When it comes to sun-damaged skin, an ounce of prevention (sunscreen) really is worth a pound of cure.
But especially here on the Suncoast of Bradenton-Sarasota, sun damage still happens. And there’s no need to hang your head or hide your face about it.
Instead, let’s listen to our aesthetician experts on how to heal and repair your sun-damaged skin.
Types of Sun Damage
Sun damage is also called photoaging. It’s literally the premature aging of our skin through exposure to radiation from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light.
Sun damage can happen gradually over shorter bursts of repeated sun exposure. This includes tanning as well as day-to-day sun exposure on the parts of our body that tend to be exposed all the time here in southwest Florida—like our face, neck, arms and hands.
Sun damage also gets exponentially worse, faster, from acute damage experiences—aka sun burns.
What Does Sun Damage Do to Your Skin?
UV radiation damage shows up on your skin in a number of ways. The most prominent types of sun damage are:
- Pigment darkening, especially “sun spots”
- White spots, called idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (IGH)
- Loss of elasticity, leading to wrinkles
- Lip sores and discoloration
- Actinic keratosis, or rough, scaly patches associated with pre-cancer
- Fundamental (and irreversible) DNA changes, which can lead to cancer
How to Heal Sun-Damaged Skin
When you skin is damaged, and especially if it’s freshly sunburned, the first step is to promote healing. This can include at-home remedies, professional assessment and treatments, as well as just time away from the sun.
And that last part is important: Don’t put damage on top of damage. If you know your skin has been exposed to the sun, the first thing you should do is take precaution against more exposure in the near future. Your skin is most vulnerable when it’s newly damaged.
The two other most important aspects of healing sun damage in the short term are hydration from the inside and the outside. Make sure you’re drinking lots of water. Your sunburned skin will be sucking up loads of moisture as it heals, so you want to give it what it needs while also keeping the rest of your organs hydrated.
And from the outside, it means topically apply soothing moisturizers that will alleviate pain and promote healing.
In addition to hydration, think about antioxidants like polyphenols and other natural healers (again, both nutritionally and topically). Blueberries, green tea and pomegranates are good go-tos. And aloe vera is rightly popular as a topical balm. The botanical ingredient has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, plus it offers a soothing, cooling feeling.
How to Repair the Appearance of Sun-Damaged Skin in the Long-Term
While we can’t turn back time, we can reverse and repair some of the sun damage done to our skin.
Whether you’re dealing with recent dermatological improprieties or you’ve been collecting sun damage your whole life, talk to your Bradenton aesthetician about how best to erase the visible signs of photoaging.
The key to repairing sun-damaged skin is the elimination of the damaged cells, combined with the rapid regeneration of new, healthy skin cells.
In today’s med spa environment, these results can be achieved and encouraged in a variety of ways.
Med Spa Treatments to Reverse Sun Damage
Ultimately, you want your sun-damaged skin to have an even, healthy tone and a supple, smooth texture. You want to erase sun spots, reverse wrinkles, and restore your skin to its young, healthy appearance.
Your photoaging reversal options at Bellagena including these med spa treatments:
- ViPeels
- CO2 Laser Therapy
- Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
- Microneedling (with Platelet-Rich Plasma)
- Chemical Peels
All of these skin treatments can smooth, tone, clear and correct skin in various degrees and to various depths and precision. Which one is best for you depends on your skin and your skin’s damage.
Your certified, experienced aestheticians at Bradenton’s Bellagena can guide you through the healing and sun repair process.
