Why would a scar that has been white for YEARS suddenly turn pink like when it was "newer?"

Scott Parker 1212

Scar tissue exposed to sunlight does get pink, even if it has been white. My son has a scar on his cheekbone from a sledding accident that is faint when he is not in the sun, but if he gets outside without sunscreen on a summer day, it will turn pink and stay pink for a few days.

Laura Smith 2366

Perhaps you are gaining weight and the scar is stretching, think of stretch marks which are actual scars, when they are healing they lose pigmentation but when they are stretching they become pink.

Joseph Morgan 2400

Scars can change colors for any number of reasons - and they are mostly temporary. If it is on your hand, position relative to your heart is most likely the reason -hold it over your head and see if it changes again. Scars also do hyper pigment - sun exposure can turn them darker.

I have a feeling that Jim's scar is the same.

Jim Williams 2367

What Jody said..... I was going to mention a scar that I have on my knee that changes color constantly, because of flexing and banging it while working. For example, if I am doing flooring of some sort without knee pads, it becomes irritated and pink/red. If I am just walking around doing the usual stuff it stays almost white......

But Jody's reply sounds much more... informed. :)
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Forgot to mention, this scar is over thirty years old, and still changes.

Jody Mena 2396

The redish hue of a new scar is a product of broken blood vessels and inflammation of the surrounding tissues. Once a scar turns white, it means the wound has healed, but the pigment-producing cells in that section of the dermis have stopped functioning - after nine years, it's not likely they've suddenly started up again.

It is either a minor hematoma or a subdermal irritation of some kind - something that would increase the amount of blood flow to the site. You probably knocked it against something without realizing it, or else irritated the tissue somehow, maybe by overusing that hand (like in typing) or stretching the scar tissue (like if you twisted your wrist a weird way or something). I wouldn't worry about it. Scar tissue is actually tougher than skin because of the built up mass of collagen fibers, so it's not so likely to tear or start bleeding on you.

On the off chance that it does reopen, be sure to keep it clean and dressed, and use some antibiotic ointment on it - if it's irritated and reopened, there's probably a minor infection. If the site gets swollen and hot, go to the doctor to have it looked at - you may need anti-biotics, or even stitches, depending on the size and depth of the original wound, the scar and the new damage. But odds on it's nothing to get upset about.