The Student Room Group

Fake Tan and Scars

I have a few thin scars on my arm from where I fell and my arm was cut pretty badly and it looks like I have been cutting myself, I tried to cover them with concealer and foundation but it didn't work and I have being using Bio Oil which is making them less visable but they are still there and I dont want to wear anything that shows them which is difficult seeing as its summer now so would fake tan cover them or make them more visable? I have the every day moisturising fake tan by johnstons and my mum has a few proper ones, will it work?:smile:
Reply 1
Scar tissue is not like normal skin, hence it doesn't take to things like fake tan like normal skin - I have a feeling it'd just make them more noticeable. You might well have better results with an every day one than a proper one - at least then if they start to become more noticeable then you can stop building it up.

If they're reddish in colour, you can get concealer-type kits for blemishes (proper ones) with green, yellow, and pink stuff - you blend green in to take away redness, bit of pink/yellow to bring it back to your normal skin tone, and voila. I know Lancome does one, but don't know how much it costs. If they're not reddish then I don't think there's anything you can do make-up wise..


To be honest, if they are just a few thin lines, then try not to feel self-conscious about em :smile: I know there are a whole lot of negative feelings from people if it looks like you've been cutting yourself, but to be honest most of it I've seen is directed at people with scabby, obviously fresh cuts. A friend of mine at college had some cut scars along her forearms, and I liked her view about it - 'my friends don't care, and if people avoid me because of my scars, they're not worth knowing' - or something along those lines.
Reply 2
Fake tan will make it stand out more. A little while ago now, I went to the summer ball at uni, and was wearing the ball dress that I still had from my year 11 ball. But it was backless and I had a spinal op since I had worn the dress before and didnt really like the scar. I had been using bio oil etc on it, which had helped a bit a decided to try fake tan on it. It didn't work at all. Best way to describe it is if you draw on a piece of paper with wax crayon and and then paint over it the paint won't take on the parts with the wax on. If you know what I mean that was what it was like, because the scar is almost like a different type of skin the fake tan wouldn't 'take' on it. So in the end it made it more obvious as the rest of my back was browner and the scar was still white.

Anyway, after my rather confusing explanation, I very much doubt that fake tan will help with your scars. Like Erana has said though, try not to worry about them.
Reply 3
It will probably make it more noticeable.

However, there is a lot of products out there to "fade" scars, though this is very subjective. (Google "How to fade scars" or something).

Though I 100% agree what the other posters have said - don't try and hide them just because they're considered an 'imperfection'. No-one is going to change their opinion of you just cos you have a few scars on your arms.
Reply 4
Yeah you have to be careful. I have a scar on my chest from a heart op (I love Bio-Oil by the way - what a lifesaver...) but it means I can't really put fake tan on my chest or it looks odd.

How long have you had the scars, out of interest? I had my heart op when I was 4 (Now 21) and have only quite recently been confident enough to wear tops that were lower than my neck :redface: So if you don't feel confident about your scars yet, don't worry. I never thought I'd get there, but I did, and now I don't see any reason to hide it.

(Oh apart from at the doctor, who tries to explain everything as being related to my op. I went with a cough and he said it might be my heart :rolleyes: It's a cough for goodness sakes. My heart is fine, you scare-mongerer!)
Reply 5
well not sure with scars but i posted earlier that tanning moisturiser cream worked very well on me and has completely covered my strech marks
Reply 6
I have some self harm scars from last year and whenever I try to fake tan for parties , summer etc , it makes them much more obvious