Scars get a bad rap. They are often seen as ugly, dangerous, criminal, and something to hide and be ashamed of. In popular culture, it’s the bad guys that have the scars.
It’s no wonder so many people feel self-conscious about scar tissue. Sophie Mayenne from London, England, is working to change these perceptions through her photo series ‘Behind The Scars,’ a series of poignant photographs of beautiful people, their scars and the stories behind them.
“As a photographer, I have always been drawn to raw and un-retouched work, and what makes us different to one another - and this is where my interest in scars stems from,” Sophie told Bored Panda. “When I first started the project, I remember saying that if I could make a difference to at least one person, then I have succeeded. As the project has grown, I just hope it will reach more people, and continue to have a positive impact.”
Her subjects, often insecure with their body image after years of hiding away their scars, as well as the psychological trauma that they can carry with them, have embraced her project enthusiastically. “The response has been really positive - and seeing yourself through a photographer's eyes can be a powerful experience,” Sophie told us. “For some people, the experience of the photoshoot can be very therapeutic - as they may not have shared their experiences before, and for others, they are consolidating their newfound love of their scars - and body.”
It seems that Sophie's project certainly has a positive impact that she set out to achieve, as people are inspired to tell their stories and shed the burden of insecurity. “As more people find out about the project - more people come forward,” She told Bored Panda. “I hope in the future to be able to make a book of the series - that people past and present can relate to.”
“These, in my opinion, are some of the best, and most emotional pictures I have ever taken.”
Scroll down to check out some of the photos from Sophie's amazing and inspiring project, as well as short descriptions of the stories - from self-harm to unlucky accidents - behind them. Let us know what you think in the comments!
#41 Miriam
"When I was 9 I fell off a swing on holiday and broke my arm quite badly. Being in hospital on holiday was a pain, but I made friends with the other kids on my ward and we remained pen pals for sometime after. My scar doesn't bother me at all, I forget it is there until someone else brings it up. "
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70points
#42 Mary
“I started self harming at 11, and it got serious when I was 14. I managed to stop for a long time until last year when I lost most of the feeling in my left arm. I’ve been struggling with being confident with them, as the smallest recent mark can take you so far back in terms of recovery.”
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68points
#43 Carmela
“I have experienced mental health problems since my early teens. I have used unhealthy coping strategies including self harm, but I do not feel ashamed of the marks I have been left with anymore. They are not ugly or beautiful, they are just part of my body and should be able to exist, and move around the world without intrusive stares or questions. I know I have reached my lowest, and I guess my scars are a reminder of that, but they don’t make me feel sad. I don’t think I am damaged, I don’t want people to see me as damaged. I hope to fully recover and live a happy life. One day I want to be a Mum.”
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66points
#44 Felicity
“My body is, and has always been scattered with freckles and moles. Too many to keep track of. Last year I noticed one had changed and seemed darker and more misshapen than before. I saw several doctors, all of whom said it was nothing to worry about - but I pushed to get tested and was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma insitu. Luckily this is the very early stage of skin cancer, so it was caught with plenty of time. It was treated by removing 5mm of skin from the area. At the time I just felt so relieved.
However, this summer I again noticed a mole looked darker and misshapen. This time round I was more anxious, stressed and very scared. Again I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma. This time it was further along in its growth, meaning I had to have 1cm of skin removed. It’s very rare to be diagnosed twice at such a young age, and hearing the world “melanoma” and “cancer” really shook me.
I’m so grateful that my skin cancer was caught early - the scars are a small price to pay. They will always be a reminder of how lucky I am, and how short life can potentially be.
I would rather have a body adorned with scars, and the hope of a future - than an early death and a flawless corpse.”
However, this summer I again noticed a mole looked darker and misshapen. This time round I was more anxious, stressed and very scared. Again I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma. This time it was further along in its growth, meaning I had to have 1cm of skin removed. It’s very rare to be diagnosed twice at such a young age, and hearing the world “melanoma” and “cancer” really shook me.
I’m so grateful that my skin cancer was caught early - the scars are a small price to pay. They will always be a reminder of how lucky I am, and how short life can potentially be.
I would rather have a body adorned with scars, and the hope of a future - than an early death and a flawless corpse.”
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66points
#45 Aimee
“In December 2014 I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. Later in 2015 I was also diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Both conditions didn’t agree well with my passion for dancing - as my joints and muscles were badly affected. As my condition got worse, my IT band tightened and no longer supported my hip joint properly. Everytime I walked I could easily dislocated my hip as the socket wasn’t closed. Eventually on the 1st February 2017 I had an operation to lengthen the IT band which allowed me to walk and dance again pain free. I have gathered many other scars over the years, including injections - but my hip scar is the one I show with pride!”
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65points
#46 Hermione
“I got my scars from surgery repairing a damaged nerve. I snapped a wineglass at my waitressing job, the stem went through my hand and I had to go to A&E. I had to quit my job as I wasn’t able to lift anything for a few months, but I’m pretty much back to normal now asides from the visual reminder. I think they’re quite pretty, they look like a crescent moon and a lightning bolt to me - but that’s probably a bit optimistic!”
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65points
#47 Silje
“When I was three years old I was diagnosed with a Stage 2 Wilms Tumour, which is a form of childhood cancer that grows in the kidneys.
I had chemo to shrink the size of the tumour and then an operation to remove my right kidney. Today I have a scar across my stomach that I have learnt to accept as part of me. Through my teens, this was hard.
I have a smaller scar above my right breast, from where they dispensed the chemo.”
I had chemo to shrink the size of the tumour and then an operation to remove my right kidney. Today I have a scar across my stomach that I have learnt to accept as part of me. Through my teens, this was hard.
I have a smaller scar above my right breast, from where they dispensed the chemo.”
