Scars/Bruises & Skirts/Dresses

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Scars/Bruises & Skirts/Dresses

Dawn

(website)

Active Member

Silly question for you all...

My main sport is mountain biking and quite often as a result of hurdling down rocky, root-y, steep mountain sides, I end up getting many cuts and bruises from crashes. It's a wonderful sport but as my doctor frequently comments "Exercise is meant to keep me away from the doctors instead of calling in looking for stitches."

Anyway as the weather is warming up, I am wearing skirts and dresses without tights and I am wondering if it is appropriate to wear skirts when I have a bruised knee or to wear short sleeves if I have a cut elbow. Even when I don't have fresh injuries, I still have a number of scars on my knees and elbows which are quite noticeable. One of them covers most of my left knee and has been commented on by strangers.

So, should I cover them up or not?

Thanks!

16 years ago

General

10 replies

Latest reply was from Sarah

Lee Hovey

Active Member

I don't think it's about appropriateness, it's just about what you are comfortable with.

I can totally relate since I grew up a total tomboy and avid athlete, and not even mentioning the many scars from falls when I was young, I have an 8 inch long scar down the front of my right knee along with 6 inch long scars around it from 2 knee surgeries when I was 18.

I have stopped caring about the scars, and actually think of them as more of badges. They show that I am a strong, adventurous women, not a wilting flower... you know? Maybe that's the feminist in me talking though

16 years ago

shiny

Veteran

Nah, for me, this would be like wearing a moto jacket over a frilly dress! Blending of macho/tough and girly-girl.

Be proud and if strangers comment, hold your head up high and tell them about what you do in your spare time. I am a terrible girly-girl with a severe personal aversion to rough sports, but I think it sounds cool! I will live vicariously through you...

16 years ago

Kathleen

Active Member

I don't think you should cover them up at all. I have had 17 surgeries, and I have a physical disability, and none of that stops me from wearing whatever I want whether or not it is a trend.

I used to play rugby for a bit and have ridden horses since I was 2 years old (23 now. I was always covered in bruises, and still wore dresses and skirts. When people asked about them, I always told them that they were "hazards of my passions".

I still get bruises, cuts etc. as I just have very sensitive skin and tissue, and I have no tissue in my knees, and love to wear skirts and dresses even with a foot or more of snow on the ground!

16 years ago

Antje

Veteran

Agree with previous posters - there is no issue around appropriateness (this is assuming you don't have open wounds, of course - no blood/ooze pleeze), it's just about your level of comfort. You just have to live with curious questions, but isn't that a great opening for talking about your hobby?

16 years ago

Dawn

(website)

Active Member

It's not so much that I have a problem displaying scars or bruises- obviously anything nasty like Antje mentioned is covered up with bandages- but that other people seem to have a problem with it. It's very unusual amongst my group of friends for women to play sports at all, let alone a rough sport, so I am mostly just wondering what other people outside my group of friends think about the topic.

Kendra- I think that my scars show that I'm adventurous, just a tiny bit crazy and the complete opposite of a wilting flower.

16 years ago

hanna

(website)

Active Member

agreed - there's no need to cover up any of those scars! i love it - it shows your character, and every scar has its own story. i have a couple of scars myself, on my knee from surgery when i was younger, and on my leg from when i took a chunk out of it during marching band practice. if i were self conscious about them i'd never be able to display my legs!

16 years ago

Kari

Veteran

Hey, at the very least your interesting scars can be a good conversation starter about your hobby! Mountain biking sounds awesome.

I'm not althetic (or, let's face it, coordinated) enough to be involved in a really rough sport, but I'm clumsy and bruise easily, and frequently cut myself shaving. Yesterday I ran around in a skirt despite having a long red scratch down the back of my leg - absolutely no idea where that came from, but I cleaned it up as best as I could and figured that a long red mark wasn't a huge deal.

The other thing is that I spend so much time dealing with blemishes, acne, and dry patches on my face and trying to moisturize the eczema on my hand back into shape that I figure that freaking out about displaying minor injuries is just superfluous worry.

16 years ago

ChristineB

Active Member

I say let them show. I have keratosis polaris on my arms & legs. It's really hard to get rid of. In all honesty, I consider my skin to be my biggest flaw. Anyway, if I was worried about what others thought I'd never wear short sleeves or shorter skirts or cropped pants. However, it's part of who I am, and so I just pretend it isn't there.

I'm not squeamish at all, but scars & bruises don't bother me at all. I may wonder how you came by them, but I don't think you should cover them up.

16 years ago

NCyogini

Active Member

Love this question. I'm a mountain biker, just like you. (No more series races though, mostly 6-12 hour endurance type races these days- easier on my 30 year old bones.) I'm also pretty banged up much of the time.

As far as bruises and certainly scars go, I just don't care. I wear whatever I like. It's a part of who I am.

The only thing I cover up are fresh road/trail rash or anything scabby because that, in my opinion, is really gross, and probably more hygienic to keep it covered until it heals.

Have fun out there this summer. Keep the rubber side down!

16 years ago

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

I have scars on both knees from sports related injuries as well. I also have excessive cat scratches all over my body. It's part of who I am, and I'm not going to go out of my way to hide who I am.
I had surgery several years ago and as a result have four small scars on my abdominal area. My first thought was "there goes ever wearing a bikini!" and then I realized that I was allowing those to define me instead of making them part of me. I don't flaunt my owies, but I'm not embaressed by them.
Embrace yourself, and way to go on mountain biking!!

16 years ago

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