Scars To Your Beautiful
Finding the courage to embrace our scars
Written by Sydnie Albert, Lifestyle Editorial Assistant
Scars are a part of life that can be physical or mental reminders of something that happened in your life. They can happen accidentally, maybe from riding a skateboard or standing too close to grease on the stove. They can be from life-changing events, maybe from a major surgery you had or from a trauma you experienced. These events that we live through change who we are or how we see the world. And these scars are reminders of our ability to heal.
Still, society sees scars as imperfections that must be dealt with and hidden. It tells us that we have to get rid of our scars through removal procedures or hide them away under our clothes. They are not appropriate and should not be visible in public.
Society can make us feel that because we can’t show our scars, and what we went through to get those scars is something that shouldn’t be talked about either. But, maybe, we can use our experiences to help others. Showing our unairbrushed imperfections and embracing them is what we need, especially with our highly edited social media culture today.
I have scars, both physical and mental. Some of the physical scars are from mistakes I’ve made, like getting my hair and hand caught in a hand mixer or a grease burn from frying chicken because I didn’t turn down the burner. I have scars on my hands from warts that have gone away, and acne scars on my back from high school.
My most personal scar is on my back. I have scoliosis, which is a disease that causes a curvature of the spine. When I was eighteen, I had surgery to stabilize it and now I have a long scar along my spine. When I was faced with what would have happened to me if I didn’t have the surgery, caring about a permanent mark on my body was not something I was concerned about. It’s not important, but my health is, and that is what came first. I cared about living my life as pain-free as I possibly could.
For the people that choose to show their scars, they’re showing part of their story to the world. Support them in that choice but not judging, staring or asking intrusive questions. Your scars don’t make you any less beautiful or worthy of respect. If you don’t feel comfortable enough to show your scars, that is okay too. They are part of your story, and you get to decide if you are ready to share that or not. Coming to terms with one’s appearance, especially if it is a reminder of past trauma or injury, is difficult. Healing and becoming comfortable with the changes to yourself take time. If we can find the strength to work through that healing process, we can handle whatever else life has in store for us.