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Half of Women Self Concious and Ashamed about Body Scars

A social problem so bad it stops some women from dating and others from being intimate with their partners, is being dealt with through Facebook where nearly 20 thousand women have already signed up.
Health, Lifestyle - 4 November 2011   Download IconContent available for download:  
Audio | Interview with Laura Hamilton and Dr. Chris Steele| Login to Download

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A social problem so bad it stops some women from dating and others from being intimate with their partners, is being dealt with through Facebook. As new research has revealed a third of all women feel ashamed and embarrassed by stretch marks and scars, a new group has gone live for people to share their experiences and feel more positive about their body image. Nearly half (43%) of all women have got stretch marks – and more or less EVERY woman has at least three scars somewhere on their body.

With nearly one in five (18%) women admitting scars and stretch marks stop them from wearing what they want, one in ten (8%) say it’s so bad that it stops them from dating and having intimate relationships with their partners and the same figure (8%) try and hide their marks from their kids. As well as being a place to leave their own story and read others’ too, the Facebook page called ‘Skin Stories’ has been loaded with advice and links to health experts – the Skin Stories Facebook campaign not only raises awareness about skin imperfections, but is also funding vital research by the British Skin Foundation with a £1 donation for every story shared.

With so many worries over stretch marks and scars, the research has actually revealed that half (52%) of women get their first scar by the age of nine – in fact childhood accidents and chicken-pox account for 59% of all scars. Despite having a life time to adjust to scars and stretch marks, over a quarter (27%) are embarrassed about their work colleagues seeing their scars, and incredibly, one in five (20%) find their partner the hardest person to show.

. Introduction:

Whether it’s from falling off a bike, giving birth or getting chickenpox, the majority of us have some sort of scar, but new research has revealed that the majority of women feel embarrassed or even ashamed about their scars and stretch marks. Scars mainly develop during childhood, which means that many women are left feeling uncomfortable and insecure throughout their entire lifetime and in some cases say it is so bad it stops them from dating or being intimate with their partner. To tackle this social problem and to get women talking about their bumps and blemishes, a new Facebook initiative is being launched by skin treatment Bio-Oil, which will provide a platform for women to share their skin stories.

So, with a story behind every scar, is talking – or in this case typing – healing?

Joining us to discuss this further to share her own scar story is TV presenter Laura Hamilton, and on hand to give advice is TV’s Dr. Chris Steele.

. Suggested Questions:

What does the research reveal about women’s attitudes towards scars and stretch marks in our area?

Why can having scars or stretch marks be so embarrassing for some women?

Laura – tell us about your own skin story.

Tell us a bit more about the Facebook Initiative and how do you think it could help women?

What advice do you have for anyone who is feeling self conscious about their scars or stretch marks?

Where can we find out more information?