I'm not sure how to even go about researching this. What color would old scars be on someone who had green skin, or blue skin, or red skin? Also, would it change depending on if the skin color was a darker shade or a lighter shade...like light green skin would scar lighter than dark green skin?
Old scars on non-human skin colors
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If they're not human, would they scar at all? But I think scars being a paler version of the skin color they are on is a reasonable assumption.
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Well, fresh scars on human skin tend to be pink and fade to white over time. The starting colour of a scar on your aliens will, if they scar in a similar way to humans, start out resembling the colour of the flesh under their skin and then probably fade to the colour of their skin minus whatever compound in their skin produces the colour (ie, with us the melanin produces skin colour, so the lack of melanin in scar tissue results in it being white.)
Of course, that depends on how their bodies scar and why. Possibly, if they're aggressive and mating displays involve violence, scars might heal a bright, contrasting colour to display strength and the number of old battles survived. Or for a race descended from a prey species, they might flood with the same colour-causing compounds of their skin to match the rest of their body becoming invisible, for camouflage. You could even have scars heal by filling the would with temporary ridges of sharp bone, reducing movement but producing a kind of protective exoskeleton that gradually covers more of them, the more they get wounded, to provide temporary protection in hostile environments.
You can have scars behave however you want for the aliens, regardless of skin colour.
Of course, that depends on how their bodies scar and why. Possibly, if they're aggressive and mating displays involve violence, scars might heal a bright, contrasting colour to display strength and the number of old battles survived. Or for a race descended from a prey species, they might flood with the same colour-causing compounds of their skin to match the rest of their body becoming invisible, for camouflage. You could even have scars heal by filling the would with temporary ridges of sharp bone, reducing movement but producing a kind of protective exoskeleton that gradually covers more of them, the more they get wounded, to provide temporary protection in hostile environments.
You can have scars behave however you want for the aliens, regardless of skin colour.
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Assuming they scar like people, the initial scar will be hyperemic due to the flush of blood. So if their blood is red, the initial scar starts out pink. As it matures the fibrous tissue replaces the inflamatory tissue and the color will change to the depigmented normal skin color. In humans that's generally a lighter shade of whatever their skin color is. Scar doesn't contain melanin however microscopically the scar is never straight which is why you can get wisps of pigment encroaching on the edges of scar
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It's an interesting question!
Scars can be so much more than just their color, but I do think "scientifically" old scars would be lighter than the primary skin color if not outright white. The other answer is "You're the writer, you can do do what you want."
Scars can be so much more than just their color, but I do think "scientifically" old scars would be lighter than the primary skin color if not outright white. The other answer is "You're the writer, you can do do what you want."
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What GeorgeK said, but it also depends on the type of scar. Regular scars fade to white. Keloid scars don't always. I have a hypertrophic scar that is still a little pink after nine years (I'm white).
I'm not the expert George is, but I've got two colors of scars on my pasty-white skin--the ones which are paler than I am, the skin's texture oddly smooth and shining in a way that's nearly pearly (that's a badly skinned knee from eight or ten years ago--look where you're going!) and darker lines at surgical incisions which are a deep brownish-pink, matching mucous membranes' tone.
So I'd think if you have mint green or baby blue creatures, their scars might be an even lighter shade of green or blue on broad areas of injury or a substantially darker tone in a line at the edges of severe cuts.
But in the end, it's fiction. Maybe they scar day-glo orange.
Maryn, who'd like to see that
So I'd think if you have mint green or baby blue creatures, their scars might be an even lighter shade of green or blue on broad areas of injury or a substantially darker tone in a line at the edges of severe cuts.
But in the end, it's fiction. Maybe they scar day-glo orange.
Maryn, who'd like to see that
I've been asked by Cath to rephrase the question. BTW, thank you for re-opening the thread.
Basically, I have created a race that is human in all aspects except for skin color. They will scar like humans would. As far as I know, humans with darker skin colors tend to scar darker than their natural skin color and people who are fair tend to scar lighter.
I'm wondering if it would work similarly with people who are blue (or green, or red) if the character is a lighter shade of blue, I'm assuming the old scars would be lighter than their natural skin. And if a darker shade of blue, I was assuming they would scar darker than their normal skin tone.
In the responses, I see that scars don't contain melanin...so they would scar lighter, mostly. That's pretty much what I wanted to know.
