Sun damage is not only sure to make your skin look aged and dull, but it can also lead to skin cancer. Many of the steps people take to prevent or reverse sun damage are for vanity reasons, but being sun safe is good for skin cancer prevention, as well.
A lot of people head into summer, fully intending to have a blast under the sun, often not realizing their skin is suffering undering the sun. Sun damage could leave your skin with dark spots, melasma, more prominent wrinkles and dehydrated, dried-out skin.
To find out the risks pertaining to your skin that you’re genetically predisposed to, read your genetic skin traits profile from CircleDNA.
Not only does sun exposure put you at risk for skin cancer, but it can also leave your skin in poor condition. UV rays from the sun can alter the actual DNA of your skin cells, which can result in skin discoloration, fine lines, and wrinkles. Much of your skin’s aging is caused by the sun, but it is possible to reverse sun damage to an extent, and restore your skin.
Your skin has a natural tendency to want to repair itself, and you can help it do so with the right regimen. Here are some ways you can prevent or even reverse sun damage:
Apply Sunscreen Year-Round
Sunscreen should be applied every day, all year round. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Even if it’s not sunny out, you must protect your skin with sunscreen. Daily use of sunscreen even if it’s cloudy will protect your skin from sun exposure, which gives your skin a chance to heal itself. By no longer exposing your skin to the sun, your skin will start to restore itself, and you’ll reverse sun damage that has already taken its toll on your skin, while preventing more from occurring. If, for a stretch of time, you protect your skin from the sun every day, you will start to notice your skin repairing itself.
If you feel you’re the type to forget to apply sunscreen daily, but you always remember to apply moisturizer each day, simply by a face moisturizer that has SPF 30 in it.
Exfoliate Your Skin Regularly
Your skin’s uneven production of melanin can be partially reversed with a consistent exfoliation routine. Your uneven skin discoloration can start to even out if you continually exfoliate the outermost skin cell layer away. Exfoliating will also help repair dry skin, leaving the skin feeling softer and smoother. The result? Healthier-looking skin that looks less weathered.
Use Skin Brightening Cream
A dermatologist-recommended skin brightening cream or serum can reverse sun damage. Melasma treatment cream can be used to reduce dark patches of melasma on the skin, caused by sun exposure. Similarly, dark spot corrector creams are used to brighten the dark spots that have appeared on your skin due to sun exposure. With the use of these treatment creams, you’ll notice dark spots fading, and you’ll notice your skin becoming more even-looking.
Melasma is quite noticeable, as it manifests as large dark patches on the skin (usually on the face) that are much darker in pigment than the rest of your skin. Hyperpigmentation is an array of smaller dark spots, also very noticeable and undesirable. Hyperpigmentation happens when an excess of melanin forms brown pigment deposits on the skin. Skin brightening creams that are dermatologist-tested can significantly reduce and reverse these effects.
Sun exposure dries out the skin, but you can over-compensate for that dryness by hydrating every day. Invest in a quality face moisturizer, and a separate body moisturizer. Nourish your sun-damaged skin by applying a hydrating cream every day, as soon as you get out of the shower. Lock in the moisture from your shower by applying your hydrating cream or serum to damp skin. Although it’s tempting to use lotion, since lotion absorbs more easily, it’s best to use a cream as it will be more moisturizing than a lotion.
Use Retinol Cream
Retinol creams are skincare products that can help reverse sun damage, and help correct skin problems caused by sun exposure. Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A, and it encourages cell turnover which evens out pigmentation and reveals smoother, younger-looking skin. It cannot be used every day, but when used regularly, it will even out your skin’s tone and texture. Retinol creams can even reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Get Laser Treatments
There are many different types of laser treatments for sun damaged skin. Some lasers target the pigment melanin, and zap away sun spots. A photofacial is a rejuvenating laser treatment that reduces the appearance of dark spots and red spots caused by sun exposure.
An IPL laser (Intense Pulsed Light) breaks down the melanin in the brown spots which surfaced on your skin from sun exposure. The energy from the pulsed light of the laser will break the melanin down into tiny particles, which helps push the dark pigment to the surface where it eventually can be exfoliated away. Since dark spots are one of the most undesirable consequences of sun exposure, it’s not surprising why laser treatments for dark spots are common at skincare clinics.
The best way to reverse sun damage, however, is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. This means that you remember to wear sunscreen daily, wear hats to shield your face from sun exposure, and seek out shade at the beach. While it’s good to get some vitamin D by spending 15 minutes in the sunshine, most of your time at the beach should be in the shade if possible.