Sun Damaged Skin
Soaking up the sun can feel wonderful—especially after a long and cold West Michigan winter! However, there is a fine line between healthy and unhealthy sun exposure.
Sun Damaged Skin
Most people can really only tolerate a small amount of sunlight before burning becomes imminent. UVA radiation can damage the skin in less than one minute in certain circumstances. Repeated overexposure to these harmful rays is the main culprit behind a host of skin issues like wrinkles, fine lines, sagging, uneven tone, lost elasticity, dark spots, light spots and even cancer.
How to Care for Sun-Damaged Skin
It is possible to improve the visible signs of sun-damaged skin, but results can vary based on how extensive the damage is. In some cases, it can take years for it to reveal itself. If you’ve ever had a tan, your skin has been wounded by the sun! Even if your skin is relatively flawless you should still assume that sun damage is lurking below the surface. It’s important that you take the sun seriously, no matter your age or how your skin looks.
Topical Products for Prevention, Correction and Protection
Younger skin tends to heal itself faster due to more efficient cell turnover, which is why it looks better. However, you are never too young to start protecting your skin from the sun. Your first line of defense against sun-damaged skin lies in these three key topical products:
- Sunscreen: Acts as a shield to prevent the sun’s rays from penetrating your skin. We recommend that you apply a non-chemical, broad-spectrum SPF30 or higher daily. You should reapply every 80 minutes, especially on days when you are out in the direct sun.
- Retinol Cream: Moves out dead skin cells to make room for new healthier cells. These creams are considered the “gold standard” for preventing and correcting the visible signs of sun-damaged skin. The powerful molecules in these creams act as an essential micronutrient that activates epithelial cell turnover, allowing for healthy new skin cells to form.
- Antioxidant Serum: Contains robust anti-inflammatory nutrients that help to counteract the oxidative stress that causes cell damage, inflammation and the subsequent visible changes in the skin. They support new collagen synthesis, even skin tone and healthy cell structure.
There are also other topical products formulated to target more extensive visible sun damage. These products often contain potent combinations of vital nutrients that support overall cell health and can be used in conjunction with sunscreens, retinols and antioxidant serums.
Procedures for Sun-Damaged Skin
Almost every single treatment and procedure we offer at the Centre for Pure Skin relates to sun-damaged skin. As a part of a plastic surgery group, most of what we do is centered around cosmetically treating visible skin issues—around 90% of which are caused by the sun. Here is a list of a few of our most common treatments and procedures for sun-damaged skin:
- Facial Injections: Can be used to cosmetically correct the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and lost facial volume that results from sun damage. The results are temporary but can be very noticeable. Popular treatments include neurotoxins like Botox® or Dysport® that work to soften lines and wrinkles where repetitive muscle movement occurs. Dermal fillers like Restylane® are used to contour and plump areas of the face where the skin’s structure has deteriorated.
- Chemical Peels: Works to slough off layers of sun-damaged skin cells to make room for new healthier cells. They range from very superficial to medium depth and can be customized to specifically target issues like sun spots. They can also be used as an effective preventative measure.
- Light Therapy: IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) therapy seeks out cells with darkened melanocytes and triggers their death so that they can move to the surface and slough off.
- Lasers: We offer a variety of laser procedures that are designed to target specific visible signs of sun damage such as dark spots, wrinkles, fine lines and skin laxity.
- Microneedling: Creates controlled microscopic pinpoints that help cells to heal in a more orderly fashion. This procedure targets all the visible signs of sun damage and can also serve as a powerful preventative tool.
Patient Review
“Annie is wonderful! She is a very skilled provider. Pure Skin is the best. I absolutely love my results. Highly recommend.”* -Pure Skin Patient, Annie Zimmerman
“Madeline is awesome! I love my HydraFacials. Madeline does an amazing job.”* -Pure Skin Patient, Madeline Jewell
“Annie is knowledgeable about injectables. She always addresses my questions. [Single best thing is…] I am very excited about the new program to pay monthly."* -Pure Skin Patient, Annie Zimmerman
Need More Help?
Healthy, pure skin is a vital component of beautiful skin. While we are medical professionals that are trained in how to support the health of your skin, we do not aim to replace a visit to your dermatologist. You should still have your skin checked yearly for more serious sun damage such as skin cancer in a dermatology clinic.
However, if you’d like to tackle the troublesome signs of visible sun damage we here are for you! Contact us or call 616-454-1256 to schedule your initial consultation now.
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