Self harm scars and sunbathing

[Leanne053]

Hello
I am going on holiday abroad next month for the first time in a long time, I am 29 female. I want to enjoy myself and not fixate on worrying about my self harm scars. Both thighs are thick with scars, all fully healed just the odd few that are a bit angry/red looking still. If ever I go swimming, spa days etc in this country I wear shorts to cover my legs but abroad I want to be able to sun bath and swim in a bikini, I don't feel nice having to wear shorts. I just wanted peoples opinion, if you saw someone round the pool would you be disgusted, would you not want your children to see? At no point am I going to be gallivanting round the pool or sat in my bikini at the snack bar let's say but getting in/out the water or on a sun lounger I do hope to have my legs out, would this make other people feel uncomfortable? I understand it's my body and I can do whatever I please (to some extent) but...yeah I'm sure you can see where I'm coming from. Would appreciate any thoughts, positive or negative! Thanks!

Thank you everyone for your lovely replies!! 😁😁😁

People don’t care as much as you think they do. I’ve recently got back into work as a carer after many years as a stay at home mum. The uniform is a short sleeved tunic and I was so self conscious about my very obvious self harm scars. I’ve seen a couple of my colleagues glance at them when they first notice them, but no one’s ever said anything. I’ve always thought that people must think I’m a weirdo (for want of a better word) for self harming. But there’s an elderly lady we look after with even worse scars than me. Whenever my colleagues have mentioned them it’s always been along the lines of ‘I wonder what’s happened in that poor woman’s life for her to do that’, rather than being nasty or judging.

I wouldn’t be disgusted at all. I would see that they are healed and be pleased that you are better. My DD is covered in scars. She’s a teen so they are fairly recent. I have to say, seeing them breaks my heart and it’s hard to look at for me. But no judgement, just sadness that you and so many have experienced this. Enjoy your holiday! We are going next week and I’m providing things for my daughter to cover up with if she wants but will leave the choice to her.

I wouldn't give it a second thought or glance if I seen somebody with self harm scars. No judgement here. Anybody who does is a rude ignorant dick.

Not the same but I have a huge scar from under my breastbone right down to my public bone and from hip to hip. Took me a long time to wear a bikini on holidays but when I did it was so empowering.

You do what makes you feel comfortable op and fuck everyone else. Enjoy your holiday.

Reframe it. They are not “self harm” scars, they are “battle wounds”. Would you look at someone who had scars from a fire and think they should cover up? Or would you think, wow they are a strong person who has survived something terrible, kudos to them.

I'd cover them as much as possible. Not because of how they look but because they will burn in the sun very very easily, especially if you are in and out of the water. I found this out on holiday, the sun burn was so much worse on the scar than the surrounding skin and took months to heal.

Not so bad if you are just wandering round in shorts or whatever and you can layer it up with SPF50 and it won't wash off but the beach was where I copped it. Combination of salt water and sand and toweling off I guess.