What would you do with a 5 inch belly scar?

Would you try to get rid of it as best as you could?

Would you try creams, lasering...

Would you hide it from people and make sure no one ever accidentally caught a glimpse?

Would you change the things you wore so that it wouldn't be noticable?

Would you stop wearing bikinis? Thight shirts? Light-weight or less-than-opaque shirts?

Or, would you flaunt it...?

i dont have any scaring really like youre talking about, but...

id do what i could to lighten it. i know of a topical gel-like treatment that actually dries on. its applied daily after you shower. with time scars fade. i know a lot of people who have used that and it has helped. it does not go away totally. but if i was going to the beach id wear a bikini yes-it isnt a horrible gross disfigurement, its just a scar. most people have them. you might get some questions like 'oh, i had my appendix removed' or 'i had a c-section' but people really dont analyze what others look like too much, theyre too busy worrying about how they look!

one of my guy friends used to SM and cut his arms a lot. :( makes me very sad...but its his forearm so he NEVER takes his shirt of or wears short sleeves. thats a different sort of scar though...although he lies about where they came from :(

I actually have a 5 inch long 1 inch wide scar on my stomach from when I had my appendix removed when I was 16 (small town doctor did a hack job on me).

But I must admit, I've actually never thought about it.  I didn't do anything to try to get rid of it, I don't hide it from amyone but then again I don't really flaunt it either.  It's just there.

If it were me? I'd flaunt it.

If anyone asks, make up a crazy story to go with it. Make it fun!

"Yeah, I got in a fight with a tiger while I was digging up ancient artifacts in the jungles of Africa."

"I got in a bar fight. You should see the other guy."

"I used to be a paid assassin. This was the initiation process."

Something like that. You're always going to have the scar, no matter what you do to make it fade, so make it fun for you!

I have many scars (I'm accident prone, I scar easy, and I used to SI.) I keep the ones from SI covered up, because they can upset people, but the other ones I don't worry about. Heck, I've got THREE just from trying to half a bagel. (Three different bagels, over the course of five years. You think I'd learn though.)

Ya, I know how you feel. I'm totally covered in scars. I try to cover them most of the time, because I am selfconcious, but if you can flaunt them, they are kind of cool.

Original Post by tonks_inc:

If it were me? I'd flaunt it.

If anyone asks, make up a crazy story to go with it. Make it fun!

"I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you"

I saw one person who had their scar blended into a tattoo.

I have one that is over 6 inches...right up the front of me. Nothing I did worked to lighten it...there was 43 staples in there. It is a wide scar with dots on either side fron the staples. I had a 7+ pounds mass removed that was growing from my left ovary.

I never wore a bikini so that has not changed. I do wear cropped polo shirts so you can see my scar, if you looked right at it. I don't hide it, nor am I ashamed. It is a reminder to take care of myself. If anyone asked, I'd tell them my story. I always think that maybe I can help someone....help someone take better care of themselves then I did...and what happens when you don't. I'd never want anyone to have to go through, and continue to live what I am still living, even 1 1/2 years after the mass was found.

In my case, I don't have to make up a crazy story, there is a true one.

i have something like that too. i do not wear things that show my belly so strangers will not see it

I have a big scar on my left arm from a broken bone/surgery and at first I was extremely self-conscious but now I don't even think about it any more. I tried various creams, patches, etc to help it go down but really, I think it just takes time then all scars fade. And when people ask, I always make the story sound cooler than it really is: skydiving accident? jk. :) Besides, it's our imperfections that make us beautiful!

Thank you all for your responses! They made me feel much better.

tonks_inc: I love your stories!! (do you have more? lol)

marc42968: I don't have any tattoos or non-ear piercings... but I've been seriously considering doing something like that to hide/dress it up...

I guess I should probably answer my own question...

Well, the reason I asked is because I do have a purple-red 5 inch scar straight down my stomach from an emergency appendectomy 3 months ago. My stomach has always been my favorite part of my body so I was really bummed out that it was "ruined". At this point I was still in the hospital, extremely swollen, and my belly button was completely misshapen...another one of my favorite parts.

I've accepted the fact that it's never going to go away completely, and I'm ok with that now...I think. You guys are right...scars are pretty cool. I do wish I had a better imagination and was able to create better stories though...so any one have any others...?

I was also kind of curious to see what other people have done about their scars (or what they would do if they had them). So far I haven't really done much about if except for vitamin E capsules while the skin was still healing and vitamin E and Shea butter moisturizer after since it's pretty hard...which isn't great being on the torso...and especially since I love yoga etc. I don't know if I should bother with the scar creams (or which ones to use), and it seems like most of you have/would just leave it alone anyways.

I asked about the laser surgery because my bff had the same thing (and worse) happen to her a few years ago, and she's undergone microderm-abrasion and laser therapy to lighten it. It's actually made a huge difference, and compared to what her scar used to look like (I think hers is closer to 12 inches long) you can barely see it. Has anyone else had this done? Would you recommend it? (I obviously wouldn't even consider this for a few years anyways...)

As for covering it up... I think I'm OK if people who don't even know me see it...why should I care what they think anyways? I do think I may have to get rid of some of my shorter shirts though since they don't completely cover it, and it kind of looks like I've got an extra long-weird belly button sticking out from under my shirt. Total contradiction, I know; but I think it has more to do with fashion than being self-conscious... at least that's what I'm telling myself.

