If you have scars and you use a tanning bed, protecting them is not just about keeping them from looking odd against tanned skin. It is about preventing a specific type of damage — one that can permanently alter how a scar looks, with no easy way to reverse it.

UV exposure from tanning beds can cause permanent discolouration in scar tissue, particularly scars that are still healing. The risk is highest in the first 12 months after a scar forms, and tanning beds are significantly more intense than natural sunlight.

Below we cover exactly why scars need protection, how different types of scar behave differently under UV, and the best ways to protect them — so you can still use a tanning bed while keeping your skin in the best possible condition.

Key Takeaways

UV radiation causes hyperpigmentation in scar tissue that can be permanent — the scar darkens faster than surrounding skin and does not fade back.
Tanning beds emit UV radiation 10–15 times more intense than natural direct sunlight, making them especially risky for scars.
New and healing scars (under 12 months old) are most vulnerable. Dermatologists recommend full UV protection for at least the first 12 months of scar development.
Mature pale or white scars contain little active melanocyte activity — they rarely tan to match surrounding skin and often look more noticeable after tanning, not less.
The three protection methods are: high-SPF sunscreen (SPF 50+), opaque tanning stickers or adhesive covers, and UV-blocking clothing over the area.
If your goal is to make a scar less visible, spray tan is a far safer option than UV tanning — it colours the surrounding skin without UV exposure to the scar itself.
Always consult your GP or dermatologist if you are unsure whether your scar is healed enough to be exposed to any UV.

Why UV Exposure Is Especially Risky for Scars

Normal skin tans when UV radiation stimulates melanocytes — the cells responsible for producing melanin — to increase pigment output as a protective response. In healthy, undamaged skin, this process is reasonably consistent and the tan fades as the skin regenerates.

Scar tissue does not work the same way.

How Scar Tissue Responds Differently to UV

During the healing process, scar tissue contains immature and structurally disrupted melanocytes. When UV radiation hits these cells, they react unpredictably — often producing melanin at a far higher rate than the surrounding skin, and without the even distribution that healthy skin maintains. The result is hyperpigmentation: dark, uneven discolouration concentrated in the scar that stands out more prominently against the tanned surrounding skin, rather than blending in.

In new and healing scars, this hyperpigmentation can become permanent. Unlike a regular tan, which fades as the skin cycles through its normal cell renewal process, UV-induced hyperpigmentation in scar tissue is deposited into deeper layers of the skin and does not fade once established. What would have settled into a faint pale line can become a visibly dark, discoloured mark that remains indefinitely.

UV rays also break down collagen — the structural protein that scar tissue is largely made of. This can interfere with the scar’s healing trajectory, potentially making it thinner, weaker, or more irregular in texture than it would otherwise become.

Tanning Beds Are More Intense Than Natural Sunlight

It is worth being specific about intensity. Tanning beds are not simply an indoor version of lying in the sun. They emit UV radiation at concentrations estimated to be 10 to 15 times more intense than natural direct sunlight. For already-vulnerable scar tissue, this level of UV exposure significantly increases the risk of triggering the hyperpigmentation response described above — and doing so more rapidly and severely than outdoor sun exposure would.

This is not a reason to avoid tanning beds entirely, but it is why scar protection during a tanning session requires more than a passing thought.

New Scars vs Mature Scars: Very Different Risk Levels

Not all scars carry the same level of risk under UV exposure. Understanding where your scar sits in its healing timeline changes what approach is appropriate.

New and Healing Scars (Under 12 Months)

A scar is still actively healing for far longer than most people realise. The visible surface may have closed within weeks of an injury or surgery, but the underlying tissue continues to remodel for 12 months or more. During this entire window, the melanocytes in the scar remain immature and reactive.

Dermatologists consistently advise full UV protection for a minimum of 12 weeks post-injury, and ideally for 6–12 months for surgical scars. For tanning bed use specifically, the higher UV intensity means erring toward the longer end of that range is wise. A scar that looks healed on the surface may not have finished the deeper cellular repair process that determines its final pigmentation.

For new scars, the safest approach is full opaque coverage — either a tanning sticker or UV-blocking clothing — rather than relying on SPF alone. No sunscreen blocks 100% of UV radiation, and the margin for error with healing scar tissue is narrow.