Basically, I have created a race that is human in all aspects except for skin color. They will scar like humans would. As far as I know, humans with darker skin colors tend to scar darker than their natural skin color and people who are fair tend to scar lighter.
I'm wondering if it would work similarly with people who are blue (or green, or red) if the character is a lighter shade of blue, I'm assuming the old scars would be lighter than their natural skin. And if a darker shade of blue, I was assuming they would scar darker than their normal skin tone.
In the responses, I see that scars don't contain melanin...so they would scar lighter, mostly. That's pretty much what I wanted to know.
Another thing to consider aside from color is, for lack of a better word, shininess. I have a ton of scars that are the usual lighter variety. I also have a surgical scar on my hand that is almost indistinguishable pigment-wise but has a shiny look to it. I'm sure someone with more knowledge can explain the why and how, but it's something to keep in mind.
Half white here (welsh/scottish/german), other half is native american. My skin coloring I got from my dad's side of the family and I refer to it as "high pink" because I'm very pink! That said I have gobs of scars from either accidents or surgery and they are all darker, leaning towards brownish in tone.
As someone else said I think it'd be way cool for someone who is blue to have bright orange or hot pink scars.
As someone else said I think it'd be way cool for someone who is blue to have bright orange or hot pink scars.
I have poison oak scars on my legs from a bad scratching infection from 10 years ago. I am white and they are dark brown and blotchy.
I also have surgical scars that are still a mix between pale white and pink after many-many years. I also have a pencil stab wound from 5th grade in my neck and to this day its a dark gray spot.
I don't think we can say with clarity that all scars heal to the same color because everyone's system is different and there are other factors.
If you want to see what scars look like on non human characters, you might want to look at creatures such as reptiles, elephants, horses, cows, sharks, whales, etc. May be more in line with what you are looking for...
I also have surgical scars that are still a mix between pale white and pink after many-many years. I also have a pencil stab wound from 5th grade in my neck and to this day its a dark gray spot.
I don't think we can say with clarity that all scars heal to the same color because everyone's system is different and there are other factors.
If you want to see what scars look like on non human characters, you might want to look at creatures such as reptiles, elephants, horses, cows, sharks, whales, etc. May be more in line with what you are looking for...
1) Find an alien
2) Slice them
3) Come back in 20 years and see
Doesn't seem like you put much thought into your research, for such a simple process...
Research option 2:
1) Find a scarred human
2) Put on colored glasses
Jeff
I thought that one way to get ideas on this might be to research actual scars on non-human-colored skin, e.g. amphibians and reptiles. So I did a little googling and came up with some info that is interesting, but doesn't necessarily solve your problem.
Amphibians, it turns out, don't get scars at all, because of a process related to the one that lets them regrow limbs:
http://cen.acs.org/articles/90/web/2012/01/Scarred-Life.html
So, depending on how alien you want your aliens to be, you could have them not get scars at all.
On reptiles, it seems like the most noticeable feature of scars is actually changing the texture of the skin. If you think about it, human scars also have a different texture from normal skin, and you could focus on the texture thing in your descriptions.
Here's a snake with a scar that disrupts the pattern/texture of its scales:
http://www.kingsnake.com/ballpythonguide/scar.jpg
(the scar was apparently made by prey fighting back, so a claw/tooth type wound)
And here's an iguana with some scars that seem to have almost "melted" the scaled texture and left it with smooth patches (veterinarians' diagnosis is burn wounds):
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/gracefuldragons/2-12-06ig_scar_big.jpg
This last one is possibly the most relevant to your question, since it shows that the green iguana's scar patches are lighter in color (almost white). So you could use this as inspiration/justification for making your characters' scars lighter than their skin color.
More pics of the iguana in case you want to use it for inspiration:
http://www.herpcenter.com/green-iguanas/7898-ot-our-iguana-adoption.html
Amphibians, it turns out, don't get scars at all, because of a process related to the one that lets them regrow limbs:
http://cen.acs.org/articles/90/web/2012/01/Scarred-Life.html
So, depending on how alien you want your aliens to be, you could have them not get scars at all.
On reptiles, it seems like the most noticeable feature of scars is actually changing the texture of the skin. If you think about it, human scars also have a different texture from normal skin, and you could focus on the texture thing in your descriptions.
