“The only time I think about my visible difference, is when other people make it an issue.”
It’s #FaceEqualityWeek, and this year, we’re coming together to change the way the world sees difference.
94% of people living with a visible difference lack confidence and self-esteem, our latest survey shows.
Too often, that confidence is shaped by the reactions of others.
That’s why we’re building a community focused on connection, support, and action.
✨ Join us today and be part of what comes next.
Sign up, stay connected, and help shape a more inclusive future. Link in bio.
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Campaigners:
@eczemawithharrii@gifted_skin@positivelydiverse@garyparsonsuk@robertrhodesactor@robertrhodesactor
Photography - @fordtography
Filmmaker - @chuckbluelowry
Makeup - @krysluxebeauty
Lighting - @c.a.l.d and @_licat_
Florist - @the_flower_collective
📢 Free community webinar: Navigating comments about your visible difference
Do people's comments about your visible difference ever catch you off guard? Or leave you wishing you had said something different?
You are not alone. Join us for a free webinar during Face Equality Week this May!
👉 Practical coping strategies you can use in everyday situations
👉 Honest insights from people with lived experience of visible difference
👉 A live Q&A so you can get your specific questions answered
The webinar is free to attend and open to anyone with a visible difference, as well as their friends, family, and supporters. Please do share our event with your communities.
Register through the link in bio 🦋
Hey brands 👋 We’ve got a face for radio, TV, catwalks, advertising and everything else!
Nearly one in five people in the UK have a visible difference, so where is this representation when it comes to TV, film, or advertising campaigns?
We’re calling on brands to make visible differences, more visible – by signing the Changing Faces Pledge and committing to featuring more people with a visible difference in their marketing and advertising. But we need your support. Here’s what you can do now:
1️⃣ Share our campaign film and tag the brands you’d like to see sign the Changing Faces Pledge.
2️⃣ Share our campaign with the companies you work for and with – large or small, the more the merrier!
3️⃣ Keep up to date with our campaign – head to the link in bio to sign up to our newsletter.
It’s time to make visible differences, more visible.
#AFaceForRadio #RepresentationMatters #VisibleDifferences #Inclusion #InclusiveMarketing #InclusiveCampaigns #DEI
Face Equality Week 2026 📢
We’ve had such a fantastic week celebrating Face Equality Week and encouraging people to Think Before You Speak!
A huge thank you to everyone who supported the campaign, whether you donated, shared your story, joined the conversation, or helped amplify our message. Your support has made a real difference.
A special thank you goes to our amazing campaigners and ambassadors for speaking out and sharing their experiences. You’ve helped shine a light on the lasting impact that comments and assumptions can have on a person’s confidence and wellbeing.
We were also excited to launch our very first webinar this week. Thank you to everyone who attended, submitted questions, and supported this new step for us. We’re so excited to host more in the future.
Together, we’re helping to create a kinder, more understanding world where everyone feels seen, respected, and valued. 🦋
Featuring: @gilliankgotla speaking on our recent webinar
@relightalopecia on BBC Look East
Face Equality Week with @changingfacesuk
“Think Before You Speak”
When people see me, they often ask if I was born like this. In the South Asian community, some assume I’ve eaten fish and drunk milk together believing certain food combinations cause vitiligo.
Comments like these have impact.
In a recent survey by Changing Faces, 94% of people living with a visible difference said they struggle with confidence and self-esteem.
That confidence can be directly affected by the reactions of others.
So this Face Equality Week, I’m asking you to think before you speak.
Because your words can shape someone’s confidence more than you realise.
If you or someone you know is finding it difficult to cope with the emotional impact of living with a visible difference, the @changingfacesuk community is here for you. You’ll be welcomed with support, understanding, and a community of people who truly care and are always there to help.
Photography @fordtography
Filmmaker @chuckbluelowry
Make up @krysluxebeauty
Lighting @c.a.l.d and _licat_
Florist@ @the_flower_collective
Joti 🩷
#FaceEqualityWeek #ThinkBeforeYouSpeak #ChangingFaces
For years, winning a new client at work was followed by someone telling me I could "at least smile" and "look happy about it".
They weren't being cruel. They just had no idea that not smiling was the one thing keeping me together. I have Bell's Palsy - one side of my face doesn't work the way it should, and smiling makes that visible, so I stopped. For nearly 20 years, not smiling was my armour.
The word smile in any context was the one thing that could unravel me completely.
This week, I was part of this shoot with Changing Faces UK. And I smiled.... Genuinely! Because of the people in this room and what they represent 💛
Comments have impact, and this #FaceEqualityWeek, alongside @changingfacesuk , I'm asking you to Think Before You Speak. 💛
In a recent Changing Faces survey, 94% of respondents living with a visible difference said they lack confidence and self-esteem. No one should feel worried about stepping outside of their home, because of the comments they might receive as they go about their daily lives.
Being part of this shoot felt like something shifted. Standing in a room with people who understood what it costs to be seen, and who chose to show up anyway, took me straight back to why I started talking about this in the first place.
The pressure to perform normally is exhausting. Whether it's hiding a visible difference or hiding the fact that you're struggling, the cost is the same. You lose yourself. 💛
If you or a loved one is struggling with the emotional impact of having a visible difference, join the Changing Faces community. More info through the link in their bio.
