If you're like a lot of mature adults, you may have spent your youth playing in the sun without sunscreen while working on a deep tan. If so, your facial skin may be showing signs of sun damage now, and you may wonder if there is anything you can do about it.
Skin rejuvenation treatments might help quite a bit, even if they can't completely reverse the damage caused by years of tanning and sun exposure. Here's a look at what type of damage the sun causes your skin and some skin rejuvenation treatments you might want to consider.
The Sun Damages Your Skin In Several Ways
Sun can damage your skin in different ways depending on your skin type and color. Besides causing skin cancer, the sun can cause a number of other changes to your skin. These include thinning the skin, causing dark spots, making your skin sag due to loss of elasticity, causing wrinkles, and giving your skin a leathery appearance. Exposure to the sun ages your skin and can make you appear much older than your actual age.
Sunscreen And Retinol May Help
The first thing your dermatologist might recommend is to use sunscreen every day. Sunscreen blocks UV rays so the damage to your skin stops. This might make it easier to get results from skin rejuvenation treatments.
Also, your dermatologist might recommend you start using prescription-strength retinol. Retinol helps with skin cell growth, and it can reduce wrinkles while improving the texture of your skin. You may need to start using retinol gradually or it can cause excessive dryness and peeling. Be sure to follow your dermatologist's instructions when you start using retinol on your skin.
Laser Skin Rejuvenation Treatments Might Work
Your dermatologist has a few ways to remove the top damaged and dead layers of skin cells. A popular option is laser skin rejuvenation. With this treatment, the dermatologist removes the top layers of your skin with a laser to reveal new skin. The new skin has an improved texture and fewer wrinkles and discolorations.
Laser treatments combined with retinol and sunscreen might work well in treating your sun-damaged skin. You might need a couple of treatments to get the best results, and you can go back for touch-ups if they're needed.
There are different types of lasers used for skin rejuvenation. Some deliver heat deep under your skin to stimulate collagen. As more collagen is built up under your skin, your skin becomes plumper and tighter. This further helps reduce sagging and wrinkling.
Share