Years of sun exposure can have a damaging effect on your skin. Although the answer may be obvious, it’s not something you tend to think about until after you reach a more mature age. What causes sun damage? What is sun damage? Is it preventable? And is it reversible?
What causes sun damage?
Although it feels lovely to soak up the warmth and light of the sun, being exposed too much to its ultraviolet ( UV) light will cause your skin premature ageing, wrinkles, discolouration, dry skin and may be even skin cancer.
Too much sun exposure can cause the following sun damage:
- Dry skin– Once the sun has depleted your skin of its essential oils and moisture, the skin will look dry and flaky. Also it’ll present sings of premature ageing by triggering wrinkles to appear.
- Sunburn – The injury that occurs directly after the skin is burned by the sun’s uv rays. As a result your skin will appear red, painful, in some cases may blister as well. Consequently leaving your skin unprotected will increase the chance of getting pigmentation. And worst of all skin cancer.
- Changes to your collagen’s structure – This refers to premature ageing of the skin caused by sun exposure ( photoaging). In photoaging, the skin develops wrinkles and fine lines because of changes in the collagen in the deep layers of the skin.
How can you prevent sun damage?
- Apply a sunscreen before you go outside. Choose a water-resistant sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or above. with a broad spectrum of protection against both UV-A and UV-B rays. They protect your skin by creating a shield that forces the UV rays of the sun to bounce back off the skin completely. Sun protection is without a doubt the most important step for long term cancer and wrinkle protection.
- Limit the time you spend outside, especially during the peak hours. If unavoidable try and wear long clothing and a hat with a wide brim.
- Wear sunglasses with UV light protection.
- Be aware that some medicines and skin care products can increase your skin’s risk of UV damage. These include certain antibiotics, prescription medicines. And also certain nonprescription skin care products containing alpha-hydroxy acids can make your skin more vulnerable to damage from sunlight.
To learn more about your skin and how to prevent sun damage why not visit us at our Oxford Street clinic, in Central London? My Expert team will start with a thorough assessment of your skin.
How to book an appointment?
As the first step of your skin journey at Skin Perfection, you will be invited to attend a no obligations consultation. This will give you the opportunity to get a good understanding of your skin.
Following your assessment a personalised treatment plan will be recommended to address your skin concerns. During your first meeting you’ll receive all the information and knowledge you’ll need to keep your skin healthy.
