Your Scars are Part of Your Beauty

It’s easy to say that everyone is beautiful in their own way. That’s true. However, we don’t always feel that way about ourselves.

When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we see everything, obviously. Sure, there are a few good things we see about ourselves, but more often than not, our scars and flaws will be the things that tend to stand out the most. We know our own imperfections better than anyone does.

Specifically, we’ll be addressing scars in this post. There could be a number of reasons you have scars. It could be the remnant of acne long gone, injuries from the past, or they could be surgical scars.

It’s easy to dismiss these marks on our bodies as flaws or as unsightly, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Learning to live with the marks on our bodies is a constant fight, but the good news is that, although the negativity may pop up from time to time, it can ease with time. Let’s take a look at a few ways we can build up our self-esteem and embrace our bodies the best we can.

Living With the Scars

Your body is a reflection of the life you have lived. Our scars remind us where we have been. That scar on that man’s thumb came from when he cut himself making a special dinner. That mark on that little girls chin is from a biking adventure with some friends. Each scar has a story and is your body’s way of remembering what you have been through or where you have been.

This is not to say that every scar is associated with a good memory. There are stars that come from trauma, from accidents, from injuries, and so on. these scars Can show how far you’ve come and how much stronger you are for having endured whatever caused the scar to begin with. Some scars may never heal. Some scars may be too difficult to talk about, and that’s okay, too. They are still a part of you and make you into the beautiful person you are today.

>>> Read more: How to break up scar tissue?

Healing the Scars

If you want to get rid of your scars, though, that’s a perfectly valid viewpoint, too. There may not be ways to completely get rid of them. However, that’s not to say it can’t be treated.

Over-the-counter scar creams or ointments are often a reliable source of scar treatment. If the scars come from cosmetic surgery, your surgeon should be able to give you some viable options. The surgeon may also be able to prescribe steroids or antihistamines that can help heal the scars. Keep in mind these types of medication could possibly have severe itching as a side effect or may increase the sensitivity of the skin.

If you have scars from severe acne, your dermatologist should be able to help you pick out a treatment option to minimize existing scars. This could include medicated ointment or a procedure known as pressure therapy.

Pressure therapy involves wrapping the scar tissue in bandages or dressings that apply pressure to the affected area. This restricts blood flow to the scar tissue, which will in turn flatten it.

This type of treatment is likely reserved for more severe cases of scar tissue due to the level of commitment required to undertake pressure therapy. The dressing can be uncomfortable and must be worn nearly 24 hours a day for up to six months. Pressure therapy, additionally, only offers a slight lowering of scar height.

Injections can also assist in lowering the visibility of scars and usually fall under a couple of different categories: steroid and collagen injections. Steroid injections work on keloids (raised, injury related) or hypertrophic (raised, skin scars made of collagen) scars. Collagen and other “filler” injections are usually temporary, cosmetic solutions.

There are a number of treatments that can help ease the sometimes jarring appearance of scars. If you find these scars are affecting your day to day life or otherwise causing you physical or emotional distress, it’s best to contact your doctor, who can guide you to a specialist to provide the best possible treatment for your situation.

Prevention

Often the best way to combat scarring on the skin is to prevent it from happening in the first place. This can’t always be done and there may be at least a slight mark on your skin at the end of the day, but following these steps may minimize any harm done.

When you injure yourself with a cut or some other form of skin injury, be sure to keep the area clean. A mild soap and water are all that’s needed, followed by a bandage.

The cut will eventually start to scab over, and this is where sometimes steps are missed when it comes to preventing scarring. To help the skin to heal better and perhaps more seamlessly, apply petroleum jelly to the affected area. This will keep the skin under the scab moist and help it to heal more quickly. Doing this daily as the cut begins to heal will not only help minimize scarring, but it will keep the wound from getting that dry, irritated feel scabs can sometimes have.

Be sure to change the bandage every day; this goes along with keeping the wound clean as it heals. SOmetimes changing the bandage can lead to irritation around the skin. If a standard adhesive bandage isn’t going to work for you for this or some other reason, gauze with medical tape can work just as well.

To Wrap It Up…

We all have our scars and marks on our body that help tell the story of who we are. Sometimes those scars cause pain or stress, but the good news is there are ways to treat your skin and help it return to as it once was. Treatment isn’t perfect, but if it can help you to feel better about yourself and make you feel more beautiful, it is still worth the investment, time and consideration.