Romeo's Real Story

[ShelleyChangingFaces]

Changing Faces' Real Stories enable our community to share their experiences of living with a visible difference.

Romeo used the charity's Skin Camouflage and counselling services to help him to come to terms with the burns he acquired as a baby.

"I lacked confidence throughout my childhood. Feelings of nervousness and anxiety particularly cropped up during the warm summer months, when I felt more exposed. Sometimes people would stare, and I’d feel like I had to change my outfit to cover myself more.

"This carried through into adulthood, where I would make sure I was covered up at work or in the early stages of relationships. I didn’t want people to stare or ask questions. I just wanted to be able to get on with my day without feeling ashamed of my appearance.

"Spending my entire life hiding my skin was exhausting, and that led me to seek support from Changing Faces. As well as learning how to apply Skin Camouflage make-up, I also took part in several counselling sessions, which helped me better frame the way I view my visible difference. My practitioner was brilliant and made me feel so comfortable despite my initial misgivings.

"I came away with a new level of confidence and I’m incredibly grateful for the support I received."

You can read Romeo's full story here: changingfaces.org.uk/story/...