Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why do scars often begin red and raised before fading?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Close-up of a person holding a child's hand with scabs on the fingers, gently cleaning the wounds with gauze. — wound Injuries that break skin can be painfully memorable.

Scars often appear red and raised during the initial stages of healing due to the formation of granulation tissue.1

When a wound undergoes repair, the body creates a delicate, vascularized framework of connective tissue to bridge the damaged area. This tissue is rich in new blood vessels, which provide the necessary blood circulation for the healing process and give the area a reddish, granular appearance. Additionally, specialized cells called fibroblasts migrate to the site and produce collagen, a fibrous protein that imparts mechanical strength to the developing tissue.12

As the healing progresses, the density of these blood vessels decreases, and the collagen fibers become more organized and densely packed. Over time, this maturation process causes the scar to lose its initial redness and height, eventually becoming paler and flatter than the surrounding skin.13