Have you heard of Lizzie Velasquez, labeled the “world’s ugliest woman”? Or maybe you’ve cracked one too many “Yo’ Mama” jokes in your youth? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that our society is very much looks-oriented, which means that anyone who’s outside the scope of “normalcy” will be shunned one way or another. The truth is that our standards of beauty can be harsh. Social media magnifies this, often showcasing individuals with physical differences as objects of ridicule. However, behind these differences often lie medical conditions or diseases.
Dwarfism
People who are shorter than 4 feet 10 inches often have a medical condition that is caused by slow or delayed growth. It is surprising to know that there are hundreds of different causes of dwarfism, each with different symptoms and characteristics. Early surgical, medicinal, hormonal, and other treatments are available for both types of dwarfism. Although height doesn’t affect intelligence or lifespan, the mental battles these people must go through every day are exhausting.
Argyria
The skin condition, known as Argyria, is caused by being exposed to silver dust or a certain silver compound. It makes ones skin turn greyish or bluish in color. The local form of Argyria can also affect the mucous membrane or the conjunctiva. Although the silver deposits are not clinically harmful, they are cosmetically undesirable. But no matter how harmless it may be, if you look different, people will ridicule you.
Cleft Lip
It’s not okay when people point fingers at someone’s face and compare it to that of a hare. Cleft palate and cleft lip are physical deformities that happen when a baby’s face doesn’t grow properly in the womb. Sometimes, the gap on the lip can go all the way up to the nose. It can also open up into the mouth, making it hard for babies to eat and, later on, to speak. As bad as it sounds, the worst part is how society treats them.
