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Updated: Jan 26, 2026
07:40
Visualizing Scar Development Using SCAD Assay - An Ex-situ Skin Scarring Assay
Published on: April 28, 2022
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Associations between skin scars and body image - A systematic review and meta-analysis
Whitney L Quong1, Nina Hadžimustafić2, Cornelia M Borkhoff3
1Division of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, The Rotman/Stewart Building, 149 College Street, Suite 508, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1P5, Canada; Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8, Canada.
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|January 24, 2026
Summary
Scar characteristics like size, visibility, and number, along with female gender and psychosocial factors, negatively impact body image. These findings aid clinicians in identifying patients at risk for body image disturbance.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Dermatology
- Medical Sociology
Background:
- Body image is influenced by numerous factors, yet the specific impact of scarring remains under-explored.
- A systematic synthesis of prognostic factors affecting body image in individuals with scars is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze prognostic factors associated with body image outcomes in scar populations.
- To identify person- and scar-specific predictors of body image disturbance.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 67 studies (n=8,307) with prospective registration (PROSPERO).
- Searches across major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science).
- Risk of bias assessed using QUIPS; certainty of evidence rated with GRADE.
Main Results:
- Female gender, increased scar number/size, and scar visibility were linked to poorer body image.
- Psychosocial factors (depression, anxiety, PTSD) also correlated with negative body image outcomes.
- Age showed no consistent association with body image outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Understanding these associations helps clinicians identify at-risk patients for body image disturbance.
- Findings support holistic approaches addressing physical and psychosocial aspects of scar management.
- Cross-sectional nature of studies limits causal inference, highlighting need for longitudinal research.
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