I have been a nudist for a long time. However, things changed after my open heart surgery. I no longer seemed to have the same body. I gained weight. Got a scar the length of my chest.
It's been a struggle accepting this new body and scars. It wasn't easy to look in the mirror and see the changes. It still isn't. I got man boobs from the pre surgery steroids.
Now I don't go truly naked. I usually "Donald Duck" it. Wearing a t-shirt gives me the confidence to be naked. It's funny. I don't care about some one seeing my dick, but do care if they see the scars. The questions about my scars make it difficult not to feel embarrassed.
Am I perfect? No.
Am I ok with not having that perfect body? No, but I get better everyday. I am thankful to be alive and know that my scars are my history and my present.
Self acceptance is never easy.
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- PU
Feb 25, 2019I do understand, many scars here both outside and in but all makes up who I am. Maybe what I am going to share with you may be of some help to you. In our resort alone we have several women, including our owner who have had breast cancer and the surgeries and scars from this. We also have one of our older members who has gone through heart surgery and as well the scars that looks like road maps on his chest. He carries many scars but again makes him who he is. We are nudist and there are no judgements. One member who on the outside looks like someone who is a weight lifter. I found out last year when he was sharing with a few of us here that he also has had heart surgery were they had to go into his chest after a near death car accident and move his heart back into place where it should be. All of these people some like me long time nudist, a couple not so long. I have never heard anybody approach them asking questions of what happened, and most of the time People don't even notice unless it's pointed out. Being a nudist to me is not about what a person looks like on the outside and being comfortable in our own skin and with who we are. When I invite people to come visit one of the things that I always will say is there are no Barbies and Kens here just real people.
ReactReply - AW
Feb 25, 2019Personally I don't have scars, so I don't know how it must feel.
My body is slightly overweight, so I guess that isn't really a problem.
What I do have is the wrong genitals by being a woman in a man's body. I am a Transsexual Woman.
I accept myself and I'm happy, but had received much rejection, laughter and pity from others, so I hide my body from view.
After learning nudists claim to accept everybody for who they are and not how they look I joined this site to see if I could find friendship, together with becoming a "direct source" for those who may have questions about who we Transsexuals really are.
So far I've found very nice people here, and that allows me to proudly show my body without fear of rejection.
Real nudists are awesome people!ReactReply - AL
Feb 25, 2019Your question is a good one, a topic for extensive examination of definitions and philosophies. Your answer to your question "Am I perfect" is highly debatable. In the West we have unfortunately devolved to very shallow notions of perfection--idealized body in this case. Yours is a body that works, congrats. I have been musing on this very topic as I face a course of medical treatment that may result in some disfigurement. I can grow or not. In your case I hope you can appreciate your body as it is, and enjoy it nude. I've noticed that after an initial jolt at something like a scar on a nude person, I look past it the same way I got over the jolt of looking at nude bodies in general when I first became a social nudist.
ReactReply - MEMemberFeb 26, 2019Wow I think there are some REALLY GOOD observations - points of view on this thread. One's that I haven't considered too. I am reminded that we can't always see the scars a person bares - some are emotional and not physical in nature. For me, I do like the notion that scars and my journey helps tell my story. Perhaps a story that has good and bad in it, but for me - it's how you choose to deal with it in the end.
Among my fellow nudists, in general, I have found an outpouring of friendship and acceptance. My experience has been that those people accept me period - end of story. That nasty "self acceptance" isn't always easy, but having your nudist friends accept you unconditionally - that teaches me to like "me" and I do. All of the posts on this so far, remind me - nudists are good people! Compassionate, understanding, and accepting souls.
And for me, what I have always thought about perfection in terms of myself, I am IMPERFECTLY PERFECT!ReactReply - MEMemberFeb 26, 2019
I too have had heart surgery and have a scar from it. While it was healing and all red, I was self conscious about it but after it healed I came to terms with it. The scar is part of who I am. Everyone has something that wish they can improve. As for me, there would be a few things on the list before the scar.
ReactReply - NA
Feb 26, 2019I make up stories about my scars, bar fights, knife fights, gun fights, jealous spouses (mine and theirs), motorcycle wrecks. Just make up something to make you and them laugh.
ReactReply - MEMemberFeb 27, 2019
My wife and I both belong to the zipper club. Neither of us is concerned about it. It's actually quite a common sight at resorts in our age group.
ReactReply - NE
Feb 27, 2019I too belong to the zipper club, have man boobs and not much to show any place else, but other than on here from fax nudist, I have never had any negative comments. Only one time did anyone comment on my zipper and that was from another man that just said, welcome to the club.
ReactReply - NU
Mar 15, 2020As we get older, our bodies change. Worse is that as we get older we quite often have medical issues and injury that change us forever. When I was in the army I had a well toned body but after I retired, despite vigilance on my part, old scars and injuries seemed to become more visible. Then I had two open-heart surgeries, and those long scars did change my body. No matter what I did, my waste-line grew for the first time in my life. And then I had to use a cane which I often tried to hide in photos. So I cannot do anything about my looks but keep on going and people just have to accept me as I am.
