unconventionally attractive is an act of rebellion" a very "listen the fuck to teenagers with facial differences and the medical abuse they suffered at the hands of money hungry, glory hungry, and bigotted plastic surgeons."

It's not a dystopian hypothetical. It is reality for people born with facial differences.

[lonely-paracosmos]

Anyways, Chem with treacher collins syndrome and a cleft pallet.

The thing on the side of their head is a bone anchored hearing aid :)

[cripplecharacters]

I'm writing a protagonist or deuteragonist for an original work. She has symbrachydachtyly and anophthalmia on her right side (from her perspective). I have a few questions: 1) How often do people with one eye wear eyepatches, use prosthetic eyes, or use nothing? 2) What kind of clothes would she be able to put on by herself? 3) If she starts off as a jerk but becomes kinder over time, does this still count as treating people with limb differences and facial differences as "evil?"

Hello!

You mentioned her anophthalmia so my response to your first question will be with this in mind. Please note that it will differ for somebody who has had their eye removed later in life or otherwise only has one eye.

She would need to wear a conformer (Not exactly like a prosthetic eye but similar in a way, it keeps the shape of the eye socket) at first so that her eye socket, face, and skull in general can develop and grow properly. Later on, she'd likely move to a prosthetic.

A common misconception is that wearing a prosthetic eye is just an aesthetic choice. In actuality, it's for much more than that. Prosthetic eyes:

Help to prevent the eyelid/eye socket from drooping or otherwise losing its form.

Prevent tissue growth into the eye socket.

Help to prevent infections/injuries to the eye socket.

Can be more comfortable. Some people are more sensitive to the feeling of their empty eye socket than others and can develop headaches as a result.

Although some people choose to wear an eyepatch full time -- usually because of personal preference such as fashion sense, prosthetic eyes are generally the more popular choice. That isn't to say your character can't wear an eyepatch instead, just be aware that it's less common.

Wearing nothing, however, would come with a whole host of risks. It would be making the eye socket vulnerable to infection/injury and can also cause the eyelid/eye socket to lose its form if done for long enough. Unfortunately, it can also cause people to be uncomfortable or stare and just generally draws a lot of attention. Not everyone is bothered by this, but it is something to keep in mind.

Mod Sasza has some information for your second and third questions below!

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

Hi!

Symbrachydactyly is a spectrum, so it probably depends on if she has fingers. However, she would most probably be able to put on majority of clothes, with the exceptions being buttoned things, tying shoes, jewelry, possibly belt buckles and such. But generally a lot of these things can be adapted with rather low tech solutions.

To answer the third question, I'd probably need more info to tell you with more confidence, but as a general checklist:

Is she like that because of her anophthalmia/symbrachydactyly?

Is her disability emphasized/mentioned more when she sucks and less when she's nice later?

Are there other characters with facial differences who aren't jerks? Anophthalmia can be genetic, maybe she has a family member who's kind since the start?

Are there other characters with limb differences who aren't jerks?

What kind of jerk? Characters with facial differences fit in some very specific character tropes. A pretty popular mean girl who talks shit about others doesn't have the same weight as a physically violent, scary bully.

I hope this helps! mod Sasza

[whumpinggrounds]

Writing Facial Difference

As always, this is based in personal contact with individuals in the community I’m writing about, as well as personal research. Many of these things are subjective and limited in scope. Take everything with a grain of salt, and if you have an issue with anything I’ve said, or just a different perspective, please feel free to question, comment, or clarify!

Vocab

Facial difference is exactly what it sounds like. Many resources define it more technically as anything above the neck that is visibly different from the majority of other people. This term is used by everyone from burn survivors to people with cleft lips, to people with vitiligo. Note that facial difference does not necessarily mean disability.

Visible difference is related to facial difference, but even broader. Visible difference is anything about one’s body that is visibly different from the majority of other people. Not all disabilities are visible, and not all visible differences are disabilities.

Congenital differences are those that one is born with, which can be the result of an inherited condition, random mutation, or genetic condition. A genetic condition is congenital, but a congenital condition is not necessarily genetic. In the case of facial difference, examples include any number of craniofacial conditions.

Acquired differences are those that occur in the course of one’s life.  Examples include scars or burns. 

Episodic facial difference is a visible difference that comes and goes. Examples include rashes or skin irritation.

A condition is a set of symptoms that have a common cause. Condition is a good word to describe visible difference or disability in a neutral, nonspecific way.

A syndrome is a set of symptoms that occur together whose cause is not known or understood. Syndrome, while neutral, is a medicalized term and is not often used to describe visible difference or disability in a nonspecific way.

Survivor is preferred to victim in describing facial difference acquired through injury. For example, “burn survivor” is vastly preferred to “burn victim,” “acid attack survivor” is preferred to “acid attack victim.”

Someone may have a visible disability that makes their face look different, but this isn’t usually referred to as facial difference if it’s part of a broader diagnosis. For instance, people with achondroplasia, a common form of dwarfism, have distinctive facial features that are part of this condition, but aren’t likely to describe themselves as or identify with the facial difference community.

Avoid: deformed, disfigured, defect/birth defect. A specific diagnosis/description is preferred, or the more neutral phrasing of “genetic condition/medical condition.”

Disfigurement is in some places a legal term, so may be used in that context. I have not personally encountered or read of anyone who would describe themselves as disfigured or wants to be described that way in a personal context.

Medical Aspects

Does your character’s facial difference affect the way they breathe? They could use supplemental oxygen or an inhaler to open their airway. They might have a trach or a BiPap or C-Pap they use at night. What effect does this have on their ability to exert themselves physically or what environments they can tolerate?

Does your character’s facial difference affect the way that they eat or drink? Are there foods or liquids they can or cannot chew or swallow? Are they at increased risk for choking, and if so, how do they manage that? Do they eat or drink by mouth at all? How does this affect where they eat or drink, and with whom?

Does your character’s facial difference affect the way they speak? In order to produce standard speech, people make use of their throats, vocal cords, tongue, and lips. Are there sounds your character can’t make? Is the volume of their voice affected? If speech is difficult, what other communication methods might they use?

Does your character’s facial difference affect one or more of their five senses? How does that affect the rest of their life? What adaptations would they have made?

Does your character need to care for their face in different ways than a person without their difference? They might use different methods of skincare, take medications, or have increased support needs.

Does your character’s facial difference affect how their face moves, particularly in terms of expression? Facial expressions communicate a lot to the people around us, and help express emotions as well as form bonds with others. How does your character’s facial difference change their ability to visibly emote and connect? Do they worry about being misjudged or misunderstood?

These are just a few questions to get you thinking about how your character’s facial difference impacts the rest of their life. Since facial difference is an extremely broad category, I’m not going to give specific advice here, but having a specific diagnosis in mind, and knowing how it affects your character, is key to an accurate and thoughtful portrayal.

If the answer to all of these things are “no,” and truly the only affect of your character’s facial difference is that they look different, I gently suggest you think about why that is.

Describing Facial Difference

This is really tough to give advice about both because facial difference is very broad, and because it can be an extremely sensitive subject for many. The best way I can think to advise is to imagine that a loved one of yours has the facial difference that you’re describing, and they’re reading your description of it. It may be tempting to use dramatic or striking words, but they can be stigmatizing and hurtful to readers.

As listed above, please try not to use words like deformed, disfigured, or defect/birth defect. Try not to use descriptors that focus on how strange, frightening, or shocking someone’s face is. It is possible to describe facial difference accurately without using harmful or othering language. Even if it is your character doing it - “That’s how they see themselves! That’s not how others see them.” That’s a cop out. Please be thoughtful.

It’s okay to describe facial difference, but try not to dwell on it in description. Paragraphs that render exactly how your character’s face is different from others focus on that difference at the exclusion of all other characteristics. Let me say it again: It is totally okay to describe facial difference! Spending longer than necessary/longer on this than any other thing is not great.

