TW scars. Should I cover them

[Kakkilakki]

What would you think if you saw this on the beach? Should I keep covering my scars? I don’t want to upset anyone. I‘ve been wearing board shorts for many years but hate the tan line.

Others must have better eyesight than me as I can hardly see anything OP.

The only person who needs to feel comfortable with this is you. Definitely do not cover up on account of others. Wear what makes you happy. You’ve got great legs.

I don't think anyone should have to meet arbitrary beauty standards to be able to participate in life. Get out there and live your life unapologetically!

As a healthcare assistant I see lots of scars & they are a normal thing to me. Sometimes when I am helping a patient to wash who has had a surgical procedure & they have other scars that look like operation scars, I do ask (very carefully) about them, I find a lot of people like to talk about their medical history.

One of my friends had a lot of old self harm scars on her forearms; she briefly mentioned the history of them and they didn’t stop her wearing short sleeves.

One of my friends has scars on her breastbone from multiple open heart surgeries- when we went clubbing it didn’t stop her from wearing low cut tops.

But another friend has scars on her back from a lung lobectomy as a teenager, she is very private & hates anyone seeing her scars.

Everyone is different in their attitudes to their scars, but I think life is too short not to just wear what you like.

99% of people would not notice and if they did, would not think anything further.

Eh? I have surgery scars on my leg, and while I’m personally not wild about the way they look, it’s never occurred to me that I owe it to other people to cover them up! Wear whatever makes you feel good.

This, op. Don’t worry about it, it’s no one’s business anyway

@Kakkilakki I think you do not need to cover them up. Many people get scars for all sorts of reasons- we should not define our life by them and let them control us.
I had a motorcycle accident at 18 and so have a scar where they fixed my leg back together with metal. It is a full 6" scar, I am 60 now and have only once had someone comment on the beach. Mind you she was full on rude but I think "My god what happened to you how awful!" reflected worse on her than me.

I would notice, understand what they are and assume it’s none of my business.
also if you wanted to reduce them (your prerogative) then my friend had huge success with bio oil

Not at all, but if you feel more comfortable covering up then do it.

I’m in my 50s and have scars (from my 20s, so years ago now) on my arms and legs. It’s helpful for me too to see the acceptance on this thread. I hope your DD is okay, @WhatsitWiggle.

Thank you so much for posting, @Kakkilakki. X

@OneNewEagle absolutely its her choice. She has a lot of anxiety though over whether she should hide them because of what other people will think, or if it might trigger someone else. She doesn't want to cover up but feels that she should. The responses here reassure me that most people either won't notice (most have healed to faint lines) or won't judge harshly.

@OneNewEagle I don't know exactly what that other poster said, but ignore them. Anyone who would hold back on a friendship with someone just because they had scars is clearly an idiot. I've got fantastic friends and very obvious SH scars. The PP is chatting shit and is the one with a problem imo.

I don't think you need to cover up – they're not very noticeable, at all and you shouldn’t feel like you need to anyway.

I feel a bit hypocritical saying that though, as I have severe SH scarring on one thigh from hip to knee, and I've always hidden that from everyone possible. I don't like the idea of people knowing something so personal and painful about me – and people say they don't judge, but it can't help but shape their thoughts on a person.

I’ve got scars too OP including an upsetting word and I don’t find anybody looks! Enjoy being in the sun.

I wouldn't give them a second thought even if I did notice them. Wear what you want, show as much as you want. There are bodies of different sizes, colours, tattoos, scars, stretch marks, bare/hairy... From your photo, I'd just assume it was the shiny scar look that stretch marks have, an absolute none issue.
Anyone who recognises them as self harm, they probably have them themselves or have family who have been through what you've been through and will just be glad they're not new and you're able to enjoy a bit of sun.

You can't change them, eff what anyone might think.

I've seen a few people with these scars and just feel glad for them that they don't feel the need to cover them.

Also when everyone's practically naked on the beach nobody really notices anything anyway.

I honesty wouldn’t notice them.

I’ve got a big scar on my foot from where I SH’d when I was in hospital, yes I try to cover it eg with sandals but if someone sees it I really don’t mind.

They’re pretty faint, so people would have to get pretty close to even see them. If I did see them I would think that it was a good thing that you were now in a good enough place to feel able to leave them uncovered.

They don’t look obviously like self harm scars. My sister had a bad one in a similar location. It looks like she just had an accident. She sports her bikinis!

I think they're beautiful. Like tiger stripes they're unique to you.

I wouldn't give them a second thought even if I knew they were scars but in that picture I'd mistake them for stretch marks.

They look exactly like my stretch marks! Don’t give them a second thought