How do scars make you feel? I've got plenty of them from acne scars on my legs. I cannot believe that those scars would stay there for quite a while. Now I can never wear shorts in public and when someone asks me what happened to your leg, I'm like dude, there's nothing wrong with it.

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by heyitsme7

How do scars make you feel? I've got plenty of them from acne scars on my legs. I cannot believe that those scars would stay there for quite a while. Now I can never wear shorts in public and when someone asks me what happened to your leg, I'm like dude, there's nothing wrong with it.

Depends on which scars on my body we are discussing. I developed a harder than usual time, after a teen took his life, last school year, with one of my scars. I became very stressed and self conscious, because that's the arm I handed out money with. That was due to my computer register being on my right side. There was one teen, this year, that had begun taking to coming to my register and just giving me that 'knowing look', as if my just being there, mattered.
Switching to being with younger kids, has helped alleviate that stress, immensely.
I have a scar on my face, that I don't give much thought to, unless I go to the dentist, this woman there, made a remark because I am missing a tooth, that would never grow in, because I have a scar on my palate, I was insulted by the implications, seriously insulted!!!
I have a couple scars on my knees from a fall off a seawall. I am proud of those, because, at the time of the fall, my Air Bourne Ranger uncle, looked at me, and exclaimed I was one tough girl, as he applied the iodine and cleaned me up from that fall.

I have a couple other, scars, that are just 'meh'/whatever.

If I worry less about what I imagine goes on in the minds of hearts of others, life is better. If people want to live the life of judge, let them. They know who they must answer to, in the end. It's certainly not to me. Let them be miserable.

Originally Posted by healingme4me

Depends on which scars on my body we are discussing. I developed a harder than usual time, after a teen took his life, last school year, with one of my scars. I became very stressed and self conscious, because that's the arm I handed out money with. That was due to my computer register being on my right side. There was one teen, this year, that had begun taking to coming to my register and just giving me that 'knowing look', as if my just being there, mattered.
Switching to being with younger kids, has helped alleviate that stress, immensely.
I have a scar on my face, that I don't give much thought to, unless I go to the dentist, this woman there, made a remark because I am missing a tooth, that would never grow in, because I have a scar on my palate, I was insulted by the implications, seriously insulted!!!
I have a couple scars on my knees from a fall off a seawall. I am proud of those, because, at the time of the fall, my Air Bourne Ranger uncle, looked at me, and exclaimed I was one tough girl, as he applied the iodine and cleaned me up from that fall.

I have a couple other, scars, that are just 'meh'/whatever.

If I worry less about what I imagine goes on in the minds of hearts of others, life is better. If people want to live the life of judge, let them. They know who they must answer to, in the end. It's certainly not to me. Let them be miserable.

I used to have a condition that made my skin irritable. It had to do with the dryness and so I have been trying to get rid of them by washing long in the shower yet i still can't get rid of them. I want to find some cream or treatment of some sort that can eliminate all scars. Right now I can't wear shorts in public and it's 88 degrees indoors and much more outdoors. I'm sick of not being able to wear shorts.

[kaliope]

I have self injury scars and scars from a suicide attempt on my inner arm. because of the nature of the injury I am pretty self conscious about them...what will people think of me?... but I, over the years, just tend to ignore them. its really all I can do. nobody ever asks about them but medical professionals. and they don't really care...so I just get over it and get on with my life and pretty much forget they are there.

Originally Posted by kaliope

I have self injury scars and scars from a suicide attempt on my inner arm. because of the nature of the injury I am pretty self conscious about them...what will people think of me?... but I, over the years, just tend to ignore them. its really all I can do. nobody ever asks about them but medical professionals. and they don't really care...so I just get over it and get on with my life and pretty much forget they are there.

gosh i want to wear shorts and i feel the need to cover up my scars so that others would not be all like what happened to your leg?

[Vossie42]

I have scars all over my legs and face. If I get even just a little scratch, I will scar. My skin scars very easily. I have a lot of scars from when I would scratch my legs so badly that it would take a couple of rounds of antibiotics to clear up the infections. Once I cut gluten from my diet, I haven't itched or scratched like that since. A few exceptions are due to bites from fire ants and mosquitoes - the bane of my existence! The scars on my face are from severe nodular acne, and the scars are white. I also have a lot of hyper pigmentation on my face. And due to taking a medication that makes me photosensitive and the fact that I'm allergic to all chemical sunscreens, I burn easily. So, my face is red with dark brown splotches and pits of skin with no pigmentation at all. I feel like such a freakazoid. People assure me that I'm not. I'll take their word for it rather than walk around with a paper bag over my head. Bonking into things is really uncool.

I can see why you're self-conscious about your scars. People may notice them but not say anything either to be polite or because they've forgotten about them already. Go for comfort and wear shorts! To hell with what people think about how you look or how you think they think.