Here's a snake with a scar that disrupts the pattern/texture of its scales:
http://www.kingsnake.com/ballpythonguide/scar.jpg
(the scar was apparently made by prey fighting back, so a claw/tooth type wound)
And here's an iguana with some scars that seem to have almost "melted" the scaled texture and left it with smooth patches (veterinarians' diagnosis is burn wounds):
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/gracefuldragons/2-12-06ig_scar_big.jpg
This last one is possibly the most relevant to your question, since it shows that the green iguana's scar patches are lighter in color (almost white). So you could use this as inspiration/justification for making your characters' scars lighter than their skin color.
More pics of the iguana in case you want to use it for inspiration:
http://www.herpcenter.com/green-iguanas/7898-ot-our-iguana-adoption.html
I'm pretty much as white as they come, and my scars are several shades lighter than my skin, although they were darker for a few years in some cases. I imagine the same would hold if I were pale blue.
Welts from whipping apparently also scar paler than the skin.
Welts from whipping apparently also scar paler than the skin.
In addition to color and texture, keep three-dimensionality in mind. Scars can be raised, sunken, or flat, depending on the sort of wound it was and how it was treated. If the underlying tissue was damaged, the scar might sink down a little, because there's no solid flesh beneath to support it. Edges can be clean or rippled. I believe scars heal differently depending on the location, too. Ones that are on parts of the body that stretch or move must be more elastic, so they don't rip open.
I am Caucasian and extremely pale. For me, new scars are vivid and bright red, a stark contrast with my skin. But as they heal, they fade to pink, then either skin-color or white. To illustrate, I have a 24-year-old appendectomy scar that's the exact color of my skin. It's only noticeable because it ripples slightly at the edges, and because I happen to have a freckle right at the end of the scar, which draws attention there. Otherwise, it would be virtually invisible, other than the rippled skin. I have a round scar on my forehead, no more than ten years old, and it's much paler than my skin. Stands out like a white circle, and for some reason, it's sunken, so it's lower than the rest of my skin. (It's from freezing off a pre-cancerous lesion.) I also have a 26-year-old scar on the top of my foot, caused by a deep scrape. It's almost the same color as my skin, perhaps a little lighter, but it stands out because it's thicker than my normal skin, meaning it's raised instead of flat. No idea why it healed that way.
You have a lot of leeway for variation, here. Like others have said, there's no reason your aliens couldn't heal differently, with different colors or textures. A lot depends on your culture, too. If they're warriors, they might be proud of their scars and want them to be more prominent. Toward this end, they might inject dye into a scar as it heals, to make sure it's vivid. Or they might irritate a healing wound, so the scar will become thicker. If they're more fashion-oriented and body-conscious, scars might be shameful, so they would do whatever they could to minimize their appearance, including covering them with makeup or clothing. Give it some thought and see which direction you want to take it.
I am Caucasian and extremely pale. For me, new scars are vivid and bright red, a stark contrast with my skin. But as they heal, they fade to pink, then either skin-color or white. To illustrate, I have a 24-year-old appendectomy scar that's the exact color of my skin. It's only noticeable because it ripples slightly at the edges, and because I happen to have a freckle right at the end of the scar, which draws attention there. Otherwise, it would be virtually invisible, other than the rippled skin. I have a round scar on my forehead, no more than ten years old, and it's much paler than my skin. Stands out like a white circle, and for some reason, it's sunken, so it's lower than the rest of my skin. (It's from freezing off a pre-cancerous lesion.) I also have a 26-year-old scar on the top of my foot, caused by a deep scrape. It's almost the same color as my skin, perhaps a little lighter, but it stands out because it's thicker than my normal skin, meaning it's raised instead of flat. No idea why it healed that way.
You have a lot of leeway for variation, here. Like others have said, there's no reason your aliens couldn't heal differently, with different colors or textures. A lot depends on your culture, too. If they're warriors, they might be proud of their scars and want them to be more prominent. Toward this end, they might inject dye into a scar as it heals, to make sure it's vivid. Or they might irritate a healing wound, so the scar will become thicker. If they're more fashion-oriented and body-conscious, scars might be shameful, so they would do whatever they could to minimize their appearance, including covering them with makeup or clothing. Give it some thought and see which direction you want to take it.