How to Help Your Skin Recover from Sun Damage
Everyone needs a daily dose of vitamin D, and the best way to get this is by getting outside and soaking up the sun. But while the sun can have great positive effects on your mood, sleep and immune system, the sun can be extremely damaging to the skin. Visible signs of ageing are often caused by exposure to the sun, so here are some tips on how to protect that youthful glow and help your skin recover from sun damage.
Preventing Sun Damage
Prevention is better than dealing with the consequences. Everyone wants that bronzed summer glow and the myth that sun cream will prevent that from happening has resulted in sun damaged skin across the world. It doesn’t have to be scorching Caribbean sun to be able to cause sun damage on your face, which is why it is recommended to wear an SPF on your face every single day to keep those fresh youthful looks – not just when you are on vacation.
Noticing the Signs
Harmful UV radiation is the cause of sun damage, and it triggers your body to respond in hopes of protection when it penetrated the skin. That golden glow you are so desperately after is actually your body responding to harmful rays. Collagen and fibers are damaged, and these are what give your skin elasticity and keep it firm. As time passes, you will begin to notice more and more effects if you continue to expose your skin to the sun without protection, like dark spots, dryness, creases, wrinkles, loose skin and tiny veins.
Immediate Relief
The first sign of skin damage is sun burn. While the effects of these can be minimized, it will have caused long lasting damage. To help ease the pain of sunburn, stay out of the sun and soothe the skin with a cold shower and aloe gel. Store your aloe in the fridge to give it that extra soothing sensation when you apply it. Stay well hydrated and let it heal naturally, no matter how tempting it is to pull off that dead skin.
Rejuvenating Damaged Skin
There are so many anti-aging products out there that claim to reverse the effects of sun damage and give you that firm wrinkle free face back. While it is possible that some of them may have an effect, it could take months or years for visible results and often they do more damage than they’re worth. Instead, consider these other treatment options that are safe and effective.
CO2 Laser Resurfacing
CO₂ laser resurfacing uses a carbon dioxide laser to promote the growth of collagen fibers by removing the outer layer of skin. As it regrows, it appears tighter and smoother. It’s non-surgical and very effective at removing the signs of sun damage, acne scars and wrinkles, improving skin tone and texture.
Chemical Peels
To reveal the healthier, smoother skin, chemical peels remove the dead surface and sun damaged cells from the outer layer of your skin. They are categorized by solution strength which determines how deep they penetrate, and you’ll see improvements on fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, and acne scars.
Vibradermabrasion
Dermabrasion is basically intense exfoliation that polishes the skin and leaves it looking vibrant and glowing. It is used to improve the appearance of sun damage, acne scars and pigmentation while refining pores. A paddle is used that emits a non-damaging vibration into your skin to achieve these results.
Derma-Peel
This treatment combines dermabrasion with a chemical peel to get deep into those pores. For more severely sun damaged skin, the combination of the two methods is most effective in providing you the even tones and textures that you want. The sun can have some severe and long lasting effects on your skin that are visible and noticeable; trying to prevent this is best, but these treatments will help your skin recover and leave it feeling youthful