Mature and Settled Scars

A mature scar — typically one that is white, pale, or silverish and has been stable for over a year — has reduced melanocyte activity. These scars are less likely to develop the acute hyperpigmentation reaction that healing scars face, but they carry their own challenge: they rarely tan in any meaningful way.

Mature scar tissue often contains so few active melanocytes that UV exposure produces little or no colour change in the scar itself, while the surrounding skin tans normally. The result is increased contrast — the scar looks lighter and more visible against darker tanned skin, the opposite of what most people hope for.

For raised or keloid-type scars, UV exposure can also stimulate further collagen activity, which may worsen the scar’s appearance over time.

Even for mature scars, applying SPF 50 to the scar area and avoiding deliberate UV exposure directly on the scar remains the safest approach. If some UV does reach a mature scar, the consequences are typically less severe than with a healing scar — but the cosmetic outcome (a more visible scar, not less) is rarely what people want.

How to Protect Scars in a Tanning Bed

There are three practical methods for protecting scars during a tanning session. The right choice depends on the scar’s age, location, and size.

SPF 50+ Sunscreen on the Scar Area

For mature scars where some limited UV exposure is acceptable, applying a broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen directly to the scar area is the minimum protection. Apply it at least 15–20 minutes before entering the tanning bed to allow it to absorb properly. Reapply if you have multiple sessions or a longer session.

Use SPF 50, not SPF 30 — for a scar, the extra filtration matters. SPF 30 allows approximately 3.3% of UV through; SPF 50 reduces that to 2%. In a tanning bed operating at 10–15 times natural sunlight intensity, even that difference is meaningful. For guidance on how SPF products interact with tanning, see our article on whether you can wear sunscreen in a tanning bed.

SPF alone is not sufficient protection for new or healing scars. Reserve this method for settled, mature scars where you are making an informed decision to allow partial UV exposure.

Tanning Stickers and Opaque Adhesive Covers

Tanning stickers are the most effective barrier for localised scar protection. They are small, self-adhesive patches — originally designed to leave a deliberate tan line pattern — that block UV almost completely when applied flat and securely over the scar. They come in various shapes and sizes, making them suitable for differently shaped scars.

Apply the sticker directly over the scar before entering the tanning bed, ensuring the edges are pressed flat with no gaps. Remove carefully after the session. This method is particularly useful for smaller or more isolated scars. It has the side effect of leaving the scar untanned while the surrounding skin develops colour, which may or may not be desirable depending on the scar’s location.

If tanning stickers are not practical for the scar’s shape or location, a medical-grade adhesive dressing or an opaque plaster provides similar protection.

UV-Blocking Clothing and Physical Coverage

For larger scarred areas, or scars on the torso or limbs, wearing a piece of UV-protective clothing over the area is the most reliable protection. UV-protective clothing rated UPF 50+ blocks over 98% of UV radiation — more effectively than sunscreen alone.

For areas where clothing is not practical (the face, neck, or shoulders), a folded towel placed directly over the scar offers a degree of physical blockage, though it is less reliable than a properly fitted sticker or clothing. Our article on whether a towel blocks UV rays explains how effective this method actually is.

Will Tanning Help a Scar Blend In?

This is the question most people are really asking — and the honest answer is that for most scar types, it does not work the way people hope.

The intuitive logic is that a darker overall skin tone will make a scar less noticeable. In practice:

Pale/white mature scars tend to stay pale while surrounding skin darkens, increasing contrast and making the scar more visible.
Hyperpigmented or dark scars will darken further under UV, deepening the discolouration rather than evening it out.
New or healing scars react unpredictably and are at highest risk of permanent discolouration.

In short, UV tanning rarely improves the appearance of scars cosmetically, and often worsens it. The better approach for reducing scar visibility through skin tone is a spray tan — which adds colour to the surrounding skin without any UV exposure to the scar itself.

Spray Tan as a Safer Option Around Scars

A DHA-based spray tan works by reacting with dead skin cells in the outermost skin layer. Because scar tissue — particularly mature scar tissue — has a different cell composition, it may absorb DHA slightly differently than surrounding skin. But the key advantage is that there is no UV radiation involved, which eliminates the hyperpigmentation risk entirely.

For people who want to reduce the visibility of a scar through a more even overall skin tone, spray tan is the significantly safer route. The surrounding skin gains colour, the contrast between scar and skin often reduces, and the scar itself is not subjected to the UV exposure that drives the most serious long-term concerns. For more detail on how self-tanning products interact with scar-adjacent skin, our guide on whether spray tan covers stretch marks covers related territory.

