Sun Damage: A Cumulative Kick To The Face

This guy hates your face. Nothing personal. 

We’ve all heard of the damaging effects of sun exposure, but in case you haven’t noticed, it’s kind of hard to avoid sun exposure. I mean, it’s a giant ball of fire in the sky – you can’t miss it.

However, the damaging effects of cumulative exposure to the sun are serious, sometimes resulting in skin cancer, age spots, and things with scary names like melasma, labial lentigo, and poikiloderma. What many people don’t realize though, is that most signs of aging are directly due to sun exposure. So let’s talk about the problem, prevention, and the prescription to heal damaged skin.
 
The Problem
Sun damage is caused by frequent exposure to damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV is an undetectable form of radiation emitted by the sun. There are two types of UV rays, UVA and UVB. UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin and are the major source of early aging and skin cancer. UVB rays primarily access the surface of the skin and are the key source of sunburns.

Whether you are walking to your car, driving to work, or simply sitting near a window, you are exposed to harmful UV rays. This type of daily contact is known as secondary UV exposure.

Secondary exposure occurs where you least expect it. It can occur in the shade, on cloudy days, even while you are indoors. It is likely that the usual individual is exposed to more than 10 hours of indoor UV rays every week. Add to that over 7 hours of outdoor UV rays a week and without a suitable shield, your weekly UV-radiation exposure might total nearly 20 hours. That's like spending the weekend at the beach without wearing sunscreen!

The primary cosmetic complaint? Solar elastosis. Ultraviolet radiation breaks down the skin's connective tissue — collagen and elastin fibers — which lie in the deeper layer of skin (dermis). Without the supportive connective tissue, the skin loses its strength and flexibility. This condition, known as solar elastosis, is characterized by vertical creases, deep wrinkles, and loose or sagging skin.

Prevention
The easiest way to prevent over-exposure is avoiding the sun altogether. Yes, it’s a giant ball of fire in the sky, but here are a few tips:

• Avoid the sun between the hours of 10:00am and 4:00pm. UV rays are the strongest during that time.
• Seek out shade when outdoors
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat
• Consider a parasol. They’re sexy!
• OMG, do not try to tan!!! When UV rays penetrate and damage your skin, your skin reacts be creating more melanin – the pigment that makes you look tan. In other words, a tan is direct evidence of skin damage.

Of course, one can’t always avoid the sun, so when outdoors, be sure to use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Moisturize daily with SPF-enhanced moisturizer for continue protection. Remember: sun damage is cumulative. There is a reason a baby’s skin is so smooth and why we sag as we age.

Prescription
At Pareo & Wolf, we specialize in the various treatments of skin damage. Healing the underline damage requires good nutrition and hydration, but even after healing, the cosmetic damage can be disastrous. To rejuvenate and refresh your look, here are the two primary options available to you:

• Microdermabrasion – During microdermabrasion, we lightly scrape away minute surface skin particles. This stimulates the creation and structure of new skin cells, which reduces the look of fine wrinkles and skin discoloration, improving skin texture, and ever-increasing skin sparkle. Multiple treatments are typically needed.
• Chemical Peels – A chemical peel removes the top layer of dead and damaged skin, allowing a new layer of skin to regrow. It is noticeably stronger, smoother, more elastic and less wrinkled.

Of course, there are many different types of treatments, peels, lasers, etc, which can be found on our website www.pareoandwolf.com. Stay hydrated, prevent exposure, and heal your skin – the 3-pronged approach to tackling sun damage!




Cheers!
Shannyn Pareo
Shanae Ruddell
www.pareoandwolf.com

P&W SPECIALS: July

SPECIAL #1:

HCG: 
$140 off!
One of Pareo & Wolf's most treasured services is high-quality HCG products and support! If you haven't heard of HCG, you can check out www.LivingThinNow.com, but here's the bottom line: you can lose over 1 pound a day!

Call Shannyn or Shanae at our Studio City office for details: 818.763.3270




 

SPECIAL #2:

Diamond Tip Microdermabrasion: 
Normally $145, now only $95
Diamond microdermabrasion machine uses diamond tips to perform skin exfoliation. During the treatment, the microdermabrasion tip, covered with tiny diamonds is placed on the skin surface to clean the pores and at the same time loosening the dead skin cells before suctioning them off as in the traditional microdermabrasion procedure.

The diamond-tip method is a new, safer, and more effective method of microdermabrasion, and we're proud to offer it at a discount!

Digestion: Good For Your Skin

There's an old medical saying that your digestive system is the seat of health, and that's never more true than when discussing the health of your skin. Here are 4 quick tips to improving your skin through your belly.

Drink Water - On a cellular level, water removes toxins and plumps up the cell walls. Many people are concerned about bloating when drinking too much water, but research has proven that bloating is increased only when there's not enough water. When your body is low in water, it retains everything it's got i.e. bloating. When there is plenty of water, the body only holds on to the optimum level that you need, and your skin remains hydrated and strong.


Decrease Sugar Intake - Did you know that excess sugar is considered one of the main causes of premature aging? When sugar enters our bloodstream, it can create a cumulative effect. Over time, this can result in a process known as glycation, which is when a glucose (sugar) molecule damages a protein molecule by sticking to it. The new molecules formed are called advanced glycation end-products, or AGEs. AGEs damage collagen in skin, cartilage, and ligaments and promote a loss of elasticity. Wrinkles form and skin begins to sag.

Fiber - Imagine fiber as your internal cleaning system and magical health supplement. Fiber scours your body of toxins and waste and has been show to positively affect everything from heart disease to acne. Men should have anywhere from 31-38 grams a day, and women should get 21-25. The best part is, it's easy add some fiber. Here's a delicious recommendation for you to get a quick 10+ grams of fiber: VitaTops. Remember that Seinfeld episode about delicious muffin tops? Well, now a company called Vitalicious makes delicious muffin tops with a ton of fiber in them. Trust me, go to Target, buy a box, and then leave your comment of thanks below. :-)


Get Fatty - Doing some research, we picked up the following from About.com:

Essential fatty acids are simply fats your body cannot live without. They are needed to make cell membranes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Essential fats are thought to keep your heart healthy, fight inflammation, and possibly prevent cancer. They are also particularly important to people with inflammatory conditions such as eczema and acne, and also for people with dry skin. People with essential fat deficiency sometimes notice bumps on the backs of their arms. Here are my suggestions on getting more essential fats:

• Flaxseed and walnut oil - Use flaxseed oil or walnut oil with balsamic vinegar as a salad dressing. Be sure to keep these oils refrigerated. They should not be heated or used for cooking.
  
• Cold water fish - Sardines are a good source of essential fats. Salmon is another good source, however these salmon accumulate toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (otherwise known as PCBs) in their body fat during the 95 percent of their lives they spend at sea.
  
• Supplements - Consider fish oil supplements. 

Just remember: adjustments in what comes into your body, is going to affect what comes out of your body in terms of skin health. 

Ok, enjoy your muffin tops, salmon, and new skin!!



Shannyn Pareo
Shanae Ruddell
www.pareoandwolf.com