Mental health charity Penumbra has opened Scotland’s first community-based skin camouflage clinic for people who have scars as a result of self-harm. The clinic is based at Penumbra’s Self-Harm Project in Leith and offers free advice and specialist cream formulated to reduce the visibility of scarring.
Although similar clinics exist in a number of Scottish hospitals, this is the first time a community-based service focusing on self-harm will be available in Scotland.
The service has been created in partnership with Changing Faces – the UK charity that supports, represents and campaigns for people who have disfigurements of the face or body.
Penumbra Development Worker Tammy Kirk, who runs the new clinic, said: “Across all ages and backgrounds self-harm remains a big issue. This new service in Edinburgh will allow people to reduce the visibility of scars caused by self-harm, if they wish to.
“Everyone referred to the service will have an appointment with specially trained staff who will match their natural skin tone with camouflage cream. Staff can then provide a prescription request for the products through a GP and it can be picked up from a local pharmacy.
“We hope these appointments will provide a vital opportunity for people who self-harm to speak confidentially about their concerns.”
The new clinic will be part of Penumbra’s wider Self-Harm Project in Edinburgh, which recently received a Bronze Cosla award in the category Tackling Inequalities and Improving Health.
The Cosla awards recognise innovative approaches that improve pathways into, through, between and out of a range of local public services, particularly for people who are most at risk of poor health and wellbeing.
Anyone who would like a skin camouflage appointment or wishes to enquire about the service can email skincamouflage.edin@penumbra.org.uk.
Referral forms can also be downloaded from the Penumbra website: www.penumbra.org.uk.