For those committed to UV tanning, the tanning bed vs spray tan decision is worth revisiting — our spray tan vs tanning bed comparison breaks down the full picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do scars need to be protected in a tanning bed?

Yes — particularly for scars that are still healing (under 12 months old). Tanning bed UV radiation is 10–15 times more intense than natural sunlight and can trigger permanent hyperpigmentation in scar tissue. Even mature scars benefit from protection, as they rarely tan to match surrounding skin and often become more visible against a tan rather than less. At minimum, apply SPF 50 to the scar area; for new or sensitive scars, use an opaque cover such as a tanning sticker or UV-protective clothing.

How long until you can tan over a scar?

Dermatologists generally recommend a minimum of 12 weeks after a scar has fully closed before any UV exposure, and 6–12 months for surgical scars. Even after this window, full protection (SPF 50 or opaque coverage) during tanning bed use is advisable, as scar tissue continues to be more UV-reactive than surrounding skin for an extended period. If your scar is still red, raised, or sensitive, it is not ready for UV exposure.

Will tanning beds make scars worse?

They can, yes — particularly for healing scars. UV radiation stimulates irregular melanin production in scar tissue, causing the scar to darken unevenly in a way that may be permanent. UV also breaks down collagen, which can impair the scar’s natural healing process and affect its final texture and strength. Overexposure to UV is the most common way people inadvertently worsen the long-term appearance of a scar.

Do scars tan in a tanning bed?

It depends on the scar type. New and healing scars can darken dramatically and unevenly — more so than the surrounding skin — which is what makes UV protection so important. Mature pale or white scars contain little active melanocyte activity and often do not tan at all, while the surrounding skin darkens normally. This typically makes the scar more visible against tanned skin, not less. Hyperpigmented or dark scars tend to darken further rather than blend in.

Does tanning help fade scars?

No. UV tanning does not fade scars and is more likely to deepen discolouration than reduce it. The only scars that can benefit in any way from UV are certain types of hypopigmented scars under very specific controlled clinical conditions — not tanning bed sessions. For most people, tanning worsens the visible contrast between scar and surrounding skin. If you want to reduce the appearance of a scar, speak to a dermatologist about treatment options such as silicone gel sheets, topical agents, or laser therapy.

Can I use self-tanner on a scar?

Generally yes, once the scar has fully healed and is no longer tender or broken. DHA-based self-tanners carry no UV risk and are safe to apply over mature scarred skin. Results may be slightly uneven compared to surrounding skin due to the different cell composition of scar tissue, so doing a patch test first is worth the extra step. Self-tanner is a much safer option than UV tanning for reducing the contrast between a scar and surrounding skin.

The Bottom Line

Scars and tanning beds are a combination that requires real care — not because tanning with scars is impossible, but because the consequences of getting it wrong are permanent in a way that most people do not anticipate. UV-induced hyperpigmentation in scar tissue does not fade with time. A scar that would have settled into a barely-visible pale line can be permanently altered into a visibly dark mark by repeated unprotected UV exposure.

For any scar under 12 months old, the guidance is clear: full opaque protection every session, without exception. For mature scars, SPF 50 is the minimum, and understanding that tanning is unlikely to make the scar blend in — and may make it more visible — helps set realistic expectations.

If blending a scar into surrounding skin tone is the goal, a spray tan applied to the surrounding area is a significantly safer route to that result than UV exposure on the scar itself.

References

American Academy of Dermatology. Scar treatments: What can reduce the appearance of scars.
The AAD’s guidance on scar care includes recommendations for sun protection during scar healing, noting that UV exposure can cause permanent discolouration of scar tissue and that broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher should be applied to scars exposed to the sun.
Levine JA et al. Indoor tanning: Evidence surrounding advertised health claims. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2021.
Reviews the evidence base for tanning bed health claims, confirming that indoor UV devices emit primarily UVA radiation at intensities significantly higher than natural sunlight, with documented risks of skin damage including DNA mutation and accelerated photoageing.
Cancer Research UK. How does the sun and UV cause cancer?
Explains the mechanisms by which UV radiation damages skin cell DNA and drives melanoma risk, providing context for why high-intensity UV sources such as tanning beds carry elevated risk, particularly for already-compromised tissue such as scars.