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confidence to other people’s reaction (‘it takes one event’; ‘[confidence] alters the way people
portray you’). There was a sense of a vicious circle, where it was the lack of confidence that
induced people to behave in undermining ways.
Ageing and feeling old: Women related their appearance to ageing, or felt that they were ‘aged’
by their appearance. One woman commented that there was a ‘disrespect towards the elderly’
which made getting old more difficult.
Aged by appearance: Several women said that their feature (e.g. ‘turkey neck’; ‘old looking
hands’; ‘bags under my eyes’) made them look older.
Feeling one’s age: Participants of both genders related their changes in appearance to getting
older. This could be seen with fatalism ‘starting to look my age’; ‘age is catching up with me’ or
there could be a struggle to keep former good looks.
2.) Other People’s Responses
Many participants were strongly attuned to other people’s responses to their appearance
‘feature’, whether from acquaintances and ‘other people’ in general, or their own partners, family
and friends. However, some respondents were feeling self-conscious or avoided exposure
because of the responses they anticipated from others.
Direct responses from other people: Many respondents felt that comments or other reactions
(staring) from other people were an issue. This could range from casual comments to sustained
bullying.
Comments and staring: Participants noted that comments from other people about the
appearance feature (e.g. eye problem/ psoriasis/ scar) were an issue. Some said they were
stared at because of their appearance feature: ‘People stare specifically at them (eyes)’. A
couple of these especially noted that people looked but did not engage: (‘children are the only
people to ask questions’; ‘people will ‘judge’ but not say on appearance’). While comments and
staring were mostly just mentioned as an issue, some noted their emotional responses. One
woman with Dwayne’s syndrome felt ‘embarrassed and self conscious’ by others’ comments
and one man with vitiligo felt ‘ashamed and disgusted’ by the way other people looked. One
woman said she found people staring at her legs amusing, and another felt angry when
strangers commented on her scar.
Bullying: A few participants described being bullied: One woman was called ‘witch’ through
childhood because of her crooked nose, the other because of her psoriasis: ‘I have spent my life
being laughed at, pointed at, and called names’.
Responses from partners, family and friends: Participants often wrote about responses from
people close to them. While the majority was very positive, even casual comments by partners
could be very hurtful.
Positive responses: Some participants with appearance issues (e.g. body hair, scar, psoriasis)
felt that their partner, family and friends gave them support and reassurance, which improved
their own confidence
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