In John Sandford's "Prey" series, detective Lucas Davenport looks scary with a cut that goes from his forehead down his cheek. Bad guys know it's from his tough guy image but the reality is he got it from fishing when a hook went wild and ran down the front of his face. But he doesn't tell anyone that.

I have a prominent scar on my cheek. It's from Mohs surgery. People in my personal life know I'm a combat veteran and used to train BJJ and MMA, so it's always assumed that this scar has some drama associated to it. Even people who knew me before I had Mohs surgery tend to forget. When people ask I play it up a bit but then I let them down with the truth.