Don’t forget to describe their other features! Sure, they have a port wine stain across their cheek, and that’s relevant to how they look, but they also have a big gorgeous nose! Or thin lips that they’re always biting! Or freckles that only show up in the summer! You get it.

A facial difference might affect how you describe the motion or emotion shown on your character’s face. If they have facial paralysis, you probably can’t write your character smiling or frowning. If they have a skin condition, a blush may present differently on their cheeks. It’s okay to write about how a facial difference affects these things - remember to make the portrayal consistent.

It’s okay for characters to have feelings about their facial differences. It’s certainly accurate to real life. Having negative feelings about one’s facial differences does not mean that someone, or a character, is shallow or unenlightened. People can live happy, fulfilling lives and still not like the way their face looks. 

That being said: Let your characters have their feelings about their facial difference, but if that is something your character thinks about obsessively, consider why that has to be the case. Think carefully about the way your character talks to and about themselves and their facial difference.

Let your character love their face! Let your character feel completely neutral about their facial difference! Let them hate the way other people react, but not think about it at all in private! There are lots of emotions to explore besides “I’m different = I’m ugly = I hate myself and my face.”

Finally: What do you (and maybe your character) consider to be an “average” face? A beautiful face? Do these ideas line up with others around you/your character? How might dissonance with a broader population affect these ideas, or put your character in conflict with others? Are there people out there who may not have the same condition (if your character has a medical condition) but may share those facial features? What impact does that have on your character?

Etiquette

Facial difference should not be stared at, pointed at, called out, or commented on by respectful people in your story. Obviously, your character could experience bullying or harassment, and that’s fine to write about, but be aware that however innocently intentioned, these things are rude at best.

Neither you as the writer nor other characters should refer to someone by their facial difference. Neither person-first nor identity-first language is appropriate when referring to someone by their physical difference.

To clarify in case these terms are unfamiliar: “guy with the partial jaw” is no better than “partial jaw guy” in this situation.

People with visible or facial difference may have strong feelings or memories around mirrors, being photographed, or seeing photos of themselves. This could be from discomfort with their appearance, but it could also be from photos being taken without their consent, or because of a dissonance between how they look now and how they used to, or a dissonance between how they think they look and how they actually look. This is something that you should probably flesh out and think about when developing your character.

Other characters should not disclose this character’s diagnosis. It is, however, okay for others to give information about a character, especially if that information is relevant. For example:

“He has facial dysplasia so he doesn’t like going out.” = Not good. “Sometimes people make comments about how he looks and how he eats. We should check in before we make plans to eat out.” = Much better.

This next is a controversial one, and people should feel free to weigh in. I am giving this advice on the word of people that I personally know, but other people may feel differently, and I respect that.

Here goes: It is okay to give people a heads up about someone’s facial difference, in writing or in reality. People can have involuntary reactions that are really hurtful, whether they mean to or not, and knowing in advance can help to limit the impact on someone who probably gets a lot of negative attention from strangers already. How those heads up are given, and if/when they are felt to be necessary, is a choice to think very hard about. But it can be useful and even necessary, especially with young kids. Appropriate examples below.

“Hey, just so you know, my friend Suzie who we’re going to meet has a medical condition that makes their face look different.”

That’s it. That’s all it needs to be.

Rethink

Villains with facial difference. Do you think maybe we have enough villains with facial difference already? The different = ugly = evil moralistic writing trope is a little played out, no?

A subtrope of this is “someone acquires a facial difference and becomes a villain. Once again, morality being tied to how someone looks is just not great messaging.

Shallow or evil character acquires a facial difference and Learns A Lesson. Disability is not a lesson, nor is it a punishment for bad morals or bad behavior. Think about the beliefs and messaging that undergird this narrative.

Only enlightened characters can see beyond facial difference. The entirety of Wonder is basically this, and real people with facial difference are tired of seeing it. Being able to treat people with facial difference with respect and dignity does not make anyone a saint, nor should others reacting to facial difference be the primary purpose of your character with facial differences.

