Does sunlight make scars worse?

Some people infer that getting some additional color from the sun would actually help their scars blend in and/or fade away. On the contrary, too much sun exposure can actually cause further discoloration in scars, and scar tissue is more susceptible to sun damage than the rest of your skin.

Can sun exposure help scars?

Sun exposure not only affects a scar’s appearance, but also how quickly your tissue heals. “After two or three months, the scar starts to look fairly normal, but if you get burned it can really throw the scar back into the first two stages of healing,” he says. Scar massage helps prevent adhesion.

Does the sun lighten or darken scars?

UV light can darken scars in all skin types, so sun avoidance is a must to prevent further darkening. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every time you go outdoors, or wear clothing over your scars.

Should you massage a scar?

Do not massage until your incision has fully healed and is a scar (not just a wound or scab). If you massage your scar prematurely you could cause it to reopen or tear, leading to an infection. Do not massage a scar until at least 2 weeks after a surgery or injury.

What to put on scars to heal?

Topical treatments, such as vitamin E, cocoa butter cream, silicone gel,onion extract products, and several commercial skin care products like Vaseline and Aquaphor that are sold over the counter may be somewhat effective in helping to heal scars.

Can you tan a scar?

And because scars take 12 months to fully heal, you’ll be best off avoiding sun exposure on your incision lines for a full 12 months (or longer) to maximise the fading processes of your incision line scars. So tanning after surgery and before your scars have fully settled is a NO-NO.

Can I tan my scars?

So tanning after surgery and before your scars have fully settled is a NO-NO. Prolonged sun exposure and tanning may also permanently darken a scar, making it worse; especially in people with melanin-rich, darker skin complexions.

What helps scars heal faster?

Keep the wound moist. Apply petroleum jelly to the wound and cover it with a non-stick bandage. This can speed healing and minimize scarring, says Krant.

What heals scars fast?

To help the injured skin heal, use petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist. Petroleum jelly prevents the wound from drying out and forming a scab; wounds with scabs take longer to heal. This will also help prevent a scar from getting too large, deep or itchy.

How to naturally reduce the appearance of scars?

Lotions and potions. Some oils and creams are believed to reduce the appearance of scarring, and they can help keep skin nourished. Scars need time to heal, so if a scar is fresh, using a cream is a good start. “People who have had moles removed often use vitamin E creams or Bio-Oil, for example,” says Dr Reid.

How does the sun affect healing scars?

How sun affects scarring. As the Virginia Mason Medical Center explains, scars are highly sensitive to sunlight. As such, this sensitive tissue can sunburn much more quickly than healthy skin. People in the process of recovery should be careful to avoid sun exposure at the affected area for the first year after the wound is inflicted.

What happens to scars in the Sun?

When scars are exposed to the sun early on in the maturation process (the first 3-6 months) they may become pigmented as a result of the UV radiation in sunlight. Avoidance of sun exposure to scars is the best way to prevent hyperpigmentation.

Do scars go away when you Tan?

If you tan, your normal skin tissues will get darker-or pinkish if it does not produce enough melanin. On the other hand, your scar tissues will not get tanned. As a result, the skin around the scars will be much tanner than the scars itself, causing even more prominent, visible scars, rather than fading it.