It is enough for a minute of inattention, a place of sliding towel, a cloud that moves away, and it’s too late : The scar that you thought you forgot has just turned into caramel. Tanning and recent injuries rarely go hand in handand summer can quickly become the scene of indelible brown spots.
Why the scars are flooding badly (and often remain marked)
A scar is not like any other skin. Weakeneddisorganized, it does not produce melanin in a normal way. Result: when the surrounding bronze skin, it remains pale … or worse, it reacts by producing anarchic hyperpigmentation.
Some areas saw dark red, others with deep brown, and the differences in shade become all the more marked over the days. And unlike a classic sunburn, this type of pigmentation does not disappear in September.
Vulnerability duration On a scar depends on many factors: its depth, age, location, but also your phototype. In some cases, you have to wait up to 2 years Before a scar is “mature” and therefore less sensitive to the sun.
Do not protect it, expose it to the hottest hours or apply an unsuitable product are among the worst mistakes to avoid.
The 5 golden rules to sunbathe without damaging its scars
Not everyone spends the summer locked up, and the holidays do not wait for cellular regeneration. But it is possible to sunbathe intelligently, even with visible scars. Here are the 5 reflexes to adopt systematically:
- Systematically cover the scar With a dressing, a sparadrap or a garment. Nothing beats physical protection.
- Apply a total SPF 50+ screen in the morningand renew it every two hours. Ideally, use a special scar solar stick.
- Avoid exposure between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.when UVs are the most aggressive.
- Avoid any exposure in the first weeks After an injury or an operation: wait at least 1 to 2 months depending on the scar.
- Do not scratch or exfoliate the scar before or after exhibition : this weakens the area even more.
- Classic solar protections are often insufficient : A scar requires specific treatment, in the same way as a dermatological treatment.
Should the sun completely banish in the event of a recent scar?
It is not necessarily a condemnation in the shade. But it’s a matter of rigor. Because the real danger is the repeated, even short exhibition. A 10 -minute walk without protection may be enough to activate the pigment process.
People who have undergone aesthetic interventions (such as open rhinoplasty, cesarean or deep peel) are most at risk, because their skin is already in an inflammatory process. In this case, prudence is essential, even under a veiled sky.
Today there are suitable solutions : Sticks invisible to UV dressings, including healing sprays with solar filter. The most important thing is to understand that each exhibition counts. And in terms of scars, the memory of the sun is much more tenacious than yours.
