Why Scars Change Color as They Heal

What your scar's color is telling you

You may have a scar that looked angry red for months, then turned brown, or one that healed lighter than the rest of your skin. Color is often the first thing people notice about a scar, and it can change a lot in the first year.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) describes how a typical flat scar behaves. When it first appears, it tends to be pink to reddish and slightly raised, and it may itch or hurt. As the skin keeps healing, the scar flattens and changes color. In time, many flat scars end up close to your natural skin color, though some stay a little paler or a little darker.

The AAD says the cause of the wound, how deep it went, where it is on your body and how you cared for it all shape the result. Your genes, age, skin color and medicines matter too. This guide explains what each color usually means. How creams, peels and lasers compare for dark marks is covered in hyperpigmentation creams vs. laser.

Pink, red or purple: blood vessels at work

Redness in a scar comes mostly from what is happening under the surface. A chapter in the NIH-hosted Textbook on Scar Management names inflammation and the growth of new blood vessels as major reasons scars look red. Early on, that extra blood flow is part of normal healing.

That redness usually fades on its own. A clinical review in Dermatology Research and Practice, drawing on a study of scar redness in volunteers, reports that the redness of a scar fades after about 7 months. It adds that after the first month, this redness does not reflect inflammation the way redness elsewhere in the body does. In other words, a pink scar in the first months is usually part of normal healing, not a sign of trouble.

The same review says a scar's maturing process is complete after about 1 year on average, and that scars in people under 30 tend to mature more slowly than scars in people over 55. Stretch marks follow a similar arc: the AAD says early stretch marks are often red, purple or dark brown, and they lighten to white or silver as they mature. A red scar that is thick and raised may be a different problem, covered on the hypertrophic scar page.

Brown or dark: extra pigment after inflammation

A brown, gray or dark mark is a pigment change, not redness. The AAD explains that skin can make extra melanin, the substance that gives skin its color, after a pimple clears or a bite, cut or burn heals. The medical name is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, often shortened to PIH. The AAD notes that people with medium to dark skin tones get these dark spots more easily.

How long it lasts depends on how deep the pigment sits. The AAD says that once the cause is found and stopped, a spot a few shades darker than your natural skin usually fades within 6 to 12 months. Pigment that sits deep in the skin often looks slate blue to gray, or a much darker brown, and fading can take years. Your Fitzpatrick skin type helps a provider judge your risk.

Treatment can speed up fading, according to the AAD. Laser Eraser's hyperpigmentation treatment page describes how the practice approaches dark marks, and the guide linked above compares your options side by side.

White or pale: less pigment than the skin around it

Some scars heal lighter than the skin around them. The AAD lists paler skin as one normal way a flat scar can settle, and mature stretch marks often look white or silver. The plain-language name for lighter skin is hypopigmentation.

A 2023 review in the Journal of Clinical Medicine describes lighter patches that follow inflammation or injury as common and more noticeable in skin of color. The proposed reasons include pigment cells making less melanin, pigment not reaching the upper skin, or pigment cells being lost. The review notes that most of these lighter patches improve over time, though some last.

Treatments that fade dark marks work by reducing extra pigment, so they are not designed to add color back. If a pale scar bothers you, a provider can look at it and tell you honestly whether it is likely to change.

Habits that help scar color settle

You cannot rush a scar's healing, but a few habits from the AAD can help it settle with less discoloration:

• Keep a fresh wound clean and moist. Gently wash with mild soap and water, use petroleum jelly and cover it with a bandage you change daily.
• Use sunscreen once the wound has healed. The AAD says sun protection may reduce red or brown discoloration and help the scar fade faster. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and reapply often.
• Skip tanning beds. The AAD notes that tanning beds raise the risk of skin cancer, which can sometimes develop in a scar, and recommends sunscreen whenever clothing does not cover a scar.
• Treat the cause of dark marks. If acne or eczema keeps flaring, new dark spots keep forming, so getting the skin condition under control comes first.
• Give it time. Redness and many brown marks fade over months, so early color is not a final verdict.

When scar color is a reason to see a doctor

Some color changes need a medical visit before any cosmetic treatment. The AAD says that if you see a scar on your skin and do not remember injuring it, you should see a dermatologist right away, because skin cancer can look like a scar. A wound that is deep, very painful or looks infected needs prompt medical care.

If your scar is still new, the question may be timing rather than color. The guide is your scar ready for treatment covers how long scars usually take to settle. When you are ready, a licensed medical provider at a free consultation can look at the color, texture and type of your scar and tell you which of the scar treatments Laser Eraser offers might fit. The complete laser scar removal guide explains the practice's approach in more depth.