Loss of Face

If you fault me for using 'loss of face' in this context, you would not be wrong. However, if you think deeply about facial disfigurements you may agree that psychologically it is true. Persons with facial disfigurement are inclined to avoid social contact. They prefer isolation to escape morbid curiosity. We would do the same. Would we not?

?Society at large is merciless at finding fault with the appearances of others around them. Skin tones, pockmarks, acne, vitiligo, burn contractures, nose shapes, and others, all draw attention. So, think about the attention that loss of eye, orbital contents, nose, maxillofacial defects, loss of ear, or microtia, would draw in any social environment. Very often 'idiots' will brand some such defects as leprosy or some contagious disease.

?In another context, a person who is deemed to have done a shameful act is said to have lost face. For such persons to redeem their face is very difficult because society is slow to forget. Fortunately for those who have acquired facial defects, they can avail of the latest in prosthetic restoration.? This is of course a camouflage. By hiding their disfigurement from society, they can achieve psychosocial rehabilitation.

?It is important to remember that the team who can make this possible, are the surgeons, Prosthodontists, and Anaplastologists. However, sadly the teams are fractured and often do not work together. Ideally, if all these specialists see the patient together and agree on assessment, planning, and protocols, then the outcomes would exceed expectations.

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Anaplastology until recently was not taken seriously. Perhaps it was the healthcare systems, the specialists, and other concerned service providers who ignored its role. Since the late 1960s this field has slowly and steadily come to be recognized as the key specialists for the disfigured persons. As Anaplastology merges with the disruptive technologies available or on the horizon, the disfigured person will gain their face and self-respect.? The fabric of Anaplastology is being woven as we speak. Its patterns are changing as it changes the future.