My partner and I both have scars from skin cancer surgeries and we joke about being 'matching' but privately I think we're both more self-conscious than we admit, especially about intimacy and whether we find each other's changed bodies attractive. We support each other through the medical stuff perfectly but never talk about the vanity and grief parts that feel too shallow to mention when we're grateful to be healthy.
More people experience this than they realize.
Medical trauma and its aesthetic aftermath create unspoken grief about bodily changes that feels too superficial to address when survival is the priority.
“Where Are You with Skin dermatology and appearance?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.