"The sun is the major cause of everything in the skin we associate with aging", says Seattle dermatologist Peter Jenkins, MD. "Just 11 minutes of sun exposure does more damage to your skin than your body can repair in one day", says Dr. Jenkin. "The effects of sun exposure occur within hours (showing up as a burn), but skin cancer can take years to surface. The consequences of the skin are cumulative and get worse over time".
"Exposure to UV rays triggers a protective response from the skin that includes the production of melanin (pigment) to absorb and protect the skin from radiation. This then appears as scattered spots based on the health of the skin and the level of exposure", says San Diego plastic surgeon Larry Pollack, MD. "UV radiation creates free radicals in the skin, damaging and breaking down collagen and elastin. These free radicals (cells without a paired electron that can damage skin) can also cause damage to a cell's DNA leading to pre-malignant growths and skin cancer".
Five Different Visible Signs of Sun Damage:
1. Marbled and loose appearing skin, due to the the breakdown of our ultra plumping collagen.
2. Dark spots on sides of the face, cheeks and forehead. The skin produces melanin a a means of protecting itself from the sun which leads to brown spots.
3. Loose skin from a breakdown in skin's elasticity. Skin begins to appear leathery, rough and Palm Springs-like.
4. Broken capillaries and red splotches. "When blood vessels are damaged by the sun, they swell and become dilated, creating red blotchy spots and visible spider veins on the face", says D. Pollack.
5. And last, but certainly not least lines and wrinkles caused by increased free radicals and a loss of elasticity.
Cheers, Miss Violet