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I'm 38 and have been scarred since my teens. Haven't noticed them getting any worse yet, (fingers crossed) but still getting the odd new one come up.
I recommend shady areas and low lighting. I find if I'm a passenger in a car and catch sight of myself in the wing mirror with all that natural light it looks shockingly bad (plus highlights all the new age lines and wrinkles too!). Also, any sort of nightclub toilet harsh flourescent strip lighting is a killer. Oh, and once after putting makeup on, in a club with uv lighting, all the spots that I covered up with concealer were highlighted by the light. I had glow in the dark acne. Nice! Needless to say I don't go clubbing anymore (for many reasons).
Emily, have you noticed any change in your scars over time? Have they become softer or such over the decades? I'm asking because one of my oldest boxcar scars (9 years old) has become a lot nicer, softer and subtler, and I'm hoping this development would occur in my somewhat newer scars as well. I'm glad you haven't noticed them get worse. 
Hmm, i'm a bit wobbly with scar classification.
Mostly I have deep (ice pick?) pitted ones on my temples, and my chin is a bumpy mess, with lots of scars that seem like raised lumps (I think the dr said they were rolling). Some days I think they look better than others, but I think it is mostly down to lighting.
I had a couple of CACI laser treatments about 5 years ago and the therapist said she thought they looked better afterwards but I couldn't see any difference myself. Plus it was painful, so I never went back.
I guess people's skin types can vary so much that scarring may change over time in different ways for different people. Mine are definitely not worse though, only thing is the lines that are deepening on the sides of my mouth blend into the scars and they look a bit deeper and more extended.
I hope yours continue to soften.
Thanks for the replies Emily
My friend took Roaccutabe and some of our friends think his scars look bad. I'd notice them more than my friends for obvious reasons but I must say they are hardly noticeable unless he is under a bright light so it gives me hope
Wouldn't it be nice to see how you look to other haha
My friend took Roaccutabe and some of our friends think his scars look bad. I'd notice them more than my friends for obvious reasons but I must say they are hardly noticeable unless he is under a bright light so it gives me hope
Wouldn't it be nice to see how you look to other haha
So true. When we have acne not only do we scrutinise our own skin, but also other people's, for comparison. I would say - what do you think when you see someone else with scars or acne? Do you think "they're ugly" or any other of the other mean things we think about ourselves? Probably not.
I notice every little detail on other people's faces, purely because of my own insecurities, but generally I look into their eyes. And even if there is an "imperfection" of some sort I don't judge them for it. On the rare occasions I see someone else with acne I feel for their suffering, I'm not repulsed by it, only by my own.
I don't think people generally judge us as harshly as we judge ourselves, or even look in that much detail. If they don't have acne it's not an issue for them so they mostly don't care. Of course you get a few nasty people in life, but that's their nature, and they would find anything to pick on, if it wasn't acne they'd find something else.
Sometimes when I'm feeling self-conscious about my skin and mention to a friend, they say that it doesn't look that bad, or they hadn't noticed (til I pointed it out!) unless I've got a huge pop out cyst. I like to think they're telling the truth, at least some of the time.
When people are attracted to me, I can never figure out why because I feel ugly. I've given up trying to work out what my partner sees in me, I just have to accept and be grateful that he does. We are our own harshest critics, we would be better off treating ourselves like friends!
To be honest, I dont only look at everyones fsce but i actually scrutinise my friends face (without it looking obvious) that was on Roaccutane years ago the most. His face looks bad in some lights but 99% just looks rough in texture and not scarred unless you really look.
As my friend and yourself said, we notice our scars because we scrutinise them whereas other people aren't going to be looking for them
Obviously in some lights I know people can see my scars as they've said they can but not in a nasty way...
As you said there's nasty people but I've found what you said is exactly right, if they didn't pick on scars it would be something else... On the VERY rare occasion I've come across this it turns out they've had their own insecurities. Inlet a girl in Magaluf who asked about my scars and made a sly dig about them but then said I was gorgeous and wanted to go out with me!!! It turned out it was a defense cos she was paranoid aboutnher mate... childish really.
It's easier said than done but I just get on with it now as I am very lucky to have good friends and an active life which I love. Obviously I don't like the scars but the way i see it is I'm stuck with them so don't let them destroy life
God I sound boring now haha
Also, my scars look bad at the moment as I have active acne around them. My sideburns are perfectly clear skin and then it's a straight red line which seperates my sideburns to where the acne starts on my cheeks so it also looks like I'm wearing make up!!
There's a picture in 'accutane logs' which will show what I mean x
My friend took Roaccutabe and some of our friends think his scars look bad. I'd notice them more than my friends for obvious reasons but I must say they are hardly noticeable unless he is under a bright light so it gives me hope
Wouldn't it be nice to see how you look to other haha
So true. When we have acne not only do we scrutinise our own skin, but also other people's, for comparison. I would say - what do you think when you see someone else with scars or acne? Do you think "they're ugly" or any other of the other mean things we think about ourselves? Probably not.
I notice every little detail on other people's faces, purely because of my own insecurities, but generally I look into their eyes. And even if there is an "imperfection" of some sort I don't judge them for it. On the rare occasions I see someone else with acne I feel for their suffering, I'm not repulsed by it, only by my own.
I don't think people generally judge us as harshly as we judge ourselves, or even look in that much detail. If they don't have acne it's not an issue for them so they mostly don't care. Of course you get a few nasty people in life, but that's their nature, and they would find anything to pick on, if it wasn't acne they'd find something else.
Sometimes when I'm feeling self-conscious about my skin and mention to a friend, they say that it doesn't look that bad, or they hadn't noticed (til I pointed it out!) unless I've got a huge pop out cyst. I like to think they're telling the truth, at least some of the time.
When people are attracted to me, I can never figure out why because I feel ugly. I've given up trying to work out what my partner sees in me, I just have to accept and be grateful that he does. We are our own harshest critics, we would be better off treating ourselves like friends!
Friends and family can be annoying though as they don't like to say if it looks bad (them being nice is annoying sometimes!!)
Yeah, my sister keeps saying no one notices. But then when I finally had the guts to ask my boyfriend (infamous for his honesty in all circumstances), he said they are noticeable, even though he doesn't want me to get scar treatments because 'they make me who I am' and he 'likes looking at my pockmarks'. Heh, nice (I was quite upset after this, although it could've been worse). In a way, I would really like to know how other people see my skin and if most of them notice, but at the same time, I'm glad I can't because it might be very daunting.