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On the first months up to 8 months it is best that you avoid the sun altogether, less you tan the surgicla scar and then it stays dark forever, that area is more suseptible to tan and sun burns and could cause some complications if not careful .
Hello! Thank you for your question! After any surgical procedure, you should be careful with incisions as well as avoidance of direct UVA and UVB rays in order to lessen the chance for hyperpigmentation of the skin and scars, which can take several months to resolve, if it ever does. The ability of the affected area to heal has been slowed and you should try to avoid additional swelling to the area. The area will likely be numb for several weeks to months and will be difficult to feel when sunburn is coming on. Typical recommendations include wearing a hat and/or sunblock to the affected area for at least 6-12 weeks following the procedure. It takes up to one year for scars to fully mature. You should also avoid trauma to the area for several months to protect the refinements made during the procedure. Also, avoidance of pools/lakes/jacuzzis/etc for 4-6 weeks is usually recommended to allow adequate healing and protection from stagnant water, that could potentially harbor bacteria. Lifting/exercise restrictions are common for at least 7 weeks. Certainly discuss the postoperative instructions with your surgeon, as thoughts differ among surgeons. Hope that this helps! Best wishes!
You should really avoid tanning so soon after your tummy tuck. It generally takes up to a year or so for incisions to heal into mature scars. Once properly healed scars tend to become thin silvery lines. If you have to tan one month after your surgery please cover up all your incision lines with clothing.
All scars have a tendency to become darker if they are exposed to UV light if it occurs while healing. Applying sunscreen over the scar is not 100% effective and will give you a band of pale skin in a darker and tanned body making the scar even more noticeable. The question is for how long? Rather that giving an arbitrary time framework, I go with biology. As long as the scar is healing and therefore red or pink it is sensitive to UV light so it needs to be protected.
Tanning, particularly in a tanning bed, can result in a more noticeable scar. Often scars will become dark (hyperpigmented) and this may persist for some time. We often forget that tanning involves ultraviolet radiation and this can effect all areas of our skin but especially healing wounds. The heat associated with tanning can also burn skin of the abdomen after tummy tuck due to changes in blood supply that results with elevating the tummy skin. My recommendation to my patients is to avoid tanning scars for 4-6 months. Completely covering scars with high SPF clothing is fine, as long as it is not black (which becomes hot in the sun.)