(Now, to practice what I just preached and to not be so embarrassed over this dreadful haircut I recently got... )

Originally Posted by Vossie42

I have scars all over my legs and face. If I get even just a little scratch, I will scar. My skin scars very easily. I have a lot of scars from when I would scratch my legs so badly that it would take a couple of rounds of antibiotics to clear up the infections. Once I cut gluten from my diet, I haven't itched or scratched like that since. A few exceptions are due to bites from fire ants and mosquitoes - the bane of my existence! The scars on my face are from severe nodular acne, and the scars are white. I also have a lot of hyper pigmentation on my face. And due to taking a medication that makes me photosensitive and the fact that I'm allergic to all chemical sunscreens, I burn easily. So, my face is red with dark brown splotches and pits of skin with no pigmentation at all. I feel like such a freakazoid. People assure me that I'm not. I'll take their word for it rather than walk around with a paper bag over my head. Bonking into things is really uncool.

I can see why you're self-conscious about your scars. People may notice them but not say anything either to be polite or because they've forgotten about them already. Go for comfort and wear shorts! To hell with what people think about how you look or how you think they think.

(Now, to practice what I just preached and to not be so embarrassed over this dreadful haircut I recently got... )

Thank you for being so assertive in your opinions. You make me feel a lot more confident about myself.

[Sabrina]

I have pretty nasty scars on my wrists from a suicide attempt. I choose to look at them as the time my healing started.

Originally Posted by Sabrina

I have pretty nasty scars on my wrists from a suicide attempt. I choose to look at them as the time my healing started.

i have them on my legs and i can't seem to get them off. Is there any body wash or scrub that i can use to erase all evidence of scars?

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by heyitsme7

i have them on my legs and i can't seem to get them off. Is there any body wash or scrub that i can use to erase all evidence of scars?

I don't know of a body wash or scrub that would remove scars, but there is a cream you can buy at the pharmacy that's supposed to minimize/eliminate scars. I don't remember the name and I have no idea if it actually works.

I have scars from a variety of causes. Some from SI. They embarass me. One on my arm from an auto accident. I have no feelings one way of the other about it. It's just part of my body. I have some scars on my legs from back in the day when I trained horses. I am embarrsed by them. Go figure!

[spondiferous]

I have faint raised scars on my left arm from the years I self harmed. They don't bother me. The scars I struggle with the most are my stretch marks. I have them pretty much all over my body. I just try to stay in the moment. Remember that I'm more than just a body. And that they're there for a reason.

I am covered head to toe in scars - they will always be there to a degree so it's something you simply have to learn to live with. I never wear short sleeved tops anymore but fortunately i live somewhere where the weather is conducive to this anyway. I'm not one of those 'be proud of your battle scars' kind of people but i don't live in constant shame of them either. I think time helps. I also think the finality of having them helps too - once they're there you have no choice but to move on and find a way to cope with it. Just my thoughts.

[patchwork5]

The little ones - pox scars near my eyes, forehead scar, burns near an armpit - I don't think about much. I know that people seldom notice them in casual interaction, and everyone's got a few little ones, right?

I've got the prominent wrist scars that aren't exactly unique in this community, and this may sound kind of stupid and sick, but I'm proud of them. I'll run a thumb along them absentmindedly, and remember that I've managed to live through things that the person annoying me right now has never felt, probably can't really imagine. That's stupid because everyone feels pain and everyone suffers, even those who aren't ill - but what can I say, they sort of make me feel like I'm strong.

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by spondiferous

I have faint raised scars on my left arm from the years I self harmed. They don't bother me. The scars I struggle with the most are my stretch marks. I have them pretty much all over my body. I just try to stay in the moment. Remember that I'm more than just a body. And that they're there for a reason.

What surprised me, getting stretch marks...they went around to the back hip?! Loved how they promote these stretch mark cream and say, oh just put this on, and you won't get them. Seriously!?

I have to wear tank-kinis instead of bikinis, just because of the self-conscious factor, plus, I am not that person who will go show off things that maybe others don't find so attractive, if that makes sense!

I even have stretch marks on my arms, not from anything more, than I went through this growth spurt when I was younger, and literally stretched my arms...

[yellowfrog268]

See your dermatologist for help with reducing acne scars. The usual treatment involves a substance known as retinols. Although they are available over the counter, the one's at the dermatologists office are stronger. Also, if these don't work for you or are contraindicated for some reason, the doc will have other possible treatments. I wouldn't waste much time or money with over the counter remedies if the scarring is significant.

Originally Posted by yellowfrog268

See your dermatologist for help with reducing acne scars. The usual treatment involves a substance known as retinols. Although they are available over the counter, the one's at the dermatologists office are stronger. Also, if these don't work for you or are contraindicated for some reason, the doc will have other possible treatments. I wouldn't waste much time or money with over the counter remedies if the scarring is significant.

