New Survey Finds That, Despite Having Stretch Marks and Scars, Women of All Ages Maintain Their Ability to Wear Their Skin Proudly!

GREENSBORO, N.C., Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mederma®, the doctor- and pharmacist-recommended brand for stretch marks and scars, today announced the results of the inaugural Wear Your Skin Proudly™ survey, conducted by Harris Interactive®. The survey found that women's happiness and confidence in their own skin is largely attributed to their life experiences and accomplishments, and less so to skin imperfections in the form of scars and stretch marks. However, most women also agree that improving such visual imperfections can go a long way to increasing overall self-confidence.

An impressive 66% of U.S. women report they are generally happy with their physical appearance, with a similar number (65%) saying their skin imperfections have little impact on their self-confidence. And yet, despite those healthy attitudes toward their physical appearance, 42% of those same women acknowledged that their self-confidence would improve if they could reduce the appearance of their skin imperfections

"It is a wonderful thing that women are comfortable with the skin they are in, but increased happiness and self-confidence comes from knowing you can take an active role in self-improvement and feeling better about yourself, like reducing an imperfection," said Marci G. Fox, PhD, a licensed psychologist in Boca Raton, FL and coauthor of Think Confident, Be Confident: A Four-Step Program to Eliminate Doubt and Achieve Lifelong Self-Esteem.

The Wear Your Skin Proudly™ survey also revealed that body confidence increases with age. Nearly half of women (48%) report they are more confident about their body now than they were 10 years ago. Younger women (ages 18-34) are more bothered by their scars and stretch marks, and are more likely to think about their imperfections every day, than older women (ages 55+).

"Older women see themselves in a more holistic way and therefore, tend to appreciate the multitude of qualities that make them unique," said Dr. Fox.

Although the majority of women (54%) believe their imperfections help make them who they are, more than half of those with scars and/or stretch marks (55%) have actively looked for ways to improve them. Methods to improve the appearance of stretch marks and scars include covering them up with clothes, using creams or lotions, and concealing them with makeup. A smaller percentage of women said they have tried, or would try, other measures such as laser treatments, self-tanners, dermabrasion, and/or surgery.

About the Wear Your Skin Proudly™ Survey

The Wear Your Skin Proudly™ survey was commissioned by Merz Pharmaceuticals on behalf of its Mederma® brand to assess how women perceive their skin imperfections and how those imperfections, such as scars and stretch marks, can impact overall body confidence. This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive from October 8-12, 2010, among 1,078 females ages 18 and older.  This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore, no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].

About Mederma®

The Mederma® family of products, including Mederma® Stretch Marks Therapy, Mederma®Scar Gel, Mederma®Scar Cream plus SPF 30, and Mederma® for Kids, has a long tradition of efficacy. The #1 doctor- and pharmacist-recommended brand for scars, Mederma® helps reduce the appearance of scars resulting from surgery, injury, burns, and acne, making them softer, smoother, and less noticeable.  To learn more, visit www.mederma.com and follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Mederma) and Twitter (@MedermaWorks).

About Merz

Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC is part of the Merz Group of companies and was established in 1995 to develop and commercialize products for the Merz Group. Areas of therapeutic focus include Neurology, Dermatology, and Podiatry.

With a 102 year heritage, the Merz Group is known worldwide for its development of original compounds and formulations for medical professionals and consumers in 90 countries. Globally, Merz is a leader in the development of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of neurological and psychological disorders as well as for aesthetic medicine. Global research is concentrated in fields that have a strong need for therapeutic innovation such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, tinnitus, chronic pain conditions, addictions, and neuromuscular disturbances.

SOURCE Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC