The Story Behind The Scar: 28 Women Tell The Truth (NSFW)

(Photographed By Sam Nixon)

Scars are accumulated over a lifetime. From the faded, skinned knees of childhood to precise surgical scars from later in life, they make up both small and important stories from our lives. Sure, they represent healing and the challenges we’ve overcome, but they can also be a source of embarrassment, shame, or pain. And, in a world where photo retouching rules, the pores, blemishes, and scars that adorn so many women are often forgotten.

Not every scar represents trauma or disease, but some do. Others are just the normal result of living a life where shit happens. We slip on ice, we get bitten by spiders, we burn ourselves, or we accidentally bite ourselves in our sleep. Ahead are all of these stories, from 28 women — and images of the scars they got along the way.

*this photo series contains some images of healed self-harm injuries.

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Cristina
"I was born with congenital heart disease… I came out blue. They had to do an emergency surgery because they didn’t think I was going to make it. Since then, I’ve had about six more surgeries. A few years ago, I had a pacemaker put in; then, I finally had my adult open-heart surgery.

"I hated my scar… But the thing is, my girlfriends are so supportive. Within in a few months, my worries went away because they were like, ‘Dude, that’s awesome.’ My friend used to say that it gave me cleavage.

"I feel like scars are symbols of being a warrior — of being on a journey. I did try to hide the scar in the back when I was younger, at sweet-sixteen parties and stuff…my mom would always take really gorgeous, couture dresses and add a random strap or something to cover it. It was quite hilarious."

Katherine
"I was in upstate NY when I was bitten by a spider. I didn’t go to the hospital until 48 hours later, [when] I couldn’t see straight or stand up, and I had a high fever… They did blood work and put me on antibiotics. They didn’t drain it at the hospital, which I thought was crazy, because it was this huge lump on my leg!

"They must have misdiagnosed it, because when I went into a walk-in clinic in Jersey [later], they drained it immediately. I couldn’t believe all the scary stuff that was coming out. They told me it was cellulitis and that they couldn’t stitch it up because it was an infection from the inside out — that’s why I have the scar."

Lyne
"When I was 4 years old, I grabbed two chairs and jumped up between them to balance my body [and] swing back and forth. But, the chairs were unstable, and I fell face-first onto the ground. The fall caused me to bite my tongue off. My mother recalls that it was holding on by a string. She didn’t want to touch it because it would come off completely. She said that there was so much blood… I was rushed to a surgeon, and my tongue was sewn back on. I was only allowed to eat soup for two months."

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Marisa
"I had half of my thyroid removed after finding out I had a cancerous tumor. Sometimes, I think I’m in denial about the scar; sometimes I look in the mirror and just cry. My neck is one of my favorite parts of my body, and I always thought it’s where a lot of my beauty came from. Now, there is a big thing right there, and I can’t even hide it. I’m doing this to come out. I want to love it, and I want it to be part of who I am."

Morgan
"This is my scoliosis surgery scar. I got it when I had surgery to correct the curvature of my spine. I was only 11…they said it would take at least three months to recover.

"In the first year, you’re not allowed to expose it to intense sunlight, so I had to wear a special speedo that zipped all the way to the top. Since I’m half-black — and we are more prone to keloid scars — the scarring process is a lot different. You really have to keep it covered up.

"In terms of limitations…I can’t ever go on a trampoline; I can’t do bungee jumping. I can absolutely do yoga, and I’m relatively flexible — I just can’t arch my back up that much.

"I’ve had this scar for 15 years, and at this point, I feel very differently about it… Growing up, I wanted to be perfect…and it can be really difficult to have [a scar] that, let’s be honest, takes up my whole back. It’s something that people are going to look at. That unwanted attention can be really hard to deal with. But, as you grow, you are comfortable in your skin, and you can feel okay. Once I got to that point, I didn’t care as much about the scar anymore."

Emily
"Almost two years ago, I was a passenger in a drunk driving accident. The car I was in flipped three times. These scars are from the glass shattering and two of the surgeries I had to get.

