Cosmetic Question: Why is it important to protect new scars from the sun?
Cosmetic Answer:
The sun can have adverse effects on new scars in 3 ways:
- The sun disrupts collagen in the skin. This will make a scar thinner and wider.
- The sun causes damage to the veins in our skin. Therefore, red scars that have have lots of tiny veins while they are healing, must be protected from the sun. If not, the veins may not disappear and the scar may widen.
- Hyperpigmentation or darkening of a scar can occur if overexposed to the sun. We want patients who tend to have brownish scars to protect it from the sun or the brown will not fade and may even get darker. This is because the UV rays of the sun will increase the activity of the melanocytes, cells that produce color in the skin.
The easiest way to protect scars from the sun is to apply a zinc oxide/titanium dioxide sun block over any recent scars that are going to be exposed to sunlight. The sun block should be applied consistently from spring through fall.
Since the sun can reach scars that are even covered by clothing, especially white and light colored clothes, it is a good idea to apply the sun block under your clothes. This is very important if you go to the beach or on a cruise where you will be in the sun for hours at a time.