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self harming at uni

I used to self harm a lot (from a very young age about 11) im not gonna do into why, but i do have some prominent scars on my body that normally i do keep covered up (which is really difficult in the summer). When i get to university i feel it could be more difficult to keep them covered and i wouldnt want people to think i still do, or think im weird. Any advice? your opinions?

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Reply 1

vpsycho

I guess you could say you got into a knife fight, it'll impress alot of guys. :tongue:

I've heard Bio-Oil is pretty good for scars, I've started using a bit for myself.

if you just act normally and confident and never make a big deal of it people will probably assume its just something from a long time ago and not an issue now and wont really think more of it.

Reply 4

lukas1051

Claim they're battle scars and you were once the chieftain of a fierce barbaric tribe. Alternatively you could cut the arm off completely.

Reply 5

Anonymous #1

[QUOTE="kerily;30389454"]This is pretty much my situation - I have a lot of pretty prominent scarring from my left shoulder to my left hand. I'm just planning to wear whatever I want, and to hell with what people think; self-harm is pretty common, I'm not ashamed that I've had mental health problems, and the scars are obviously old anyway.

If you want rid, Bio-Oil works. So does frequently moisturising the skin for a long period of time - get a really intensive moisturiser, or some Bio-Oil, and use it like twice a day for months on end.[/QUOTE
oh thanks for the tip ! I wish i could be that confident but i honestly dont want to talk about or even have it as a discussion (as at the moment im not fully convinced i can just not ever go back there again)so its still really raw for me.

Original post by boba

if you just act normally and confident and never make a big deal of it people will probably assume its just something from a long time ago and not an issue now and wont really think more of it.

I know, and i have tried like once i rolled up my sleeve (absent mindedly cause it was so hot)with some very good friends and ones response what OMG WHAT HAPPENED (they only saw a small section so i was able to blag it off). But i have once before in the summer i was not able to keep my jacket on it was jsut too hot and it was making me feel ill but i was on my own in Boots so... it wasn't too bad, but i was extremely self concious about it.

Reply 6

boba

[QUOTE="Anonymous;30404398"]

Original post by kerily

This is pretty much my situation - I have a lot of pretty prominent scarring from my left shoulder to my left hand. I'm just planning to wear whatever I want, and to hell with what people think; self-harm is pretty common, I'm not ashamed that I've had mental health problems, and the scars are obviously old anyway.

If you want rid, Bio-Oil works. So does frequently moisturising the skin for a long period of time - get a really intensive moisturiser, or some Bio-Oil, and use it like twice a day for months on end.[/QUOTE
oh thanks for the tip ! I wish i could be that confident but i honestly dont want to talk about or even have it as a discussion (as at the moment im not fully convinced i can just not ever go back there again)so its still really raw for me.

I know, and i have tried like once i rolled up my sleeve (absent mindedly cause it was so hot)with some very good friends and ones response what OMG WHAT HAPPENED (they only saw a small section so i was able to blag it off). But i have once before in the summer i was not able to keep my jacket on it was jsut too hot and it was making me feel ill but i was on my own in Boots so... it wasn't too bad, but i was extremely self concious about it.

if they are your good friends and they didn't know about it they would assume it was recent and obviously be worried I don't think that new people you meet would react the same as it would be something that was always part of you as long as they knew you.
bio oil does help but it takes a long time so if you are considering it you should start straight away.
another, perhaps more extreme solution, I had a scar that I really hated it was a very large scar and although I wasn't bothered so much about people asking about where it was from it was simply the appearance of it that made me really self conscious and ugly, it wasn't exactly a small thin white line. I would only by clothes that would cover that area and wouldn't go swimming or anything like that for almost three years. I got it tattooed over and I now love it so much that I buy things specifically so that it will be on show.

Reply 7

Pedrobear

Don't worry, you'll find plenty more new ways to attention seek at uni.

Reply 8

GPH92

same for me, i had a scar on my leg i tattooed over

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 9

angelbones

Same. To be honest, I don't mind if I get weird looks from it. If people ask what they are, I'll answer truthfully.

But yeah, Bio-oil or very regular moisturising will work wonders.

Reply 10

hmon93

Yeah my friend saw my scars but she just pretended to believe whatever random story I made up.

Reply 11

boba

I really wish I had a before photo of mine the transformation was truly amazing. so many people told me that I couldn't/ shouldn't do it as well and i got so many lectures from uninformed people about how dangerous tattooing over scars is when infact its only dangerous to tattoo over certain types of scars and it was actually my surgeon who suggested getting it tattooed over after I went back and asked if there was any effective scar reduction procedures available on the nhs

Reply 12

Wildebeest

There are certainly ways in which scars can be encouraged to heal up, as others have already said, but it isn't a case of them being guaranteed to disappear completely.

Covering your arms doesn't have to be done with clothes that are impractical for the warmer months. Long-sleeved cotton shirts can be great for avoiding sunburn, and some people wear thin arm warmers with t-shirts simply as a fashion accessory throughout the year.

Reply 13

PurpleConverse

Original post by Pedrobear

Don't worry, you'll find plenty more new ways to attention seek at uni.

A bit uncalled for? No?

Reply 14

Pedrobear

Original post by PurpleConverse

A bit uncalled for? No?

u mad?

Reply 15

JoRowlingRocks

Before I went to uni I'd never seen anyone with self-harm scars; now I've seen many. Bio Oil might work but there are some scars that just won't go away. As others have said you just need to forget about it. Going to uni you can be whoever you want to be, so you can be the person who's accepted that they used to self harm and that it's a part of them, and you can be the person who doesn't need the friendship of anyone who'd be bothered by your scars!

I don't think many people will think you're weird though. 1 in 4 people suffer mental health problems, this is elevated at uni & so there's far less stigma surrounding these sorts of issues. They also probably won't think you still do it if you don't keep yourself covered up because they'll be able to see that your arms only have scars!

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 16

PurpleConverse

Original post by Pedrobear

u mad?

Lolwut?

Reply 17

Helpful_Charlie

Original post by Pedrobear

u mad?

Props to you for sending me into a laughing fit with just four characters.

Reply 18

tface

Original post by Helpful_Charlie

Props to you for sending me into a laughing fit with just four characters.

You must be new to the internet if that makes you laugh...

OP, you just have to act like they aren't there and be truthful when asked. People will be fine with it, and if you act like it's a part for your past (even if you still struggle a little) then you'll have no problems with people thinking you weird. It isn't that uncommon anyway!