Why Is Everyone So Obsessed With Carrie Underwood's "Scars"?

It's been a full week since Carrie Underwood made her much-awaited public appearance at the ACM Awards. The country singer's powerhouse performance of "Cry Pretty," her hit emotional ballad about vulnerability, left no doubt that she was back, baby.

Underwood's six-month hiatus from public life as a result of a "freak accident" that injured her face produced countless articles for every update and photo the singer posted, especially after revealing her uncertainty about ever looking the same again. With an injury as serious as hers, the healing process takes weeks and months. It must have also affected just how much Underwood could sing or move the area around the cut. Because of that, she spent months promoting on "The Champion," her hit with Ludacris, without singing one single note in public.

The frenzy around Underwood finally debuting the side of her face we haven't seen in months has everything to do with her loyal fan base, who genuinely care about Underwood's well being. But there's also some part of the public (read: trolls) that has an insatiable curiosity to find out what, exactly, happened to the singer — and what she looks like after 40 to 50 stitches. It's the same instinct that makes us rubberneck at an accident on the road and it's also why some took to social media to protest that Underwood didn't look injured enough (a ludicrous complaint).

Now that she's back, the craze for every update and photo of Underwood's scar should abate, and we can all instead concentrate on her career comeback. Click through to see a comprehensive timeline of Underwood's healing process and her triumphant return to the stage.