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Tips for scars

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Health & Wellbeing
heya. does anybody know any tips for self-harm scars?
im gonna be going to mexico during march break and that means bathing suits and skirts with tank tops. i've been self-harming for almost 2 years now and some of my scars are still visible.

can anybody give me tricks to minimize the apperance of scars in order to avoid questions about them(the people im going with dont know about my s/h)
im leaving in 3 months so anything that works fast...

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    fake tan? laser treatment? tights or some similar material?, you might even set off a trend.. tricky one... all the best and look after yourself, much love
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Not sure if it is available in Canada but lots of people swear by a product called bio oil
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If they've healed and gone a pinky white / brown colour, you can use make-up. But don't use make up on fresh cuts.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Amira wrote: »
    bio oil

    this, or calamine lotion. they are both quite cheap and if you use them every day they can be quite good. scar reduction patches are not very good considering how expensive they are. also expose your skin to sunlight as often as you can. be aware though that you won't get rid of your scars in three months, you should be able to reduce the redness but (depending on their severity) your scars will be there for a while. but hopefully in time you will learn to accept them as a part of who you are.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    heya guys. do u think the bio oil is available in canada? i also heard that shea butter helps. is that accurate?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well i think Palmers Cocoa Butter is really good for things like scars, i had a few scars on my feet and if you put it on the scars regularly, it really does help. If they are nearly faided and not fresh ones, then maybe put a bit of foundation or something on it :)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Vitamn E oil is supposed to work too and I'm sure that's available in Canada.
    ETA: Stockists in Canada http://www.bio-oil.com/en/global_availability/canada.html
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bio oil, cocoa butter... they all help. But they wont get rid of the scars, and Bio oil is not very quick. It all depends on your scars. If you don't want to stop self harm, or feel unable to, you will get scars. But try not to cut to deep, if you do cut. A scar will fade over time, and will reach it's minimal-ness (if that's a word??) after about two/three years. Don't pick at scabs ect as this can make the final scar worse.
    However, in the short-term try to cover them with plasters (don't know what they are called in Canada but in America they are Band-Aids.) If you have too many, then you can try Bio-Oil but that's not really a quick fix.
    Xx
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Most people don't take any notice of scars. I have a lot due to self harm and childhood accidents (yes, I was a clumsy sod) and no-one has ever said anything about them.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If they're redder scars, facial redness remover works well.
    And also, try and keep the skin as supple as you can with moisturisers and oils, and massage helps as well.
    While you're actually there, if you massage the skin for as long as you can before you have to go out in public, then they will go whiter for a short period of time. If you keep masaging them for a couple of minutes if you can while you're out in the sun, then that'll help keep them that way.
    Also, if they haven't gone invisible enough for you by the time you're there, you could always consider a rash vest. I appreciate that they're really not as nice as an attractive bikini, but they come in some nice designs, and if you don't want to show your scars, it may be worth it.
    Bear in mind as well that people really don't look that hard at you. I've consistently had to wear short sleeved shirts for school, and it only got noticed twice, in three years of shirts.
    Good luck xx
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Most people are usually too conscious about their own bodies to notice anyone elses usually.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thanks for all the tips. however, i'll be going with my family and one of my brothers has an extraordinary eye for detail and he notices EVERYTHING ;). he once saw a bit of my scars through my white shirt that kinda rode up and automatically asked if i s/h( my family doesnt know about it) im just afraid that if he noticed those scars after a split second of observation, whats gonna happen during a week of full exposure. what im i supposed to do?:(
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