Sun damaged skin needs TLC. Lots.
There are so many reasons to take care of our sun-damaged skin. Our skin is your protection from the environment, it prevents the loss of water, damage by solar energy, penetration of noxious chemicals and infection by microorganisms, and virus.
How do you recognize skin damaged skin? No need to do any hard work: any skin surface that is ever exposed to the sun is sun-damaged. Exceptions? None. It is true that dark-skinned people have some more protection given to them by some extra melanin, but that’s it: some extra protection. Not total indemnity!
To understand more about the damage that UV inflicts on the skin, compare the skin of your arms with that of areas protected all the time by clothing.
What are the symptoms of sun damage? Depends on the person but let’s start counting
1) Thinner or thicker skin, depending on the area of the body and the extent of the damage.
2) Wrinkles, thin or very thick like in elastosis
3) Changes in skin color: yellowing, loss of pigmentation, hyperpigmentation
4) changes in skin sensitivity. Your skin may sting or itch or plain hurt when exposed to heat or some liquids or, when the damage is extensive, all the time!
5) benign tumors (seborrheic keratoses) and malignant tumors (melanoma)
Remember: sun-damaged skin is UV damaged skin, but other environmental factors that elicit the formation of ROS (reactive oxygen species) will cause similar effects. One example: tobacco smoking, which also causes distinctive wrinkles around the mouth.
Whoever sells you easy remedies for this array of symptoms is lying to you. There are no easy remedies for damage that has accumulated during decades. But there are actives that can help (please see below for some Skin Actives products that contain those actives).
One important caveat: don’t mistake a quick removal of a thick layer of the epidermis with removing skin damage. Removing the epidermis with abrasives will only expose even more fragile layers of skin. You can use exfoliation but as a part of a long term process, compensated by the use of skin renewal ingredients like EGF.
Look for these products from Skin Actives. They will help prevent UV damage and repair it.
Sunscreen SPF 30 Advanced Protection
UV Repair Booster Kit
UV Repair Cream
Collagen Serum with ROS BioNet and Apocynin
Also, remember that repairing your skin during the winter months will help you cope better with the Summer when it comes.
Claims on this page have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease.