QUESTION: Can you go back to the solarium five weeks after abdominal surgery?
ANSWER: “Even if the healing of a wound is going well, it is better not to use the sunbed in the first months after surgery † The wound should not be exposed to UV rays until the red color has completely disappeared. That will certainly not be the case after five weeks.
Wound healing is a complicated process that has several stages. Five weeks after surgery, the remodeling phase in progress. During this period, the wound changes into a tissue with strong bundles, which provide strength and protection.
At the end of that phase there is wound contraction (contraction), making the wound narrower. For both medical and cosmetic reasons, it is in your best interest to let this process run undisturbed. Too much heat or UV radiation creates risks that you should avoid.
Usually you can three months after surgery back under the sun.”
Peter Velthuis, dermatologist, www.velthuiskliniek.nl
