Hiding scars?

[hermestrimegistus]

I have 11 year (?) old SH scars. I was wondering if any of you use any specific products to hide them? Besides bandaids obviously. I've thought about makeup but theyre so old idk if it'll work. Are there any products that have helped yours fade? Even just a little bit?

 

[GuiltyJohnDoe]

It really depends on the type of skin that the scar is over, how old you are when the scar first develops, how old you are now, and how deep the scar runs.

If we are talking about SH scars then we can ignore all the other types like keloid and burn etc.

There are many ways of treating scar tissue:
Dermabrasion - Basically a slightly more intense exfoliation of the skin. The top layer is removed through mechanical means, and new skin grows to replace it.
Chemical peel - The same as dermabrasion, but using strong chemicals to remove the top layer of skin. Usually acids.
Collagen injections - There's lots of collagen throughout skin. Scars are areas of skin lacking this collagen. Collagen is injected to replace that which is lost.
Skin grafts - Small skin grafts can be made to replace scar tissue and should leave little scarring. However boundaries between skin types might still be visible.
Laser - On smaller scars lasers can burn damaged skin which will be replaced with new growth over top. I think this is limited to hypertrophic scars.
Retinol - Application of retinol can be used to heal scar tissue over time. This usually takes awhile. Though you have been waiting 11 years.
Cryosurgery - Some scars can be frozen off. This usually only applies to keloids though.
Cortisone Injections - Steroids are injected into the scar tissue. This is usually done to mitigate the itchiness of the scar.

Tattooing - Self descriptive. As long as the scars are healed they can be tattooed over. This will obviously require some intimacy with your artist and that can scare some people.

P.S. I am white and any scarring I have is also white or pink so I can't talk much about the efficacy of these regimes on people of color.

 

[chronicpain123]

Im completely covered in em, I dont do anything to hide them besides like wearing non revealing clothes and etc.

 

[Kattt]

Scarring requires time for it to fade. Depending on the severity, they may never go. If you're not totally committed to tattoos, tattoo sleeves would work for forearms.
An alternative to tattooing that may or may not be an option, depending on the position and severity of the scarring, is scarification. I quite like it, but it requires a skilled person and hygiene standards equal to those you would expect in a hospital.
Both tattooing and scarification demand your personal commitment to not incur further damage. If your scars are 11 years old, then I am assuming you have worked through that behaviour. Good job!!
In all honesty, it's a part of who you are and the best thing would be to own them.
Providing they are scars and not fresh cuts, it's a part of your past. Something you have overcome and that's nothing to be ashamed of.
Think of some ways to deflect unwanted questions like "what happened there?".
I like "I had a fight with Edward scissor hands"