📸 @fordtography
🎬 @chuckbluelowry
💄 @Krysluxebeauty
💡 @c.a.l.d and @_licat_
🌸 @the_flower_collective
#FaceEqualityWeek #ThinkBeforeYouSpeak #FacialDifference #VisibleDifference #BellsPalsy
This week is Face Equality Week, and the launch of @changingfacesuk new campaign ‘Think Before You Speak’.
I’m reminded every day that I have vitiligo and whilst that can come from my own internal thinking, there are times when others remind me when they’re either staring or asking questions out of curiosity.
Comments have impact, and this #FaceEqualityWeek, alongside @changingfacesuk , our request is to Think Before You Speak.
In a recent Changing Faces survey, 94% of respondents living with a visible difference said they lack confidence and self-esteem.
Questions aren’t necessarily the problem, often it’s about timing, tone, and reading the room. Knowing when to ask, and how to ask matters.
If you or a loved one is struggling with the emotional impact of having a visible difference, join the Changing Faces community. More info through the link in their bio 🦋
Photography: @fordtography
Filmmaker: @chuckbluelowry
Makeup: @krysluxebeauty
Lighting: @c.a.l.d and @_licat_
Florist: @the_flower_collective
Face Equality Week matters because visible difference affects far more than appearance.
It changes how people speak to you. How they look at you. The assumptions they make about your confidence, your identity, your relationships, your worth.
This shoot with @libertyphotographyuk was about reclaiming space for joy, softness, romance and visibility.
Because people with visible difference are not here simply to be “resilient”.
We are allowed to be glamorous. Playful. Desired. Seen.
We are allowed to be the main character too.
#FaceEqualityWeek #VisibleDifference @changingfacesuk
Face Equality Week 🐺🩵🌙
Everyone deserves kindness, respect, inclusion, and belonging.
Facial differences are part of human diversity. Behind every face is a person, a story, a family, and a life full of strength and courage.
As a mum and community advocate, I want to help build a world where people are valued for who they are, not simply judged by appearance. A world where people don’t have to fear leaving the house or constantly have to navigate unwanted stares and questions.
Differences are part of life. Children like Didi should get to just be children, without worrying about being defined by what people notice first.
This illustration is about that reminder: We are part of a wolf pack.
“You’re never alone. Your tribe has your back, walking through life part of a wolf pack.”
If this message speaks to you, help spread awareness for by sharing kindness and supporting face equality week.
@changingfacesuk@faceequalityint@caringmattersnow #ifew2026 #internationalfaceequalityweek @aliciamariasummer #didithewolfandthestarrytattoos #readwithdidi #visibledifference
It's Face Equality Week — and today I want to talk about identity.
We live in a world that teaches us to build identity from the outside in.
Appearance. Status. Performance.
Perception.
Most of us never question it — because we never have to.
Visible difference interrupts that system.
Maybe that's why many people who've been marginalised or made to feel 'other' can become incredibly grounded. They've had to build identity from somewhere deeper — somewhere appearance, status and perception couldn't reach.
Think Before You Speak. But also — think about what you're building your identity on.
#FaceEqualityWeek #ThinkBeforeYouSpeak @changingfacesuk@faceequalityint
“Questions about a visible difference aren’t always harmless — often they reopen deeply personal memories.”
Over the years I’ve had comments, stares, questions and assumptions made about my appearance — often by complete strangers. Sometimes people are simply curious, but certain comments stay with you far longer than the person who said them probably realises.
For a long time, I felt like I owed people explanations about my scars, even when sharing made me uncomfortable. But living with a visible difference has taught me the importance of boundaries, and that nobody is entitled to your personal or traumatic history simply because they’re curious.
Comments have impact, and this #FaceEqualityWeek, alongside @changingfacesuk , I’m asking people to Think Before You Speak.
In a recent Changing Faces survey, 94% of respondents living with a visible difference said they lack confidence and self-esteem.
No one should feel worried about stepping outside of their home because of the comments they might receive as they go about their daily lives.
I loved being part of this shoot and campaign alongside such an incredible group of people, helping create more visibility, representation and conversation around visible difference 💙
If you or a loved one is struggling with the emotional impact of having a visible difference, join the Changing Faces community. More info through the link in their bio.
📸 @fordtography
🎬 @chuckbluelowry
💄 @krysluxebeauty
💡 @c.a.l.d@licat
🌸 @the_flower_collective
“Tulsi really was a shining star and a positive force for good. She absolutely loved our I Am Not Your Villain campaign, as a huge Audrey Hepburn fan she said it was a dream come true for her.” @chuckbluelowry , filmmaker.
We are deeply saddened to share the passing of our much-loved ambassador and friend, Tulsi Vagjiani.
Tulsi was a powerful voice for the visible difference community and an extraordinary advocate for Changing Faces. Through her campaigning, storytelling and compassion for others, she inspired countless people to embrace themselves with confidence and speak up for change.
Those who knew Tulsi will remember her warmth, kindness and vivacious energy. She brought light wherever she went and made so many people feel seen and valued.
Tulsi’s legacy will live on through the community she helped build, the conversations she changed, and the many people she empowered through her courage and generosity.
Thank you, Tulsi, for everything you gave to our community. You will be deeply missed and forever remembered. 🤍
If you would like to share a tribute to the memory of Tulsi, which will be published on our website, please get in touch with us. We have already received some wonderful tributes we look forward to sharing.