"When I first started going out again, I would try to hide them, but it was hard since they are all over. I wasn’t a fan of them. Now, I love my scars; they remind me that I am a fighter and a survivor. Originally, I was told I would never walk again, so the fact that I am living the life I am is truly a blessing."

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Anonymous
"I was flat-chested for a long time…then, one day in the middle of high school, I was a 36F. [My large breasts] were making it really hard to exercise. I would get neck aches and migraines. It was really impeding my everyday process. On top of all of that, [my clothes] fit really funny.

"I was like, This is awful… So, for three years, my mom and I battled our health insurance company to get the [reduction] surgery covered — because it was considered cosmetic. One day, [the insurance company] said I could do it.

"Everything has changed since then. I went from a 36F to a 36C. They’re still pretty big, but they’re not a detriment. My quality of life is so much better. I’ve never met a single person — in my years of going on forums or talking to women — who has ever regretted getting the procedure done. Ever.

"For me, yeah it would be nice to have perfect boobs. But, my overall quality of life is so improved that this was a small price to pay."

Anonymous
"I had self-injury scars from when I was 14, when I was going through difficult times. After the scars started to heal, and I wore short sleeves, people would start to ask me about them in public. On one hand, it’s kind of rude…trying to pry and get the juicy story, someone’s Lifetime original movie. I also found it very limiting… That’s someone’s first impression of you — that you’re the crazy girl. Then, they don’t really see anything else.

"I got the tattoo as a way of not being defined by what happened. It worked. Now, people come up to me and say ‘That’s an amazing tattoo.’… Octopuses are great at escaping and can break off a limb and grow it back later, so given the trauma behind the scars…I’m glad I picked an image I could grow on.

"My scars are always a part of my past that I wanted to get away from… I don’t really see myself making peace with the history behind it. The resilient thing for me is to cover it up with an image that I like — something positive."

Sara
"I got [this scar] seven and a half months ago, from an emergency C-section. I went in for a scan because my baby had been in breech position. I didn’t realize I was already contracting [at the time]. I was four centimeters dilated and within minutes I was rushed down and had to get a C-section.

"It was scary when they told me I needed a C-section, but it was exciting because I knew I was going to meet my baby that day. I had no choice about it. I had planned on a natural birth. I just went with it…it was actually fine. It was quick. The recovery was painful.

"I honestly forget [the scar] is there, I guess because you don’t see it. When I do see it, it’s a happy feeling — because that’s where my baby came from."

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Victoria
"I managed to fall a story and a half over a spiral staircase…[I] landed on my head, my knee ‘breaking’ the fall. I was subsequently rushed to the hospital, blood escaping through my ears and nose. I was in a coma for a few hours… Speaking was difficult at first. My grammar was completely intact, but my searching for words felt never-ending.

"The scar on my knee was gnarly, to say the least… Scars remind us of where we’ve been and all we’ve overcome. Mine is a good story. The life that has come from it is an even better one."

Natasha
"When I was serving hot cups of tea at a British restaurant, my fingers pretty much became immune to burns. That wasn’t a lot of help to me, however, when I accidentally flung a jug of boiling-hot gravy over my arm. That freckle-less patch you see was actually a blister the size of my fist, and my whole arm was covered with an interesting pattern of flecked burns.

"This was pre-Obamacare and post-me-qualifying-for-my-family’s-health-insurance, so the only medical advice I got was from my local pharmacist, who told me (amidst my violent and heaving sobs) that the burn cream was in aisle five."

Tara
"When I was fourteen, I was putting up Valentine’s Day decorations at school. I actually have this condition where I faint when I feel pain. I accidentally hit myself while putting up these decorations. I fainted — and bit clear through my lip. When I came to, I thought I was totally fine, but instead I had to go to the hospital and get 60 stitches in my lip."

By Kelly Bourdet & Corinne Caputo

Check Out The Rest Of The Scars — And Their Stories — On Refinery29!