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CION Cancer Clinics
Will the scar fade? What to expect over a year | CION Cancer Clinics
Most surgery scars fade a great deal, but none disappear completely. A scar is usually at its reddest and most raised in the first few months, then slowly turns paler, flatter and softer over about a year, sometimes longer. Your skin, where the scar sits and how the wound healed all make a difference. This page shows what to expect, what helps and when to ask a doctor. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Will a surgery scar fade, and how long does it take?
- How does a scar usually change month by month?
- What affects how your scar will look?
- What actually helps a scar fade?
- Which scar changes are normal, and which need a doctor?
- What do people often believe about scars?
- What if your scar does not fade the way you hoped?
- Common questions about surgical scars fading
The short answer
Will a surgery scar fade, and how long does it take?
Yes, most surgical scars fade a great deal, but they never disappear completely. A scar is usually at its reddest and most raised in the first few months, then slowly turns paler, flatter and softer over about a year, sometimes longer.
Why a scar changes for so long
A healed wound on the surface is still being rebuilt underneath. At first the body lays down a lot of new tissue quickly, with plenty of blood vessels. That is why a young scar looks red, pink or dark and feels firm. Over many months the body remodels that tissue, and the scar settles.
What a mature scar looks like
A settled scar is usually a thin line, flat, soft and close to your skin colour. On lighter skin it often turns pale or silvery. On darker skin it may stay darker or lighter than the surrounding skin.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you how your own scar will end up. Your skin type, age, where the scar is, how the wound healed and any radiotherapy all make a difference. Judge a scar only once it has had time to mature, and ask your surgeon at follow-up if you are worried.
Over a year
How does a scar usually change month by month?
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The first few weeks
The wound closes and the stitches come out or dissolve. The scar is a pink or red line, often a little swollen. It may be tender, itchy or tight.
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The first few months
The scar often looks worse before it looks better. It can become more raised, redder or darker, and feel hard or lumpy. This is the busy rebuilding stage and is expected.
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Around the middle of the year
The colour begins to soften and the scar starts to flatten. Itching and tightness usually ease. Firm lumps under the scar often soften.
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Towards the end of the first year
Many scars are pale, flat and soft by now. Some keep improving for longer, especially large scars or those on darker skin.
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After that
Changes are slow and small. This is when a scar is said to be mature, and when any decision about treating it is usually made.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistWhy scars differ
What affects how your scar will look?
Two people can have the same operation and end up with very different scars. Much of it is outside anyone's control.
Your skin
Darker skin and younger skin are more likely to form thick or raised scars. A family history of keloids, scars that grow beyond the wound, also raises the chance.
Where the scar is
Scars on the chest, shoulders, upper back and over joints are pulled by movement and tend to widen or thicken. Scars on the face and eyelids often heal finely.
How the wound healed
A wound that became infected or opened up usually leaves a wider scar, because it filled in from below.
Also makes a difference
- A drain site or a second operation
- Smoking and poorly controlled diabetes
Treatment after surgery
Radiotherapy to the area can change the colour and texture of the skin and scar for a long time. Your radiotherapy team will give you separate skin care advice.
What you can do
What actually helps a scar fade?
Let it heal first
Do nothing to the scar until the wound is fully closed, with no scabs or fluid, and your team agrees. Do not pick at scabs or pull at stitches.
Keep it out of the sun
Sun on a young scar can darken it for good. Cover it with clothing, or use a high-protection sunscreen, for the whole first year.
Silicone gel or sheets
Silicone products have the most evidence for flattening and softening scars. Ask your team if they suit your scar and when to start.
Gentle massage
Once healed, gently massaging the scar with a plain moisturiser can soften it and ease tightness. Ask the team or physiotherapist to show you how.
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When to ask
Which scar changes are normal, and which need a doctor?
