"If someone is being rude or you don’t have the strength or emotional capacity to deal with the situation, you can walk away," Dr Ahmed begins. "Secondly, you can acknowledge the comment but dismiss the question." For example, I’ve heard you but I don’t think it’s kind to comment on people’s appearance. "Thirdly, you can acknowledge the comment but divert the conversation," says Dr Ahmed, such as I don’t like to talk about my skin, let’s talk about something more interesting. "Or if you feel able to, you can educate them," advises Dr Ahmed. Something along the lines of I have a condition. I’m seeing a doctor about it so it’s all under control, may be effective. It takes time and responding may feel uncomfortable at first, but it helps to know that you’re going into those situations with a game plan. There are some great self-help sheets on the Changing Faces website if you need further examples of responses.