how to not be self conscious about scars?

LegacyUser

i got about 4-5 scars on my chest. 1 thumb nail sized depressed one slightly pink. another 4 smaller scars that are redder and slightly raised. all are keloids caused by terrible acne.
i was treated by 2 derms (using laser therapy and cortisone injections) and have improved them a good lot but to me they are still SOOOO noticeable and hideous.

I always wear t-shirts now, never take em off, never wear shirts, never swim. i hate them SOO much

Acne scarred me badly physically and mentally. i mean real bad mentally. turned me into a complete lunatic that got angry to keep ppl away so they'd not want to talk to me or look at me. im over the physical now but these scars are killing me.

It seems like i'll always be plagued by it. im 23 now, acne cured 2 yrs. i startin to enjoy life a bit again now but im having to relearn how to deal with people again like a 12yr old because i lost the ability to be friends. i think im doing ok but if i could only get these scars sorted i think itd bring closure

id pay any money to do so but i dont know if they're curable apart from time and lots of that bio oil stuff. i tried the harleymedical group and auralia.ie . auralia were the best but he said he could do no more for me. i dont think this is true. id love to go to a top class surgeon say in the states and see what they can do. id literally spend a yrs wages on it if must be.

i feel after the 10yrs i went thru with acne i have earned this. can anyone help?

thanks

athena 2000

It probably is possible to have some additional scar reduction, so if you can consult with a board-certified cosmetic surgeon in the states, then do it. Meanwhile, keep up with the bio oil. There are other scar reducing products that use silicone (like a band-aid) to help flatten out scars over time. They do seem to work. Acne can scar your self-image, it's true, and make you think that the physical damage is far worse than it actually is - but it's still hurtful. So good for you that you're working out a plan to win over both kinds of damage. I think you're on the right path. Take care of you & good luck!

I know how you feel.. I have between 9 and 10 scars around my body - some which are very visible (I have one on my arm.. a relatively long and deep one which is highly visible when I wear a tshirt), and some that aren't, but its gotten to a point where I've become used to them and don't think about them as much anymore.

Though if they are causing you bother, I would advise to get in contact with qualified doctors and see what they can do to help you. Best of luck with it

smash

have you tried bio-oil I hear it's quite good for scar reduction

LegacyUser

Twenty something years ago I suffered horrific third degree burns on my face, neck and arm. Had quite a bit of plastic surgery etc and then a couple of years ago I had laser treatment at the Laser Centre in Dublin 2 which helped enormously. Go and make and appointment. As for being on your chest, I don't understand why you would be so self-conscious if you are able to conceal them

Black Swan

Unreg_scar wrote:

id love to go to a top class surgeon say in the states and see what they can do. id literally spend a yrs wages on it if must be.

The best plastic surgeons in the States can be found in Palm Springs, California. It's were all the celebrities go. Very expensive, but very good. If you are serious, make sure your surgeon is a "Fellow" of the society of plastic surgeons (cannot think of the name of this medical association as I have never had a need). Surgery like this could easily set you back 20,000 USD, maybe more.

Medina

Hey,
Listen that doesn't sound weird, or much of a muchness and don't be embarrassed.

Do you know how many girls are terrified of swimsuits because of size of breasts, cellulite, wobbly arms, wobbly bums etc?

Don't think that everyone is looking at you....more like people will be trying not to make eye contact because they're mortified about themselves in some way.

From what you described I wouldn't think anything more of that than of a freckle.

Its really no big deal..its ok..

Sleepy

This might seem like a silly response but I'm serious: come up with a good story as to how you got the scars. Something dramatic like a motorcycle accident or some self-deprecating story about you being an idiot on a swing as a child. That line in The Simpsons "Bones heal, America has the finest doctors in the world and chicks dig scars" has some element of truth to it

Oflynna

Sleepy's right, most girls do like scars. They have a story and they make you unique.

I'd also recommend doing regular workout - go to the gym, run, swim, whatever - so you feel more comfortable with your body and it is really good for your confidence.

But in the end, if you're sure that only surgery will help, than you might have to do it.

Good luck!

Jumpy

Unreg_scar wrote:

i got about 4-5 scars on my chest. 1 thumb nail sized depressed one slightly pink. another 4 smaller scars that are redder and slightly raised. all are keloids caused by terrible acne.
i was treated by 2 derms (using laser therapy and cortisone injections) and have improved them a good lot but to me they are still SOOOO noticeable and hideous.

