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