After Surgery, Skin Susceptible to Scarring from Sun Exposure UConn Health Center Specialists Say Keep It Covered Farmington, Conn . The extremities, the hands, feet and face, are particularly susceptible areas. Collagen, a fibrous protein that is the chief constituent of connective tissue, provides the scaffolding from which the skin repairs itself. But collagen is extremely susceptible to ultra-violet light.
Brief exposure turns it red, in most cases, permanently.
So a healing surgical incision sufficiently exposed to sunlight is apt to turn red, and stay red. In the case of a surgical scar, a one-time exposure can quickly make a significant difference in how noticeable the scar will be. A normal surgical scar takes from 10 days to two weeks to heal. Yet it takes almost a year for the skin around the scar to return to normal. During that time, the skin is susceptible to reddening from ultraviolet light.