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63points
#48 Isabella
"In the summer of '15 I was in a house fire. My clothes and way of life up in flames. I spent my summer in London in a burns unit on Fulham Road. My scars and scar tissue continue to change, but I have never felt more beautiful."
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62points
#49 Ashleigh
"I've struggled with self harm since I was 8. For as long as I can remember, my emotions have been very intense, this was one of the ways I learnt to cope.
I have been stuck wearing long sleeves regardless of the weather. The appearance of my arms is one of my biggest secrets.
I have been stuck wearing long sleeves regardless of the weather. The appearance of my arms is one of my biggest secrets.
Learning to embrace my scars and accept them as part of me is a major step. I also feel that hiding them away perpetuates the feeling of guilt/shame. "
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60points
#50 Rochelle
"I've always had scars for as long as I can remember. Acne scars. As I went through puberty I had irregular periods which made me decide to go to the doctors and they found a 12cm cyst on my ovaries. They did emergency key hole surgery, and when I saw the scars I was horrified. I thought I’d never be able to wear a bikini and at the age of 18, that felt like a big thing. Now I’m 22, I’ve over it and I’m quite open about the fact I have PCOS and I feel like it’s just become a part of who I am rather than a secret. I am more open to showing my scars to people now, and they definitely don’t stop me going to the beach in a bikini anymore.
I decided it would be good to be a part of this series, as every one has scars, and a story behind them.”
I decided it would be good to be a part of this series, as every one has scars, and a story behind them.”
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58points
#51 Janet
"I am an enthusiastic amateur dancer and have been all my life. I regularly attend classes at Pineapple studios. I was dancing to a routine we had just learned and decided to "go for it" and really energised my performance. Unfortunately I landed badly after a "hitch kick" on to my left leg and it buckled underneath me and I collapsed on the floor. An MRI scan revealed that I had ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This ligament will not repair itself so you either have to learn to live without it or have ACL reconstruction surgery. The surgery requires keyhole work to repair the knee. A new ligament is made from a graft taken from your hamstring. This is threaded and stapled to the bone. The surgery is straight forward, but the recovery is very hard work, requiring 9 months to a year of physio to get strong again. The scar is fairly modest, but recognisable to anyone who has had the surgery. We give each other a nod of recognition in the gym because we know what we have been through. "
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57points
#52 Jessica
“I was born without a right pectoral muscle, meaning no breast tissue could form on the right side of my body. When I was 11, surgeons took a slice of muscle from my back, and put it into my chest. They also put an implant on top. At 15, another surgeon to decided to remove the implant, which is the scar under my right breast. The little scars on my right hand are from an operation I had when I was 3 to correct the tendons in my thumb. It didn’t work.”
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55points
#53 Becky
“The first time I realised I was one of the small proportion of the population prone to keloid scarring, I was 5 and I got my ears pierced. My body didn’t stop healing- it grew along the gold hoops, trying to enclose them. Of the 16 or so piercings (including DIY ones) I’ve had since then, only my tongue and my nose have healed properly. I’ve had plastic surgery on my upper ear to remove scar tissue after my cartilage piercing got ripped out in a mosh pit.
I have more than my fair share of wild nights out, leaving me with lifelong memories.. I’ve had tattoos around my scars to embellish them, which is a much better way than the painful steroid injections to reduce them. I turned the one on my shoulder into a clitoris - in a suggestive orchid/ lily flower.
The one on my chest is the one I get asked about the most I think, and sometimes it’s a bit awkward to tell. Sometimes people don’t believe me. When I was 19, me and my ex used to play a lot of S&M games, we tied each other to the bed and carved our names into each other and had sex with the blood running between us. It was a J but it has spread over time. I think breastfeeding stopped me being embarrassed by it. I used to self harm, and hide all my imperfections, but now I accept and love myself. Some people might argue being addicted to collecting tattoos is a legitimised form of self harm - but it comes from a different place, a creative, happy and strong place."
I have more than my fair share of wild nights out, leaving me with lifelong memories.. I’ve had tattoos around my scars to embellish them, which is a much better way than the painful steroid injections to reduce them. I turned the one on my shoulder into a clitoris - in a suggestive orchid/ lily flower.
The one on my chest is the one I get asked about the most I think, and sometimes it’s a bit awkward to tell. Sometimes people don’t believe me. When I was 19, me and my ex used to play a lot of S&M games, we tied each other to the bed and carved our names into each other and had sex with the blood running between us. It was a J but it has spread over time. I think breastfeeding stopped me being embarrassed by it. I used to self harm, and hide all my imperfections, but now I accept and love myself. Some people might argue being addicted to collecting tattoos is a legitimised form of self harm - but it comes from a different place, a creative, happy and strong place."
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54points
#54 Ruby
“I suppose I don’t really remember a scar forming, it just appeared, but I quite like it because it gives my back some personality and somehow it’s different. It’s a shingles scar from my childhood, and has grown with me since. Obviously I’ve never really seen it - only in reflections, and photos, which Is quite cool because I see people react to it in different ways. I’d never wish that it wasn’t
there, it’s a little bit of history on my back, you know?"
there, it’s a little bit of history on my back, you know?"
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49points
#55 Hebe
I had surgery to correct my scoliosis last year. The experience of being in hospital and the recovery
process was incredibly humbling. I have a new found respect for my body. It’s a practical body, it functions. I can run, dance, jump and I’m no longer preoccupied by “problem areas” like I used to be. I feel so liberated and lucky to have realised how great and capable my body is.”
process was incredibly humbling. I have a new found respect for my body. It’s a practical body, it functions. I can run, dance, jump and I’m no longer preoccupied by “problem areas” like I used to be. I feel so liberated and lucky to have realised how great and capable my body is.”
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30points