Love will save you. Love, however true and real, will not solve someone’s insecurities, traumas, or deep feelings about their facial difference. Being truly, deeply, genuinely loved, whether romantically or platonically or familial-ly, is a powerful beautiful thing, but not a cure-all.

“I don’t even see your facial difference!” This doesn’t always ring very true. “I don’t think about it,” “don’t notice it,” or even “don’t care about it” can work better, but “I’m so accepting I don’t even see it” is a bit over-the-top.

Resources

In a truly depressing turn of events, when I looked this up, hoping to find more positive representation, I was met only with discussions of villains with facial difference. So. Limited resource section, here.

Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy was a bestseller when it first came out in 1994, and in my opinion, stands the test of time. It is an autobiography of a woman whose face is changed by surgery and chemotherapy through her experience of childhood cancer. It’s a nonfiction memoir that deals primarily with themes of illness and recovery, childhood, self-esteem, self-image, and the perceptions of others.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley is a young adult novel about a girl with a port wine stain, which primarily deals with young love, self-esteem, and self-image.

Avatar: the Last Airbender notably features Zuko, a burn survivor with facial scarring who starts the series as a villain but is redeemed by the end of the show, in ways that do not exploit his facial difference as fuel for moral decay or moral growth.

I am begging people to add media they know that has characters with facial difference because those three are literally the only positive examples I can come up with. Not to sound like Tr*mp but: Very sad!

Anyway, that is what I have for now, will likely rehash much of this (and more!) if I write up something about visible difference. Let me know if you have requests, feel free to ask me questions, and as always - Happy writing!

[spoonfulofjesus]

I love the casual ableism of Wolverine calling Deadpool's scars/facial difference nauseatingly disgusting in the previews and the entire theater laughing. /s

[bambiraptorx]

[I.D. A digital bust drawing of a woman with a chin length bob haircut. Her hair is a light greyish purple, and she wears a purple sleeveless turtleneck. She has microtia, so her left ear is shaped somewhat like an upside down L, and her right upper eyelid is somewhat droopy. She smiles slightly. End I.D.]

Decided to do a quick redraw of an old oc. I don't remember her story much at this point because I never wrote any of it down, but she was supposed to be the head of some sort of space mercenary agency I think? Space ship captain maybe?

She's stern and serious, so it really catches people off guard when she cracks a joke because they don't expect it lol. Now that I think about it, she would probably have some level of hearing loss. She also never got a name as far as I remember, sorry cool space captain lady.

[pluralprompts]

Prompt #1,578

Write about a system with Williams Syndrome!

[quasieli]

[Image description: Three chest up drawings of OCs set against light blue backgrounds. The first image is of Isla Monroe (she/they), a young, thin, pale complexion person with a heavy burn scar on the left (viewer's right) half of her body from her shoulder up to the top of her head, damage to her left eye making it swelled and less pigmented, short wavy hair dyed fiery colors, with the roots of her natural hair color partially visible, and a tattoo of a fiery heart just below the scarring on her shoulder that reads "Hot Stuff". They are wearing a black tanktop.

The second drawing is of Kimimela "Kimi" Hilliard (she/her), a thin, dark complexion teen girl with Treacher Collins syndrome, as evidence by her shorter, rounded, sunken-in facial features, underdeveloped ears, and drooping eyes, and has a trach tube in her throat. She has curly black hair pulled up into two puffs with purple hair clips. She is wearing a bright green t-shirt over a striped pink and purple long sleeved t-shirt and has a purple K button and heart button on the upper left (viewer's right) of her shirt.

The third image is of Alix Mun (they/he), a young, thin, tan complexion person with a short spiky teal mohawk, a thick monobrow, short beard and a cleft lip. They are wearing a pink tank top with a green graphic design. End description.]

Wanna get better at drawing more visibly disabled folks and thought I'd start out with some facial differences! These folks were real fun to draw and I def wanna do more!