They're scars left from a long time ago. I'm just like well what am i going to do with it? Isn't there something I can use to get rid of it? I mean, it's on my legs and i'm just like i guess i won't be able to wear shorts in the summer...it has caused me a lot of insecurities, like what if someone's going to look and ask hey what happened to you? Even though it may be out of curiosity, it can be a little personal because everyone else has perfect legs except me so.

[gma45]

Aloe works good on scars and burns. I am not proud of my scars but they do remind me how far I have come and how much I have over come. Don't be ashamed everyone has them some are just not as visible.

[yellowfrog268]

Originally Posted by heyitsme7

They're scars left from a long time ago. I'm just like well what am i going to do with it? Isn't there something I can use to get rid of it? I mean, it's on my legs and i'm just like i guess i won't be able to wear shorts in the summer...it has caused me a lot of insecurities, like what if someone's going to look and ask hey what happened to you? Even though it may be out of curiosity, it can be a little personal because everyone else has perfect legs except me so.

Well, just want you to know that a consult with a dermatologist would at least tell you your options so that you don't waste time or money on remedies that may not work given the age or the severity (depth, width, etc) of them.

I have a lot of really gross looking, keloid scars across both my arms from my shoulders to my wrists as well as on both my thighs. They are not as bad as they used to be, as I have been using Bio Oil to make them fade quicker.

But the scars I have do make me feel very ugly. I don't try to hide them anymore, though. I tell myself, if I don't make a big deal of the scars, then no one else will either. I'm not proud of my scars, but I won't spend the rest of my life being ashamed of myself either. At least, not being ashamed of what I did to myself.

Originally Posted by Kori Anders

I have a lot of really gross looking, keloid scars across both my arms from my shoulders to my wrists as well as on both my thighs. They are not as bad as they used to be, as I have been using Bio Oil to make them fade quicker.

But the scars I have do make me feel very ugly. I don't try to hide them anymore, though. I tell myself, if I don't make a big deal of the scars, then no one else will either. I'm not proud of my scars, but I won't spend the rest of my life being ashamed of myself either. At least, not being ashamed of what I did to myself.

Does Bio Oil have any side effects? does it work on legs?

So far, for me I haven't had any side effects at all.
I've been using it on both my arms and my legs, but the scars on my legs do not seem to be fading as quickly as the scars on my arms.

[MusicLover79]

I have scars on my arms from SI. Most people don't recognize them but I can see them really clearly. Sometimes they remind me of what I went through when I burned and other times they give me comfort. I also have a scar on the back of my foot from when I fell running away from a cat which makes me laugh cause it was so stupid

[Frank100]

I have severe pitted acne scars and it is one of the main sources of my anxiety and depression. People have called me out on my scars and called me ugly because of it, well also because I AM ugly. I can't get over them and I can't stop obsessing over them even if I see other people with acne scars living normal happy lives. The torment in my head wont stop and looking in the mirror is painful.

[AbcXyzMan]

If you can't give up the cutting thing, maybe try something similar??
This is kind of an oddball answer.

If pain is your release, maybe getting a piercing would help.
I could see it like this... You're feeling like cutting yourself. DON'T DO IT.
Wait and get a simple piercing. Like your ear. You want it to hurt? Try some of those unique cartilage piercing. Tragus, Conch, or the basic. It will be hardly noticeable.
Yet a piercing can still be a reminder to you of what was troubling you at that time. You'll never really forget what bothered you. But Scarring your arm doesn't make it better. Once your over it, take the piercing out. Long as you don't get a crazy eyebrow or lip piercing the scar won't be noticeable over time.

Really don't think you can change who you are, just try to make a positive action out of those negative thoughts.

Originally Posted by Frank100

I have severe pitted acne scars and it is one of the main sources of my anxiety and depression. People have called me out on my scars and called me ugly because of it, well also because I AM ugly. I can't get over them and I can't stop obsessing over them even if I see other people with acne scars living normal happy lives. The torment in my head wont stop and looking in the mirror is painful.

I've had that experience too, like one time they asked me point-blank and rudely, what's wrong with your legs? They're so ugly. I was insulted but i felt like I couldn't say much. Also, this so-called friend I used to have was staring at my legs. We were still little back then and we were playing in the sandbox and we sat down and I asked him,"Which leg is uglier, the left or the right?" He pointed to my right and I couldn't agree with him more. It had a huge giant scar, nearly as large as a red birthmark on my leg. The years have gone by and now it's faded quite a bit. Though i want to get rid of it completely, I don't know what to try. I'm always afraid that if you use some sort of body wash, it might cause an allergic reaction or something.