Celebs Who Bared Their Physical Scars For A Good Cause

Seeing celebrities show off their scars can be incredibly affirming. In 2022, a OnePoll and Mederma survey found that 28% of 2,000 respondents felt insecure about surgery scars, but 38% of them felt more confident after hearing stories from others with scars. With a renewed focus on body positivity in the 2020s, many celebrities are reminding the public that scars can be a beautiful reminder of resilience, not something to cover up. There are plenty of famous faces taking a stand.

Former "Modern Family" star Sarah Hyland has regularly uploaded candid photos of the scars on her torso. "Scars are scars. They are little tally marks of what you've been through as a human being," she told Self in 2018, referencing the lasting marks her kidney surgeries had on her body. And she's certainly not the only one that feels that way.

Olivia Munn bared her breast cancer scars in an October 2024 ad campaign for Kim Kardashian's Skims shapewear line. The partnership, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, gave some money from sales to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. In a post on Instagram, Munn explained she made the decision to bare all about halfway through the shoot.

"I decided I was done being insecure about my mastectomy scars. Every mark life has left behind on my body is proof of how hard I fought," she wrote. "I hope other women who have been self-conscious about their scars see these photos and feel all the love I'm sending," the actor added. And they did, as survivors flooded Munn's comments section. "I avoid the mirror after I shower, but you are inspiring me to think differently," one person wrote. "For all the scar girlies thank you," another commented.

Munn's scars were the result of several surgeries following her 2023 diagnosis of bilateral breast cancer, including a lymph node dissection, a nipple delay procedure, and double mastectomy. She later underwent breast reconstruction.

Members of the British royal family aren't known for social media candidness, but Princess Eugenie bucked that trend in 2020 with a post for International Scoliosis Awareness Day. She shared an Instagram photo of her scoliosis scar that ran from the bottom of her neck down her spine. "I just wanted to share my scar and encourage anyone out there who's gone through something similar to share theirs with me," she captioned the upload. "Let's be proud of our scars!"

Plenty of royal watchers shared their thanks in the comments section, including an Instagram user who wrote, "I come back to this photo all the time ... you are genuinely such an inspiration of self love and compassion. Genuinely one of the reasons I am confident showing my scar."

Four years later, for Scoliosis Awareness Month, Eugenie thanked her mom Sarah Ferguson on Instagram for ensuring she never felt self-conscious. "She removed all the stigma around having scoliosis for me by confidently showing people what I'd been through and it took all the fear and anxiety out of being different at such a young age," Eugenie wrote.

Former "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Teddi Mellencamp shared several candid scar updates after she was diagnosed with melanoma. In January 2024, she posted an Instagram selfie showing a large post-surgery mark on her back. "Some atypical areas, but no melanoma," her oncologist shared, according to the post. Mellencamp also encouraged others to get their skin checked. "I absolutely will be diligent with my 3 month checkups. Please be the same with your skin checks," she wrote.

Eight months later, the reality star shared another Instagram update that showed how her scar had started to heal and again encouraged her followers to take their health seriously. Mellencamp wrote that hearing about fans getting checked because of her updates helped her through tough times. "Thank you for your love and support, but also thank you for being an advocate for yourself and your health," she wrote, announcing she would emcee a 2024 Cure Melanoma Gala. "Any time I can use my voice to raise awareness, I will."

Ariel Winter exposed the scars from her breast reduction surgery at the 2016 SAG Awards. The former "Modern Family" actor explained her decision on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing, "Guys there is a reason I didn't make an effort to cover up my scars! They are part of me and I'm not ashamed of them at all." Winter opted for a strapless black dress with a low back that revealed the end of the incision marks under her arms.

Winter didn't hide her surgery or the aftermath, partially in an effort to eliminate the stigma, she told People. "It's important to talk about it because there are young girls suffering like I did, but there shouldn't be a stigma about it," she said. 

Selena Gomez got candid about her kidney transplant scar in 2020 while wearing a blue swimsuit on Instagram. "When I got my kidney transplant, I remember it being very difficult at first showing my scar. I didn't want it to be in photos, so I wore things that would cover it up," she wrote, in part. The results of her surgery could be seen on her inner thigh as she confidently posed with her leg to the side. Gomez, who's taken body shamers to task multiple times, wrote she'd learned to feel more comfortable with her body. Her post was also a promotion of La'Mariette, a swimwear brand created to be inclusive of all shapes and sizes and tackle swimsuit anxiety.

"Never hide something so amazing. Look at you," one person commented on Gomez's gorgeous photo. "Scars are stories, evidence of a life well lived. Flex that s**t girl!!!" another fan wrote.