Self injury and scars, who's got them bad?!

Self injury and scars, who's got them bad?

I quit cutting a few years ago, I did it in my teens. I've got hundreds of scars all over my arms and legs. Most people I know that used to do this have not nearly as many scars and some have just tiny scars that will fade. It's really rather lonely knowing I'll be all scarred up for the rest of my life and it's the summer and not being able to wear tshirts sucks!!! I know, I could go out attention seeking (as that's what I would get), but come on.

1 week ago
My husband spent time in the psych. ward as a teen and saw quite a few people with scars and cuts, he says none even came close to me. WHAT THE HELL!

I'm in a similar situation. I quit cutting two years ago, but I had been doing it for around eight years and it got progressively worse (e.g., I needed to do it more and deeper) as I got older, so I have a lot of scars. The ones on my legs and inner forearms especially are still pretty dark, and many of them have that raised consistency from scar tissue because they should have been stitched, but weren't.

It's definitely hard for me to see people in group therapy who cut for as long or longer and only have tiny scars, or scars in places normally covered by clothing, and know that I'm going to have obvious scars (and lots of them) for the rest of my life. I've done a lot of research into scar removal and such, and here's some of the things I've read about/tried:

1. Dermablend. This is a type of heavy-duty makeup designed to cover birthmarks, etc. I use this stuff all the time, and it's really effective because it's meant to cover up very dark discolorations. It's also waterproof (great in the summer, for swimming and such). It's kind of expensive, but worth it to wear shorts & T-shirts without all the questions! Check out http://www.dermablend.com.

2. Scar-reducing products. Silicone products (like ReJuveness) and polyurethane-based products (e.g., Curad's ScarTherapy) are supposed to be somewhat successful at reducing even older scars, including keloids. In my experience, they will flatten keloid scars quite a bit, but they don't help much with scars that are LIGHTER in color than your natural skin tone.

3. I think laser treatments were mentioned earlier. I haven't heard any good reviews from friends who have tried this-- they claim it's too expensive for what little results they did see. If nothing else works, it's an option, but approach with caution.

4. Go natural, and deal. I try to come up with responses ahead of time, if I think people might ask questions. If I don't want to talk about it, I'll usually just say that, and most people with any courtesy will leave it alone. If they persist, repeating myself a little more forcefully almost always does the trick. As far as kids asking, I get a little more creative-- I have a cat, so she's my tried-and-true excuse, especially for scars on my arms.

In any case, you shouldn't feel like you "have" to cover up for someone else's comfort. If it's for your own comfort, you might find some of the scar-reducing or masking products very helpful. Best of luck, and enjoy the summer sunshine! :)