ReactReply - MA
May 13, 2020Hello... I do not have a perfect body either... But I have been a nudist since 1993 and I like it...
Would you like to chat with cameras?
Take care... MaxReactReply - MEMemberMay 16, 2020
Hello friends. I'm not sure that physical perfection exists in this world, but if it does I am certainly not an example. Body consciousness or self-image is a complex subject . Whatever someone's feelings may be , they aren't right or wrong, and may change over time. As for me, I have 7 surgical scars and don't care who has an opinion on them. I'm just grateful that good docs have made it possible for me to participate and enjoy nudism.
ReactReply - CI
Jan 11, 2021I had a hernia operation nearly 10 years ago and have a scar on my tummy area, it probably doesn't really stand out that much but I'm very aware of it.
I like to see people who are different in alsorts of ways - just makes us even more human, we all have different things going on in our lives.
All part of the journeyReactReply - NUJan 11, 2021
You are correct, the hernia scar will just about disappear in time. I have had 3 hernia surgeries over the last 50 years and I cannot find any scars, now I will have another one shortly. And I keep my pubic area shaved so the new one will stand out for a while. I have also had heart surgery and later a pacemaker installed. I was fortunate, the heart surgery scar down the center of my chest has become barely noticeable even with me keeping that area shaved. I have other scars from old military injuries that are quite visible. At first I was concerned about how others would perceive me but in all the years I have never had another nudist comment about the many scars on my body. We look at the person, not at their body.
ReactReply - AR
Jan 12, 2021As they say, nobody's perfect. We come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, scars, and disabilities. We are who we are....battle scars and all. My hernia scars are barely noticeable, but what I sometimes feel self-conscious about is my third nipple. It took a long time for me to take my shirt of when I was a kid. Then when we moved to AZ (a much bigger place that where we came from in Iowa), I was around more people and realized we all have our "issues". Usually those "issues" or only in our own minds......that's what we really need to work on. For me, it's still a work in progress, but discussions like these, and just being around many people, helps us realize.....nobody has a perfect body.
ReactReply - MEMemberMar 28, 2021
Thank you for posting this. I have never had the 'perfect body' but I was usually comfortable enough in my own skin. That is until I underwent cancer surgery and ended up with scars from my sternum down to my pubic bone. You wrote "The questions about my scars make it difficult not to feel embarrassed" really hit home. Some people were quite rude with their comments about my scars and made me feel very uncomfortable. I would then 'Donald Duck' it when around other nudists that I did not know well. I have recently had some reconstructive cosmetic surgery to improve the scarring. I am hoping this will improve my confidence in my body again. Thanks for letting me know that I am not the only one to experience this.
ReactReply - XO
Mar 30, 2021I am an amputee. I go to nudist beaches and I don't have any problem or embarrasment. It's just life and it's just me.
ReactReply - TH
Mar 31, 2021I'm a summation of a lot of imperfections which make me the PERFECT WHOLE! What would you say to two tiny extra nipples from birth/ Add to that a scar right down my back from an operation for a slipped disc. Another unsightly scar on my left ankle for a twice torn Achilles tendon and one more on my hand from surgery on a fractured radius and ulna. And now a scarred navel from a stud that didn't go well with my sensitive skin! I don't bother about these things and therefore no one actually notices or comments. :)Its one's whole persona that attracts attention and not just bits and pieces!
ReactReply - ME
Apr 5, 2021Like beauty -- it's in the eye of the beholder.
I get lots of compliments about my body. I just see an old fat guy. I'm not ashamed. I accept my body as it is -- though I'd like there to be less belly. But I don't see anything all that attractive about it. I do have all my parts and pieces. But I certainly no GQ man.
The point is, there are people who think I have a great body. I think they're nuts, but it is in the eye of the beholder.
ReactReply - NE
Nov 18, 2024I completely understand! I'm 2 years post op from heart surgery and my sternum scar really messed with my mind and my self image. I hadn't been a social nudist up to that point and just nude around home. But I had read about how nudism helps with body image. I decided to plan a trip to the closest nudist resort on a couple of weekdays so there wouldn't be as many people there. My husband and I spent 2 full days and not one person even mentioned my scar! That visit did so much for me and my attitude. I was afraid that people would see the scar first and then me, like I was attached to the scar instead of the other way and I didn't want pity especially since I was all better. No, I'm not perfect but this is the new me and I like me better now after my "initiation" into social nudism.
ReactReply - NENov 18, 2024
I completely understand! I'm 2 years post op from heart surgery and my sternum scar really messed with my mind and my self image. I hadn't been a social nudist up to that point and just nude around home. But I had read about how nudism helps with body image. I decided to plan a trip to the closest nudist resort on a couple of weekdays so there wouldn't be as many people there. My husband and I spent 2 full days and not one person even mentioned my scar! That visit did so much for me and my attitude. I was afraid that people would see the scar first and then me, like I was attached to the scar instead of the other way and I didn't want pity especially since I was all better. No, I'm not perfect but this is the new me and I like me better now after my "initiation" into social nudism.
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