How to Protect Your Skin from Sun Damage: Prevent, Treat, Heal
The sun has a lot of power. It can give you that perfect tan and beautiful bronze glow, but it can also damage your skin if you are not careful. Sun exposure is the number one cause of premature aging in the skin, wrinkles, and age spots. In this blog post, we will discuss everything you need to know to make your summer skincare regimen sun damage-proof! From prevention to treatment methods.
What Happens When We Get Sunburned?
Sunburns happen when your skin is exposed to UVB rays from the sun. Let's break it down: Melanin (the pigment in our skin that gives us its color) when you are exposed to UV light, your body makes more of the pigment (melanin). It makes a tan so that it can protect your skin from sunburn. But if you are exposed to too much UV light, then it will burn your skin.
The result of ultraviolet radiation is damage to our cells and DNA. This damage can lead to skin cancer.
The symptoms of a mild burn are redness, pain, swelling, heat, and peeling skin on the burned area. Severe sunburn is characterized by…
Skin that is sensitive to touch
Pain and tenderness
redness, and swelling
fluid-filled blisters
Headache, fever, nausea, or fatigue
How to Treat A Sunburn
Many know that sunburns are unpleasant. However, in the chance that you do get a sunburn, you must take action ASAP. Here is a simple step-by-step to treat sunburn at home:
Apply cool compresses or cold packs (wrapped in a damp towel) for 15-30 minutes each hour as needed. Do not apply ice directly on the skin because this will cause more damage and is dangerous if left too long.
Take ibuprofen for the pain and inflammation. (Don’t take aspirin because it can cause a rebound effect.)
Avoid hot baths or showers, which will increase your skin temperature. Instead, use cool water and pat dry with towels to help lower body temperature from inside out.
Apply topical ointments containing aloe vera gel to soothe itchiness and fight off infection.
OTC medication such as antihistamine pills or diphenhydramine capsules will relieve any itching you may have.
Can Sun Damage Be Reversed?
The results of sun damage can grace us with freckles and golden tan skin. Still, as for the not-so-sightly results, treatments abound for repairing the damage done by UV radiation:
Laser Genesis
Laser Genesis is a procedure that combines laser and radio-wave technology to address the signs of aging, such as wrinkles or sun damage. This procedure uses microdermabrasion treatment with an added step of light therapy. The microdermabrasion removes skin cells from the surface layer, while infrared energy stimulates collagen production for smoother skin and reduced lines.
The patient experiences no downtime after this surgery due to rapid recovery rates (less than ten minutes). Laser Genesis can be repeated every six months for optimal results at home but should not be performed more often than twice per year because excessive treatments may cause thinning of the dermis over time.
Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL)
Intense Pulsed Light Therapy is a treatment that uses beams of light to remove sun damage, wrinkles, and large pores from the skin. The treatment targets the darker pigmentation in the uppermost layer of skin by using high-intensity pulses targeting only those areas for faster healing with minimal downtime (less than ten minutes). Ideal for our clients with busy schedules! This technique improves texture and tone while restoring elasticity. IPL can be repeated every four months or so for optimal results at home but should not be performed more often because excessive treatments may cause thinning of the dermis over time.
Microneedling With Radiofrequency (RF)
Microneedling with RF is a treatment that stimulates and rejuvenates the skin by creating microscopic channels in the dermis. The procedure is performed with a handheld device that resembles a pen, which has many tiny needles on its surface. Radiofrequency waves are then applied to heat the tissues underneath the top layer of skin. This helps promote collagen production for more elasticity and a better overall appearance.
Microneedling can be used to treat sun-damaged skin due to its ability to penetrate deep into layers of tissue below the surface, where wrinkles form or signs of aging start appearing.
The treatment uses radiofrequency technology, which heats cells near problem areas such as enlarged pores or age spots without damaging surrounding tissue.
Within weeks after this procedure, you will notice an improvement in the appearance of your skin.
Protecting Your Skin From The Sun
While some measure of sun damage is inevitable when we spend time outdoors each day, there are plenty of things that you can do to protect your skin, and our team of professionals is happy to help if damage does occur.
Prevention tips:
-Wear sun hats and sunglasses.
- Try to spend most of the day in areas with shade and avoid being exposed to direct sunlight for long periods.
-Avoid being in the sun between 11-1 pm when it's at its peak.
-Use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Apply one ounce to the skin 30 minutes before going out in the sun, every two hours when outside, and again after swimming or sweating heavily.
-Choose sun friendly swimwear (sun protection can be cute too)
There is no shortage of fun to be had this summer! However, before planning your summer activities, we encourage you to ensure your skin is well protected.
At The Art of Aesthetics MedSpa, we offer two great lines of products - IS Clinical and Colorscience - formulated with ingredients proven to protect skin from harmful UV rays while also helping improve the skin’s hydration levels.
Here’s to a fun summer and healthy, glowing skin!