How to Treat and Repair Sun Damaged Skin

Do you have sun-damaged skin?

Every time you go outdoors without sun protection or use a tanning bed, ultraviolet (UV) light damages your skin. With time, this damage builds up and you see changes to your skin, which can make you look years older than you naturally would.

These changes include:

• Wrinkles

• Age spots

• Loose skin

• Spider veins

• Blotchy or ruddy complexion

If you use tanning beds, you’ll notice these changes quickly — often in a few years. Some people who use tanning beds see signs within a year or even sooner.

The medical term for these changes is “photoaging.” You may also hear the terms “premature aging” or “sun-damaged skin.”

While much of the damage can be permanent it is possible that treatment can reduce signs of sun damage that are making you look older.

To treat signs of aging we often use more than one type of treatment. This helps to treat the different signs of aging. It also helps to give you a natural and healthy appearance, so you don’t look like you’ve had “work done.”

The following table lists the different types of treatments that dermatologists and medical spas use to reduce signs of sun-damaged skin.

• Wrinkles

  • Moisturizer to immediately plump up fine lines

  • Retinol skincare products

  • Injectable fillers and botox

  • Chemical peel

  • Microdermabrasion

  • Radiofrequency skin tightening

• Age spots

  • Retinol skincare products

  • Vitamin C skincare products

  • IPL Photofacials

  • Microdermabrasion

  • Chemical peel

  • Microneedling

• Loose skin

  • Retinol skincare products

  • Fillers to restore lost volume

  • Radiofrequency (tightens skin)

  • Growth factors and peptides you apply to your skin

  • Microneedling

• Blotchy or ruddy complexion

  • Retinol skincare products

  • Microdermabrasion

  • Intense-pulsed light

  • Vitamin C skincare products

  • IPL Photofacials

SUN PROTECTION IS ALSO ESSENTIAL

Although treatment can reduce signs of aging on your skin, you’ll also need to start protecting your skin from the sun. Without protection from harmful UV rays, you may:

• Develop side effects from treatment

• Fail to get the results you seek

• Continue to damage your skin’

Sun protection can also help prevent, slow down, and even reverse signs of sun damage. To be effective, you should use sun protection every day — even when it’s overcast or cold outside.

EXPLANATION OF A FEW TREATMENTS FOR SUN DAMAGE:

IPL Photofacials

This treatment uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to target pigment from sun damage and remove it from your skin.  It is mostly painless, feels like a little rubber band being flicked on your skin and requires no downtown.  The sun damage comes to the surface and flakes off over the course of a few days. The process is easily covered by makeup and gets progressively more aggressive with each treatment.  The recommended series is 3-6 with monthly to bi-yearly maintenance as desired.

Anti-Aging Chemical Peel

Glycolic Acid: This medical grade peel is great for moderate skin imperfections. This helps with fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and general glowing skin. See results after one treatment, but typically 3-6 are recommended.

TCA Chemical Peel

This is an aggressive medical grade facials and typically needs to be worked up to with less aggressive peels.  Great for moderate to severe skin imperfections including fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, acne and scars. Begin with dermaplaning to exfoliate the skin and allow for deeper penetration of product. Typically the skin will begin to peel away a few days after treatment and peel moderately to severely.

Vitamin C Brightening Facial

This relaxing, antioxidant rich facial brightens skin, evens skin tone and hydrates leaving you with a beautiful glow. May be paired with a chemical peel such as a lactic acid peel mask or a vitarich mask for more sensitive skin.