And bikinis? I definitely plan on wearing bikinis again! I have like 30+, so it's a waste if I don't, and I hate one-pieces (I have a long torso and have to wear one-pieces and work, blech). However, I have invested in some cutouts for this summer because of the sun--and they're wicked sexy!

For those of you that do have scars like mine, has it affected you in non-cosmetic ways too? Mostly I'm wondering if I gain weight (which I'm obviously going too at some point since I'm 20, 5'6'' and 105lbs) is the weight going to go on around the scar and "bloob" out (I'm picturing a balloon-animal balloon twisted in the middle...)? And what if I get pregnant? Is it going to stretch like normal skin would...?

Original Post by toridl:

I have a big scar on my left arm from a broken bone/surgery and at first I was extremely self-conscious but now I don't even think about it any more. I tried various creams, patches, etc to help it go down but really, I think it just takes time then all scars fade. And when people ask, I always make the story sound cooler than it really is: skydiving accident? jk. :) Besides, it's our imperfections that make us beautiful!

 Skydiving accident!  It's really not that dangerous.  Although this weekend I did watch as an idiot made a low turn, hit the ground hard and bounced a couple of times.  He's alive, but he'll def have some scars to talk about.

Hmmm I dunno. I kind of like my scars! I have a very large one from my c-section but it doesn't bother me one bit. You really can't even tell unless I point it out but it makes for an interesting story. My most noticeable would be one on my eyelid but I like it. Again, stories behind them all!

I have a big 6" scar on my knee and I flaunt it...making up wild stories when people ask is fun too, usually they're so unbelievable that people just laugh but occasionally you meet someone really gullible :)

the only advice I have, if you do choose to flaunt it, make sure you put some sun-block on it if it's gonna be exposed to sun, scar tissue is especially susceptible to burning etc.

yep the scar does look really ugly now there is fat around it, i have to say (it get better after 40 pounds lost, but it changes the shape of the whole belly, making it asymatric and sort of scary. it even scares doctors. duh)

   I have a very long belly scar. I've had it for 24 years. It starts very far down, winds up around my belly button and ends direct center, very high up. When I was younger it bothered me, I used to call it my 'gutted fish' scar. Now, it's just there, if it wasn't there, I wouldn't be here.

 

I have a 14” scar  diagonally across my abdomen from a kidney transplant. It was at least a ½” wide and very red. 2 years later I had to have it opened back up by a plastic surgeon to repair an incisional  hernia.

 It is absolutely amazing that you can barely see it now! I guess it all depends on the skill of the surgeon.

 

I had 3 emergency operations last christmas day, new year and end of february so when my wound finally healed it was 7inchs long and about 1inch wide. (belly button downwards) To be honest I was just glad it finally healed as for 2 months my stomache had been open and I could see all the layers of tissue in my stomach.

To answer your questions, don't be scared to let people see it however personally I wouldn't flaunt it. I now wear longer tops to avoid my scar showing. When on holiday I wear bikinis as I'm only there for 2 weeks and I'll never see these people again so I don't care what they think. My first holiday however 2 month after my 3rd operation my scar was very purple and visible and people did look but only a couple of people asked about it. I just told my story as I'm proud of what I came through. WARNING- don't let your scar get sunburnt as it will darken in colour and may never fade.

As for fading the colour in your scar. My occupational thearapist tells me to massage it with moisturiser every day. (I only actually do it about 2 times a week-I forget) My plastic surgeon prescribes me with siligel. Its a rubbery sheet cut to the size of my scar that I wear every day. It has done wonders for my scar and it protects my scar from buttons etc (I find buttons hurt my scar)

I have had 2 c-sections marking the birth of my kids. They did a pretty good job with the second scar so that it was on top o fthe first one as much as possible -- although you can see the two scars if you look closely. They've healed pretty well (my kids are 4.5 and 2.5 -- so the scars are not all that old) and to answer your question, I'm proud of them. They represent to me the fact that I've contributed to bringing two little monsters into the world who drive me crazy sometimes but who I love with all my heart. And this is coming from someone who didn't think I was going to ever have kids....

I am dealing with surgery scars right now which are red, swollen and pretty ugly. I'm putting creams on them to help the healing process and yes, I'm hiding them as much as possible. Partly to protect them. Partly to avoid questions. So I guess for me it all depends on the circumstances around the scar and my own personal security level with them.

Original Post by tonks_inc:

If it were me? I'd flaunt it.

If anyone asks, make up a crazy story to go with it. Make it fun!

I forgot! Thanks tonks. I have a big scar on my upper arm from when they removed a suspicious mole/cist. I told people for years (it's very noticable) that it is a knife wound.. just to see how they react. You would be suprised how many people try to pretend as if they didn't hear me.... they just look and say nothing. I haven't done it in a while (no one has asked in a while) but I may have to start wearing tank tops again just to have a few laughs.

I have a 6" scar down the back of my right arm... broken bone... tissue between the bone... I was little. It's been there forever. I can't see it.. I can't itch it because that drives me nuts... It has stitch marks all the way down each side... (very pretty). It's not something I think about, but others see it and ask... I just say what happened.... (I was pushed off a 6' drop and landed on my arm... the story goes on... )Scars.... no big deal... I wouldn't let it bother you. It's just a part of who you--we are...