Living with Scars
Scars are visible marks left on the skin after a wound heals. They are an integral part of the body’s natural healing process.
Many people have small scars that don’t affect their daily lives. But scars aren’t just cosmetic annoyances. Scarring can have a huge impact on how we move, how we look, and how we feel.
Learn more about how scars form on our page What is a Scar?
Physical Impact
Approximately 1 in 3 people in the UK has a scar, but fewer than 1 in 4 understand the physical challenges scars can bring.
Scars can be painful and itchy
Pain and itching are common experiences for people with scars.
Injuries that cause scars, like burns or conflict wounds, often damage nerves. This can cause chronic pain and itchiness, even when the injury has healed.
Scar tissue is also less flexible than normal skin. Unlike regular skin, it doesn’t stretch or grow, which can be painful and uncomfortable.
Scars aren’t functional
Our skin is our largest organ, and it has many functions. For example, sweat glands in our skin allow us to stay cool in warm weather, and oil glands keep our skin supple and moisturised.
Scar tissue lacks these cells that make our skin functional. This means that people with substantial scarring can struggle with things that our bodies usually take care of automatically, like regulating temperature.
Scars restrict movement
Normal skin is supple and flexible. It stretches around our joints and allows us to flex and bend.
Scar tissue is rigid and tight, making movements as simple as breathing difficult. If scar tissue forms over a joint, it can make moving painful. This can impact everyday activities like domestic responsibilities, work, school, and leisure.
Scar treatment is lifelong
Managing scars is a lifelong battle. It can include:
- Frequent operations
- Skin grafts from other parts of the body
- Pressure garments
- Daily physiotherapy
- Massages
- Lotions and creams
“I lost function in my hands. Restriction of function has an impact on everything, from getting washed and dressed, to preparing food. Every daily activity is constricted.”
“When I initially had my accident, there was a huge amount of care that I had to have. Massages three times a day, pressure garments. And that carried on for maybe ten years after my accident.”
“I used a wheelchair for legs, wore bandages as body armour. Then came the wet suits we call pressure garments, the frequent itching, and the soothing creams. Recovery is a hard process with the aftercare commitments. The hospital begins to feel like your second home.”
“I have had 45 operations over the past 28 years across the entirety of my body.”
Graham, burns survivor
Emotional Impact
Scars can cause significant psychological and social challenges.
Around 1 in 3 people with visible scars will experience depression or anxiety.
Self-esteem
1 in 3 people with a visible difference feel depressed or anxious as a result.
Our faces play a big part in how we connect with others and how we see ourselves. In a society which is pre-occupied with appearance, having a scar can have a big impact on our happiness and social life. Low self-esteem can make people anxious and depressed – they might avoid social situations or be afraid to leave the house.
Change in appearance
A dramatic change in appearance can also be traumatic. Our sense of self is strongly linked to what we look like: if our appearance changes suddenly, and away from what society considers ‘normal,’ it can be overwhelming.
Reminder of past trauma
Scars are also permanent reminders of horrible events. Whether it was an accident, an assault, or a medical emergency, the events that cause life-changing scarring are often traumatic. Some people are proud of their scars, proof that they survived and are resilient. Other people dislike their scars and see them as painful triggers for memories they want to forget.
Our vision of a scar free future includes research into mental health support for people living with scars – so that everyone with scars can feel confident and comfortable in their own skin.
“What it does is make you think twice before leaving the house: where are you going to go, who are you going to see, what are you going to do? That is the mental journey I have to go through just to step out the front door in the morning.”
“I have lost my confidence and spark, as I’m so conscious of my visual difference. I feel in the last 4 years, part of me has disappeared. The biggest challenge has been coming to terms with how my face has changed because of so many interventions and operations. Hopefully I will accept my new face in the future, but even though I’m trying, I am not there yet.”
Marijo, cancer survivor
“A scar is a constant reminder of something you don’t want to be reminded of. If a scar could be something in the past, and nothing else, that would make a huge difference.”
We can make breakthroughs happen, together.
Vital research is happening at The Scar Free Foundation.
Together, we’re working with the brightest minds and funding the best ideas. Together, we’re helping to change the lives of people with scarring now and in the future.
This is only possible with the support of generous donors like you. Please donate today.
Our Ambassadors
Read our Ambassador stories to learn more about the impact of scarring on day-to-day life.
Find out more about Our Ambassadors
Our Research
Learn more about our research to alleviate the physical and emotional impacts of scarring.
Find out more about Our Research
How you can help
Support our vision of a scar free future and transform the lives of people living with scars.
Find out more about How you can help