How to Repair Sun-Damaged Skin?
Sun damage doesn’t discriminate. Young people should be just as cautious about sun damage as older folks. Too much exposure to the sun can cause minimal to extreme damage depending on your skin, ethnicity and how much exposure your skin has received. Not wearing protective sunscreen is the leading cause for sun damage because people don’t exactly think about it when they’re going out for the day. We tend to think of needing sunscreen when we’re going to be somewhere super sunny like the beach or going for a hike in the dessert. Realistically, though, we should be putting sunscreen on daily even if its a light layer especially on the face since it is a rarely covered up part of the body.
What Is Sun Damage?
Photoaging is the correct medical term for sun damaged skin as it accelerates the look and feel of aging skin. Sun damage isn’t just a layer of skin that becomes damaged over time damage actually builds up. There are multiple layers of skin that is penetrated by sunrays. The longer you’re in the sunlight the deeper the damage in your skin goes. Not only does overexposure to the sun’s strong rays damage your skin it elevates your risk for skin cancer.
What Are The Side Effects Of Sun Damaged Skin?
There are a lot of early signs that can signal that your skin has damaged caused by the sun. Pre-mature wrinkles are on of the biggest signs of sun damage. If you’re younger than fifty and suddenly seeing an onslaught of deep wrinkles changes are your skin has been sun damaged. Sunburn is another clear sign of damage and though most sunburns heal without much of an issue other than pain for a few days, sunburns are still a type of sun damage that can cause issues down the line if repeated.
Uneven skin tone is another big sign of sun damage. If your skin is lighter in some spots and very obviously darker in the other that is a clear sign that you’ve been lacking on protecting your skin from harmful UV rays. Age spots on your face and hands are dark brown spots that appear in large clusters. Since sun damaged skin results in early aging the abrupt appearance of sun spots is another way sun damage appears on your skin. Skin cancer is the most dangerous side affect of sun damaged skin. If you suddenly have a patch of skin or mole that was not there a few weeks ago make sure to call your doctor for a biopsy.
Is It Repairable?
Yes! There are different ways to repair sun damaged skin. Some natural and some that require a dermatologist or surgeon. Every person’s skin is different so there is a good chance you’ll have to try out a variation of things to see what works best for you. Depending on how deep the damage is it may be better for you to pair up with your doctor or a dermatologist in order to get the right treatment down so you’re not wasting time or money. Invest in good sunscreen or foundation that has sunscreen within the blend itself. This way you’ll stop any more damage from occurring as sun damaged skin is more sensitive than non-damaged skin.
Topical Treatment
Retinoid oils and creams help skin cells renew themselves which aids in the disappearance of winkles, discoloration and sun spots. And, new skin cells have more elasticity which aids in reversing the look of pre-mature aging due to sag or hollowness of the skin. Topicals that include vitamin C and antioxidants are a good pair to use with retinoids as these will slow skins degeneration. Protecting renewed skin cells will help the affects of the Retinoids last longer. Exfoliants are another way to shed the dead damaged skin cells in order to help regrowth happen quicker. Sun damage slows down cell regrowth, combating this affect is another method to ensure what you’re doing lasts longer than just a few days or weeks.
Discoloration is a major factor in sun damaged skin. Repairing the color itself can be a bit tricky but lightening agents are great to use on darker parts of damaged skin. Using these with Retinoid can deeply diminish the existence of dark spots. They’re a great duo to use on your face. Topical, lightweight and meant for delicate skin these two should be your go to if your target area is the dark spots on your face.
Semi-Surgical Treatments
Laser treatments and therapies can be used on sun damaged skin. There are varying degrees of lasers and it’s best to speak with your dermatologist to see what the best one for you would be. Light-based lasers are great for removing dark spots and broken blood vessels where creams cannot penetrate as deeply. Fractioned non-ablative lasers break the skin apart in little sections, like tiny cuts, which then allows fresh skin to heal with more elasticity and less sun damage. Ablative lasers completely destroy and remove the first layer of skin and should only be used for extreme pigmentation , discoloration and wrinkles. Recovery time is much more intense and the treatment itself can be painful.
Other Chemicals
Chemical peels sound scary but they’re actually a very common practice used to treat sun damaged skin. These should only be applied by a trained and licensed dermatologist. These peels have a varying depth depending on the type of damage attempting to be reversed, and are either a one time treatment or done in a series.
Sun damaged skin can be a real hit on your self esteem. No one wants to show signs of aging let alone prematurely. Taking care of your skin can get thrown on the back burner but the sun’s harmful UV rays are always going to be an issue. Take preventative measures with sunscreen and speak to a dermatologist about your sun damaged skin if necessary. There are many ways to repair sun damage on your skin. Try a few and see what works best