Usually part of normal healing
Worth showing your doctor
Red, raised and itchy in the first months
A scar that keeps growing beyond the edges of the wound
A firm ridge under the scar that slowly softens
A new lump in or under an old scar that had settled
Tightness that eases with movement and time
A scar that stops a joint moving fully
Darker or lighter colour that slowly evens out
Redness, heat, fluid or an open area on the scar
Commonly believed
What do people often believe about scars?
"Applying turmeric or oils early will stop a scar forming."
Nothing stops a scar forming, and pastes on an unhealed wound can cause infection, which makes the scar worse. Wait until the wound is fully closed before putting anything on it.
"An expensive scar cream will make it vanish."
Many creams are sold for scars, including onion extract and vitamin E products. The evidence for most of them is weak. Sun protection, silicone and time do more than most creams.
"A red, raised scar at a few months means it will always look like this."
Most scars look their worst at this stage and then improve. It is too early to judge the final result.
"The surgeon can remove the scar later."
A scar can sometimes be made narrower or less noticeable, but any operation leaves a scar of its own. Revision is usually only discussed once the scar has matured.
If it does not settle
What if your scar does not fade the way you hoped?
Some scars stay thick, raised, dark or tight even after a year. That is not your fault, and it is worth raising at follow-up. There are options, though none of them can make a scar disappear.
Thickened scars and keloids
A thickened scar stays raised but within the line of the wound. A keloid grows beyond it. Both can be itchy or sore. Treatments include silicone, pressure, steroid injections into the scar and, for some, surgery with other treatment afterwards. A dermatologist or plastic surgeon usually advises on these.
Who scar treatments do not suit
Treatments are usually delayed while you are having radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or if the wound has not fully healed. Some are not advised in an area that has had radiotherapy. Your cancer team comes first in deciding the timing.
How you feel about it matters
A scar can be a daily reminder of the cancer, and changes in how your body looks can be hard to accept. It is reasonable to talk about this. Your team can put you in touch with a counsellor if it would help.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about surgical scars fading
How long does it take for a surgery scar to fade?
Most scars fade and flatten gradually over about a year, and some keep improving for longer. The first few months are often the least attractive stage, when the scar is red, raised or dark. It is too early to judge the final look until the scar has had time to mature.
Will the scar ever disappear completely?
No. Once skin has been cut through, it heals with scar tissue, which always looks a little different from normal skin. What usually happens is that the scar becomes a pale, thin, flat line that is much less noticeable. How noticeable depends on your skin and where the scar is.
When can I start putting something on my scar?
Only once the wound is fully closed, with no scabs, gaps or fluid, and your team has agreed. Starting creams, oils or silicone on an unhealed wound can cause infection. Ask at the stitch removal or follow-up visit what you can use and when.
Does silicone gel really work?
Silicone gels and sheets have the best evidence among home treatments for softening and flattening raised scars. They work slowly and need to be used regularly for a long time. They do not suit an open wound or broken skin, so check with your team before you begin.
My scar is getting darker. Is something wrong?
Darkening is common, especially on brown skin and in the first months, and often evens out slowly. Sun makes it worse, so keep the scar covered or protected. Show it to your doctor if it is also growing, lumpy, open or bleeding.
Will radiotherapy affect my scar?
It can. Radiotherapy can make the skin and scar darker, firmer or tighter, and these changes can last. Follow your radiotherapy team's skin care advice during treatment, and avoid scar products on the treated skin unless they say they are suitable.
Can a scar be made smaller later?
Sometimes. A plastic surgeon can revise a wide or tight scar, but this creates a new scar that also has to heal and mature. It is usually only considered once the original scar has settled and your cancer treatment is complete.
Is it normal for an old scar to itch?
Yes, itching is very common while a scar is maturing, and it usually eases. Moisturising the healed scar and gentle massage can help. Try not to scratch. If the scar is also growing beyond the wound edges, ask your doctor to check for a keloid.
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MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
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Dr. Vinay Mamidala
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Sources
- NHS — Scars
- NHS — Keloids
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Surgery
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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