DP has a large port and wine coloured birthmark that covers his left arm in patches and goes onto his neck and covers the left side of his chest.
He has always been very insecure about it and 'hidden' it from everyone apart from close family. Winter isn't too bad as naturally he would wear long sleeved tops/scarfs, etc, however Summer has always been a problem as it is obviously too hot to wear these clothes although he still does.
Every Summer seems to get harder and harder for him and he has lived this way all his life, just hiding under long sleeved, high collared tops and feeling miserable for the whole of Summer because he is too hot and not wearing the clothes he would like to.
Myself and his family have always been sympatetic and reassuring when he feels down about it but he still doesn't seem to understand that noone will look at him differently or think of him differently.
I just don't know what to do anymore in terms of making him feel better about it. He has a very physically demanding job which requires him to work outside most days and he is going to work wearing a t shirt and jumper in this weather!! It's far too hot for that and i'm so worried about his health, that he could just pass out one day! I'm also getting increasingly worried about his mental state aswell as he has often had anxiety attacks in the past when it has been really hot and everything has got on top of him. He is always saying things like 'why was I unfortunate to get it' 'why can't I have normal skin like you', etc. I can't imagine how hard it is for him because i've never had to deal with anything like this, I just hate to see how sad it makes him when he see's other men walking on the beach carelessly without tops on, etc. I wish he felt comfortable in his skin and didn't care if anyone looked at him differently.
I just wondered if there was anybody here who has known of somebody in a similar situation or has any advice they could give me on how to help him deal with it?