Sun Damage Skin

Sun-damaged skin describes premature aging of the skin that might change its appearance or lead to skin cancer due to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays.

There are two types of UV rays that cause sun-damaged skin: UVA and UVB.

UVA rays are the longer waves that activate the skin in an unhealthy way and give you a tan, but they aren’t responsible for the appearance of sunburn. They penetrate the skin deeper than UVB rays and trigger premature aging and skin cancer.

UVB rays, on the other hand, are shorter and responsible for sunburns. However, they can also accelerate early signs of aging. UVB rays are considered the most common cause of skin cancers.

Everyone can have sun-damaged skin when exposed to the sun and other sources of UV rays for too long. However, people with lighter skin tone are more likely to develop severe skin damage because they have less melanin in their skin than dark-skinned people. Melanin provides pigment and natural sun protection to the skin. But aside from your skin tone, there are also other factors that affect your risk of skin damage from UV light. You should be extra careful under the sun if you:

• Have a history of skin cancer
• Are diagnosed with an auto-immune disease like lupus
• Take medications that increase your sensitivity to sunlight
• Are usually indoors but get intense sun exposure now and then
• Have freckles and sunburn before tanning
• Have large or irregular moles

While many medical offices don’t have the capability to treat sun-damaged skin Dermatology & Skin Health provides multiple options for the treatment of prematurely aging skin. These treatments include:

Fraxel® Laser Treatments – Fraxel treatments stimulate your skin’s natural healing process and encourage new collagen production for smoother, healthier skin. With the precision of this cutting-edge technology, we can help you achieve a refreshed look with a reduced appearance of sun damage.

PicoWay® Laser Treatments – Laser therapy using PicoWay® laser devices are effective in treating different skin conditions, including acne scars, uneven skin tone, and sun-damaged skin. Some PicoWay lasers are also used for laser tattoo removal procedures.

Sun damage hurts the skin’s ability to maintain essential components, such as antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, vitamins, ceramides, and important fatty acids. All of these components keep our skin looking youthful and healthy.

In addition to potentially life-threatening skin cancer, the long-term consequences of unprotected sun exposure include wrinkles and fine lines, brown spots, melasma, uneven skin tone, changes in skin texture, and dull, congested skin.

UVA sun damage can be sneaky; often, you won’t feel any pain or discomfort from it, but your skin is being damaged nonetheless. As time passes, skin abnormalities like uneven pigmentation can become more pronounced, and you run the risk of actinic keratoses and eventually, skin cancer.

Chemical peels are a popular acne treatment option that also works for reversing the signs of sun damage on the skin. But since it uses harsh chemical exfoliants to reveal a fresh layer of skin, some patients are at risk of experiencing further irritation. Before trying any type of treatment for sun-damaged skin, make sure to consult a board-certified dermatologist first.

Yes. Using products that already have some SPF content isn’t always enough to protect your skin from sun damage. It’s still better to apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 regularly to make sure you have enough protection from harmful UV rays.

Yes, fresh scars are more likely to develop sunburns than the rest of the skin. When combined with prolonged sun exposure, the healing tissues of the scar may develop post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, causing the surrounding skin of the fresh scar to darken.

Yes, because there are still some remnants of harmful UV rays in the sky even after the sun has set. Make sure to always wear sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to give your skin adequate protection from UV radiation.

Yes. Although some types of clouds limit UV rays that reach the ground, other clouds may reflect that UV radiation to your skin. Make sure to wear sunscreen every time you’re heading out regardless of how the sky looks.