Everyone has battle scars—Australian Instagrammer Caitlin (of the handle @healthycaits) is just happy she didn't cover hers up when she had the chance.
An accident in Caitlin's youth left her with burn scars on her upper thighs, something she used to feel embarrassed about. "I always thought I would grow up to hate my burn scars," Caitlin writes in an Instagram post. "At almost 10 years old, having to accept I was going to be scarred for life was very intimidating."
Caitlin vacillated between stages of acceptance and insecurity about her scars. So when she was offered plastic surgery to cover them up, she wasn't sure what to do. She considered the surgery for years, but didn't make a decision before she turned 16. No longer young enough to get the procedure done at a local children's hospital, Caitlin felt like the opportunity to have surgery had passed. And she was thankful it had. "I'm so glad I didn't take up the offer," she writes. "I really thought about it, but the one thing that stopped me was the fact that [my scars] are part of my story—I didn't go through all that pain just to erase it. I felt as though these are my battle scars and I should be proud of them."
Caitlin, who openly discusses her struggles with mental health and disordered eating recovery on social media, says she's acquired several scares throughout her life. Some are physical—like the ones on her legs. But others are mental or emotional, and they remind her of the many obstacles she's overcome to become who she is today.
"Over this mental health journey of mine, I have also acquired scars—scars that I have been very ashamed of and will unfortunately wear for the rest of my life," she writes. "After a long time being self-conscious, I have come to realize they are also battle scars [that fall] in the same category as my burn scars: something I wear without shame, because they tell a story. And although it's not a pretty one, it's one I've overcome."
Caitlin went on to say she's been planning to cover her scars with a tattoo for several years. But now, she's not sure if that's what she really wants. "I'M SO TORN," she writes. "I would love a beautiful artwork as I've seen many others do when it comes to scars. But over the years, I've formed a bond with my imperfections, and I feel I would miss them deeply…Anyway, I just wanted to let you know it's OK if your story has marked your skin. It's okay to love and accept your scars. And it's okay to feel insecure about them as well. One thing you should know is scars are beautiful: A scar means the wound has healed."
See Caitlin's Instagram in full below.
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