Self-Harm Scars

Self-harm is injury inflicted on oneself on purpose, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It is an unsafe approach to cope with emotional pain, despair, anger and stress. The National Library of Medicine states that 14% to 21% of high schoolers self-harm. Self-harm is significantly more prevalent among teenage girls, with ninth grade girls committing self-harm at three times the rate of ninth grade boys. Those who have experienced trauma, neglect or abuse are among the most vulnerable.

Forms of self-harm include cutting, burning or hitting oneself. These can lead to fresh wounds in patterns, which can cause feelings of shame, as scarring can be permanent. To hide these scars, people often wear long-sleeved shirts or pants.

Serene Hamzeh ’24 has had self-harm scars on her legs, arms, waistline and ribs for the last two years.

“They are kind of hard to look at sometimes, just knowing that if they’ve healed, then they’re there forever,” Hamzeh said. “But it also does show me how much I’ve gone through and how much I’ve overcome as well. It helps me [think], ‘I’ve gone through this; I can get through anything.’”

Hamzeh finds that when self-harm scars are regarded as ‘just for attention,’ critical mental health issues are dismissed, creating a harmful stigma that can prevent individuals from getting help.

“People say, ‘If you’re showing your scars, you’re doing it for attention.’ And even if you’re not showing them, people will still say it’s for attention,” Hamzeh said. “Sometimes, it could be a cry for help.”

Hamzeh advises covering up fresh selfharm scars to reduce the likelihood of infection and not trigger others who are struggling. However, self-harm scars should be treated like any other skin once healed. Despite this, Hamzeh has struggled with wearing short sleeves in public.

“It’s definitely hard being able to look in the mirror like, ‘Okay, that’s what everybody’s gonna see,’ and knowing that I’m going to walk past strangers outside and they’re probably going to notice. I get looks all the time,” Hamzeh said. “But knowing that a lot of people struggle with the same thing as I do will probably help people become more confident with their [scars] … People should get to wear whatever they want.”

Hamzeh believes it is rude to point out selfharm scars in public or ask personal questions, as it can make people self-conscious about an already sensitive topic. A better alternative is to check-in on the person privately.

“It’s difficult to know how to react to certain things. You can’t get upset at certain people who are genuinely just curious or worried,” Hamzeh said. “I used to say it’s personal, or I laugh it off. It’s still an awkward thing for me to talk about.”

While wearing always brings a light sweatshirt or jacket to conceal her scars if she gets uncomfortable. She acknowledges it takes time to get used to the change and the importance of a supportive environment.

“Surround yourself with people who don’t mind [scars]. I don’t think anyone should ever mind it because it’s just something [they have] gone through, but it doesn’t make up who they are. It’s a part of their journey, not their whole personality,” Hamzeh said. “It should not be a big deal to people around you if they know that you’re safe, you’re doing okay and you’re getting the help you need.”