Beauty for too long has been about perfectionism, a lack of bumps, wrinkles, discoloration, marks, and scars. However, nothing more beautiful than someone baring their all and showing all these said “imperfections.” Years ago, the big trend was trying foundations that would cover tattoos and scars. Society has convinced people to rush to spend $70 on a foundation instead of embracing our inner beauty and vulnerability. Vulnerability can be one of the most beautiful traits.
Scars are representations of someone’s strength. They have fought through the hand that life has dealt them, yet they are still here and they have a physical reminder of that strength.
Tobias: “My scar represents a very scary time in my life where I didn’t know if my health would ever be the same after I had the surgery done.”
Thayer: “My scar reminds me of snowy winters back home in Colorado when I was young. I always think of the photographs of my charred lips after surgery and my red coat with a faux cheetah fur hood. It’s a warm memory, surprisingly.”
Collucci: “My scar is from top surgery (which I actually had one year ago today!) and for me, it’s a reminder of my journey as a trans person and how far I’ve come in my transition. At first, the scar was jarring to see, it’s large, and it was nasty for a while, but after it healed a little more, I started to love it. I love the way it cuts around my tattoo and I show it off to people pretty often.”
Maupin: “A few months after I was born, I had multiple procedures to remove a tumor around my esophagus and up into my cheek along with a condition called cystic hygroma lymphangioma. So I’ve pretty much had my scars along my neck my whole life. Thankfully enough, I had a very skilled surgeon, so my scar looks pretty natural. Most people don’t even notice it despite it taking up half of my neck.”
Stomberger: “My mother became pregnant with triplets; however, my sister died in the womb, so my mom went into immediate labor, causing me and my brother to be born two months early. My lungs were underdeveloped and collapsed 24 hours after my birth. The scar is a symbol of luck to me. If a doctor was not standing next to me when this happened, I would not be texting this to you.”
Whether the hurt was physical, mental, or medical, your scars are reminders of your strength, and strength is beautiful. Our scars are stories. We may look at our hands and laugh at the memories of running into a door. We may cry remembering where we once were and how we rebuilt ourselves. Scars are a physical timeline reminding you of all you have gone through and where you are now.
Tobias: “I have accepted my scars in a way when I started thinking about them as little tattoos on my stomach and not a representation of poor mental health.”
Thayer: “I’ve always thought my scar was kinda cool and I love that it reminds me of my childhood and home.”
Collucci: “I feel so lucky to have been able to get top surgery, it changed my life in the best way and this scar is a souvenir from that experience..”
Maupin: “I’ve grown to accept it as it is a part of me; my scars have grown with me. Sometimes, I get insecure because I have no fat on that side of my neck compared to the other, but it’s the cards I’ve been dealt. My scars tell the story of my survival, and they represent my humanness and uniqueness that comes from that.”
Stomberger: “I was made fun of when I was younger because people would call it my second belly button or third nipple, but now I just think it looks cool! It’s gotten smaller as I have grown up.”
Creative Direction by Daniela Guevara.
Words and interviews by Annika Petersen.
Photography by Joe Tankersley.
Talent: Emily Tobias, Seth Stomberger, Sarah Maupin, August Collucci and Scarlett Thayer.