Sun & new scars??

I had  brachioplasty in April & was wondering if you had been advised by your plastic surgeon to stay OUT of the sun for the first year following surgery, for fear the scars would tan a different color than the rest of you??? I have an appt w/my surgeon on June 14th but am just curious as to what my fellow ps folks advise?? :-) Thanks!!

I was told the same thing.  I'm not certain but I believe sun exposure can have an overall affect on the final pigmentation.  I'm not taking an unnecessary chances.  I had a scar revision to an old scar on my right shoulder blade which turned out to have been a keloid.  I'm not going out with it exposed without sunscreen on it followed up by a piece of silicone tape, just to be safe.

Terri

Thanks, Terri! I appreciate your imput....best wishes to you!

Most doctors will tell you to stay away from sun exposure after surgery. Sun will definitely darken the scars and will most likely take even longer to fade as it does affect the skin pigmentation. I don't know about you but I want these darn scars to fade as quickly as possible! They take long enough to fade on their own without exposure anway. Now I did have to get out in the sun one day for a field trip with my son at a waterpark and I put SPF 50 on my scars and reapplied several times. I also made sure I kept my arms as close to my sides as possible which helped keep them from being exposed. That along with staying in the shade as much as possible kept them from getting sunburned.

 I have a friend who had open heart surgery years ago, big vertical scar down her chest. Months after surgery, she went to the beach, forgetting the advice to stay out of the sun. About 1 inch of her scar was visible above the line of her bathing suit. She showed me the difference in the scar, many months later. The rest of the scar had faded to a white line. The part that was sun exposed - one day at the beach - was a dark red and thicker looking. 

So be careful! When I get my surgery, I am going to put tape over my scars for the 1st yr when I am out in the sun, even if I look ridiculous!