I always wear t-shirts now, never take em off, never wear shirts, never swim. i hate them SOO much

Acne scarred me badly physically and mentally. i mean real bad mentally. turned me into a complete lunatic that got angry to keep ppl away so they'd not want to talk to me or look at me. im over the physical now but these scars are killing me.

It seems like i'll always be plagued by it. im 23 now, acne cured 2 yrs. i startin to enjoy life a bit again now but im having to relearn how to deal with people again like a 12yr old because i lost the ability to be friends. i think im doing ok but if i could only get these scars sorted i think itd bring closure

id pay any money to do so but i dont know if they're curable apart from time and lots of that bio oil stuff. i tried the harleymedical group and auralia.ie . auralia were the best but he said he could do no more for me. i dont think this is true. id love to go to a top class surgeon say in the states and see what they can do. id literally spend a yrs wages on it if must be.

i feel after the 10yrs i went thru with acne i have earned this. can anyone help?

thanks

Seriously man, scars are part of life, you could be like me and have those scars on your face.
I also have them on my chest and to be honest they dont bother me at all, time passes it and noone judges scars on your body, its a state of mind in thinking that they do.
Surgery is expensive and pointless, your best bet is to get to grips with having them and forget about them.

No one will judge you

spurious

In Ireland, people generally do not see your chest unless they are in bed with you.

Trust me, male or female, once they've got that far, they're not going to be worried about any scars you may or may not have.

monkeyfudge

Sleepy wrote:

This might seem like a silly response but I'm serious: come up with a good story as to how you got the scars. Something dramatic like a motorcycle accident or some self-deprecating story about you being an idiot on a swing as a child. That line in The Simpsons "Bones heal, America has the finest doctors in the world and chicks dig scars" has some element of truth to it

Yep... Look at the singer Seal. He has lots of acne scars on his face, but still there were always stories that he got the scars saving a family from a fire, or that there were tribal tatoos on his face that he burned off, as he didn't want to follow in his fathers footsteps.

The redness should go out of the scars in time too. I have a nasty scar on my chest from a knife wound from about 3 years ago, and only in about the past two months has the redness started to go out of it.

[Jackass]

I've got scars on the back of my neck from acne...they're not extreme or anything, but noticable..It never bothers me though...probably because I can't see them, I just forget about them.

But tell people (girls) they're scars from saving a baby and/or puppy from a car wreck...sorted :cool:

LegacyUser

I have a really big scar on my leg and it used to stop me wearing shorts but I know have gotten over it and when I wear shorts and someone asks I tell them it is a shark bite from my time in Aus. It seems to give them the hint that I dont want to talk about it!

LegacyUser

also have pretty big and very dark keloid scars from acne on my chest for the past 7+ yrs, have tried bio-oil, creams, vitamin E capsules, silicone sheets... etc to no great effect, just started getting steroid injections and while still red and raised they have gone down considerably but show no sign of disappearing. sun also helps a bit, know it can be difficult but to expose them but mine went much paler in the sun, only temporarily but still, and it can be good to expose what you're embarassed about i guess if you can.

its something that personally i often feel v silly and vain for worrying about and try not to care, especially since a lot of my pals have major scarring from operations and burns and stuff and its so small in comparison, but most often i do and it still drives me to tears at times, especially going on a night out, going to the beach or wherever when you dont want to have to cover up but feel you have to and any concealer just slides off so i get the frustration, i wana wear slinky clothes and not care lol!

honestly though, while people have asked about them out of curiosity no one cares and anyone who does mind about a couple of superficial scars on someone elses body isnt worth it, i know i dont about anyone elses its just me! i know that cant help how you or i or whoever else ultimately feels and stop being self-conscious or unhappy about it but its just there being true caring less and working on self-esteem in other ways, while taking a long time and a lot of effort, seems to be the way to go! there doesn't seem to be much else physically that can be done as far as im aware then again i dont know much about the medical stuff and new developments are constant so good luck! x

RandomOne

I have several scars on my legs from a dog. Had them since I was 12 and as a teenager was never seen in shorts or skirts because of it. I don't bother anymore, but still notice them now and then, mainly only when my legs get a tan as they show up more against it. But I'm the only one who notices them, or if people get close enough, they forget almost as soon as they see them. I also have scars on the back of my knee now from an operation. I never have hidden them. Again, no-one else notices them/pays them any attention. You probably know people with scars yourself but just see the person, not the scars. I really wouldn't consider surgery myself. Better off spending the money on the mental scars IMO.