Sun Damage: Prevention and Treatment
It was a hot and muggy summer this year. Did you remember to protect your skin from sun damage?
We live in a society that loves the sun and that bronze-y glow associated with tanning, but beware: live life as a sunworshipper and you’ll pay the price for it with your skin!
Wrinkles, ptosis, pigmentation irregularities, and spots – the signs of aging are all too inevitable. However, while some are caused by gravity and your genes (intrinsic) and are out of your control, others are caused by the environment (extrinsic), and most specifically, the sun. Every person has the ability to control the level of extrinsic aging that occurs to them.
In other words, many signs of aging can result from and worsen with frequent sun damage.
So what can you do?
Well, first off, it’s all about prevention. Protect your skin from the sun! Sounds pretty simple, huh? All you have to do is slather on the sunscreen, allowing about 20 minutes for it to absorb into your skin before venturing outside, and reapply every 2 hours or less if sweating heavily or swimming. Don’t forget to cover up, as well, by wearing a hat and staying in the shade.
Now, for treatment, there are several options. Please note that many of these treatments are not compatible with frequent sun exposure. For example, we specifically instruct clients to stay out of the sun if they undergo laser skin treatment, since the skin is quite vulnerable following treatment.
Degradation of the epidermis and dermis, the two upper layers of the skin, combined with reduced moisture content and filaggrin is what causes skin to thin, loose, wrinkled and become blotchy. While treatment cannot reverse the aging process, it can improve the appearance of aged skin by smoothing out the complexion and achieving a more uniform tone. Here are the noninvasive cosmetic skin care treatments available at Dermaworks that are specially designed for symptoms of sun damage:
Injectable Fillers
A tired and old appearance is often attributed to a loss of volume in facial contours. Injectable fillers such as Juvederm can fill out contours to reclaim a more youthful look.
BOTOX® Cosmetic
Squinting to protect the eyes from the sun’s glare can cause serious wrinkles and lines around the eyes. BOTOX® Cosmetic smooths out these dynamic wrinkles. Also it is excellent for the frown lines and forehead lines.
Laser Skin Treatment
Best for treating finer lines, acne and lesions, Laser Skin Treatment can achieve a smoother complexion and healthy glow.
Fractional CO2 Laser Resurfacing
DOT Therapy with Fractional CO2 Laser Resurfacing can rejuvenate the skin by targeting wrinkles, pigmentation irregularities, scarring resulting from acne. The skin will be tighter and have more collagen. It is the gold standard for skin resurfacing. Downtime can be from minimal to up to 10 days depending on settings used and degree of change needed.
Vibradermabrasion / Microdermabrasion
Vibradermabrasion / Microdermabrasion gently exfoliates the skin, removing the uppermost layers. This gives the skin an healthy glow and smooth texture.
Facial Mesotherapy
The diminished hyaluronic acid levels in our skin leads to dry, thin, fragile skin that looks aged. Facial Mesotherapy replenishes moisture levels thereby achieving more suppleness and volume.
But don’t be totally sun-phobic! A little sun exposure is actually good for us, making up for about 90% of the Vitamin D we need to remain healthy. Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, as a deficiency has been scientifically linked to the development of osteoporosis as it helps the body absorb calcium. Just don’t go overboard with it! Also 1000 I.U. of vitamin D orally will have you covered.
