From Covering Up to Opening Up: New Survey Finds Accepting Skin Imperfections Uplifts Mental Health

Scar Care Leader, Mederma, Continues to Show That You Are More Than Your Scar by Revealing How Americans Are Gaining Confidence in Their Own Skin Through Storytelling & Showing Off Marks

MORRISTOWN, N.J., May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – and Americans are seeing perceived skin imperfections in a new light. A new survey from Mederma, the No.1 doctor and pharmacist recommended scar treatment brand*, has discovered that 81 percent of Americans are over being ashamed of their scars and imperfections, admitting they wouldn't feel like themselves without them. From acne to marks from cuts and burns, the survey shows that of those who have easily visible scars on their body, 68 percent said it makes them feel empowered and 80 percent said it makes them unique.

Following the revealing "You Are More Than Your Scar" survey from Mederma in 2021, the brand is honoring Mental Health Awareness Month again this May, by uncovering how "covering up" when it comes to scars and imperfections affects mental health. To continue to support mental wellness and physical acceptance, Mederma is proud to partner with the inspiring This Is My Brave, a charity that encourages storytelling to help those struggling with mental health issues such as anxiety or low self-esteem. This year, Mederma will be making a $25,000 donation to the charity to further its mission to empower individuals to share stories of their scar healing journeys.

"When we kicked off our first Mental Health Awareness Month campaign last year, we were moved and inspired by hearing the struggles and triumphs from so many Americans with perceived skin imperfections and we knew we wanted to not only learn more, but truly support our community by partnering with an incredible cause like This Is My Brave," said HRA Pharma America President, Bradley Meeks. "Through our partnership with This Is My Brave and through our latest survey, we have discovered how important opening up about low confidence or skin imperfections can be to not only yourself, but those around you."

As part of Mederma's campaign and partnership with This Is My Brave, the brand will be inviting people on Instagram to share their scar story and journey throughout the month of May by tagging @medermaofficial and using the hashtag #YouAreMoreThanYourScar to help normalize and encourage acceptance of scars. To honor these posts, Mederma will be donating to This Is My Brave.

"For eight years, This Is My Brave has been shining a light on mental illness and the brave people who live and thrive with it, and we are thrilled to be able to partner with Mederma in supporting their efforts to encourage people to share their scar stories openly and proudly," said Erin Gallagher, Interim Executive Director of This Is My Brave. "Using the performing arts, our Brave cast members openly and honestly reveal their scars – seen or unseen – by sharing their stories of hope and recovery to inspire others."

In connection to This Is My Brave's mission, the new survey of 2,000 American adults revealed that while perceived physical imperfections have caused a decrease in confidence, at some point in many lives, starting to "show and tell" when it comes to these marks has helped them heal emotionally.

Check out the Mederma "Celebrate the Stories Behind Scars" survey results below for interesting stats on respondents' skin esteem.

What Lies Beneath Our Skin

• The survey found that 65 percent of respondents used to go to great lengths to cover up their imperfections or wear clothes to hide them – but 54 percent feel like they're not being true to themselves when they do.
• Respondents shared that acne (30 percent), stretchmarks (29 percent) and surgery scars (28 percent) are just some of the blemishes that they were insecure about for a long time.
• Nervous about what others might think, almost 60 percent of people are worried that others will notice imperfections that they notice about themselves.
• A similar percentage (56 percent) felt concerned over how their blemishes look to others, which has had a negative impact on their mental health.

Sharing Is Caring

• A whopping 86 percent of those with a visible scar are comfortable with sharing the story of how they got their scar, with 88 percent agreeing they'd talk to others about it if it helped them feel more confident about theirs, too.
• More than a third of those with scars said they were able to mentally and emotionally heal with advice from those with similar scars/imperfections (38 percent).
• Plus, 78 percent said that they were able to heal emotionally after speaking on their own stories.

Skincare For Self-Care

• When asked about picking out the best scar treatment, 35 percent of those with scars chose Mederma to help reduce the appearance of their scars.
• After treating their scars, 71 percent of respondents gained confidence.

Confidence Boost

• Respondents felt that a fresh change to their appearance like a facial or haircut (52 percent), good weather (50 percent) or compliments (46 percent) gives them that extra boost of confidence.
• It may have taken a long time for people to gain this confidence, as more than half of Americans deal with low confidence often (56 percent).

You Are More Than Your Scar

• The data shows that generally, people are over being ashamed of their scars and imperfections, with 81 percent of those with scars admitting they wouldn't feel like themselves without them.
• 61 percent of respondents said that they're mentally at a place where they've conquered their insecurities and 56 percent agree that owning their insecurities helps them feel empowered.
• Most of those who have easily visible scars on their body (42 percent) said it makes them feel empowered (68 percent) and unique (80 percent).

Stars & Scars

• Many have been inspired by celebrity scar stories like Selena Gomez's kidney transplant scar (21 percent), and Seal's lupus scar (21 percent).
• Three in five respondents also said they'd like to see more characters with visible flaws on the big screen and 60 percent of these respondents said this would help them feel more represented.
• Respondents said that the top five celebs that own their scars are:
• Selena Gomez - (21 percent)
• Seal - (21 percent)
• Jason Momoa - (20 percent)
• Joaquin Phoenix - (20 percent)
• Amy Schumer - (19 percent)

For more information on Mederma, visit www.mederma.com, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
To learn more about This is My Brave visit www.thisismybrave.org.

Methodology
This 2022 survey was commissioned by Mederma and conducted online by OnePoll with a panel of 2,000 Americans. The respondents were 18 years and older and results were split by gender.

About Mederma
Scars are a visible part of our past. Whether there's a meaningful story behind them or not, we don't always want them on show. The prying questions, the retelling of the same tale; or much worse – the silent judgment.

At Mederma®, we believe we all are more than our scars – our lives go deeper than what one can see on the surface. That's why Mederma® Scar products contain a UNIQUE TRIPLE ACTION FORMULA that doesn't just sit on the surface, but penetrates beneath the skin to visibly reduce the appearance of scars.

*IQVIA, March 2022

SOURCE Mederma