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Would you stare at this woman?
Alison Rich is not just another face in the crowd - every morning on her way to work on the London underground, she is met with sideways glances and shocked second looks. Some people even stare openly or turn away in obvious embarrassment.
Alison was born with a condition that affected the development of the left side of her face and gave her spine a severe scoliosis, curving her back from side to side. As a result, she has had to deal with people's looks and stares all her life.
It was one of the cruellest reactions that transformed how she dealt with her disfigurement. "I was in the student union and this guy came up to me and threw me against the wall and said: 'You are the ugliest thing I have ever seen, I'd kill myself if I looked like you'. I just didn't go out for a few days, I was quite bruised by it. But it also made me realise how I was going to handle myself and that I had to get strong inside. And I think even more importantly I needed to learn how to deal with these things." In a way, she says, he did her a favour. She now has a number of strategies she recommends to anyone concerned about their disfigurement: Look someone in the eye, have a short explanation ready, move the conversation on, and seek expert support.
But she still has bad days. A young man who had been talking to her suddenly turned round and said: "you'd be really lovely if you weren't so ugly"; and before her wedding a shop assistant told her: "Oh gosh, I didn't think that someone who looked like you could get married."
Alison now works for Changing Faces, a charity that challenges the prejudices surrounding facial disfigurement. Findings by the charity suggest 542,000 - or one in 111 - people in the UK have a significant facial disfigurement.
What do you think is the impact of facial disfigurement on an otherwise normal life? Do you look different and have had similar experiences? And how do you behave 'correctly' when you meet someone who looks unusual or different? Alison Rich is not just another face in the crowd - every morning on her way to work on the London underground, she is met with sidewa... more -
Fake Plastic Surgeon To Face Prison Term
ARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - A French court sentenced a doctor on Monday to three years in jail for posing as a plastic surgeon and endangering patients by operating on them illegally in a derelict Marseille clinic.
Michel Maure went on trial in June accused of luring hundreds of patients to the dirty premises under false pretences between 2002 and 2004 and carrying out painful, unhygienic operations on them.
Maure was also sentenced to pay a 75,000 euro ($107,600) fine and to compensate his victims, about 100 of whom had complained of disfigurement and permanent damage to their health.
He went on the run while the court prepared its ruling and was arrested in Spain on August 19 after being spotted on a luxury yacht. Spain is expected to hand him over to France within days.
Maure was a qualified doctor but not a trained plastic surgeon. He was struck off the list of recognized French doctors in 2007 over his activities at the Marseille clinic.
French media have reported that the disgraced doctor had proclaimed himself "one of the greatest surgeons in the world." ARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - A French court sentenced a doctor on Monday to three years in jail for posing as a plastic surgeon and en... more -
Breast Ironing // Comment Picked for TV
Thanks to ebarnett09 for uploading her comments on the pod, "Breast Ironing." After you hear what ebarnett09 has to say, check out the pod yourself by clicking on the link below. Then, let us know what you think by uploading your own comments to current.com.
http://current.com/items/88852332_breast_ironing Thanks to ebarnett09 for uploading her comments on the pod, "Breast Ironing." After you hear what ebarnett09 has to say, che... more -
Breast Ironing
The UN says that 3.8 million West and Central African girls are at risk of a painful form of body mutilation know as 'breast ironing'.
In Cameroon where the practice is most widespread, 50% of adolescent girls in cities and a quarter of all girls nationwide have their breasts 'ironed,' often by their mothers.
The 'ritual' is performed by massaging the girls' chests with heated objects like stones, in order to reverse their pubescent development. The mums say it's driven by fear of unwanted male attention, rape and pre-marital pregnancies.
According to UNFPA, breast ironing exposes girls to numerous health problems such as abscesses, infections, dissymmetry of the breasts, cysts, and even the complete disappearance of one or both breasts.
Nevertheless breast ironing is widespread and interestingly, the high prevalence in cities attributed to the effects of urbanization.
In Cameroon, the Network of Aunties Association, RENATA, made up of members who have undergone the practice, is trying to stop breast ironing by drawing public attention to its dangers in radio and television spots and by disseminating leaflets. The UN says that 3.8 million West and Central African girls are at risk of a painful form of body mutilation know as 'breast iron... more
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Disfigurement
