Sun damage is a leading cause of premature ageing in skin and is often the reason behind wrinkling, dark spots, loose skin, spider veins and cancer formation. The sun can also dry out the skin leaving you with rough, leathery patches. In fact, up to 80% of signs of ageing in the skin are caused by sun damage. You can imagine then, that a question we are often asked which treatments are best for sun damaged skin, especially on the face.
We don’t always consider the potentially harmful effects of the sun in our youth and may find ourselves in our forties and beyond trying to repair damage that was done years ago. And even if you don’t lie in the sun, you can still get sun damage through daily exposure and incidental exposure—such as via driving in the car with the sun coming through the window. When we get burned by the sun, we’re actually damaging the DNA in the skin cells. But again, we don’t need to get burned for our skin to begin showing signs of sun damage, particularly in the more delicate skin on our face and décolletage.
It is possible to reduce and reverse sun damage in the skin via treatments—at least to a degree. Not all sun damage can be repaired but it can often be minimised. More importantly, it’s never too late to prevent future damage through protecting your skin.
Here are our top treatments for preventing and repairing sun damage in the skin and on the face:
1. Wear sunscreen and UV protected clothing/hat
It’s vital that you do this daily, especially on the face and chest, to prevent premature ageing by the sun. Wearing sunscreen every day will reduce your sun damage and prevent non-melanoma skin cancers by up to 34%. Remember that even cloudy weather won’t protect you from the sun’s harmful rays so be mindful of your exposure in overcast weather too.
2. Exfoliate
This will help to keep your skin cell turnover regular & functioning optimally. Procedures like microdermabrasion and peels can be a good way to deeply exfoliate and activate health cell turnover to improve functionality and so they’re great treatments for sun damaged skin on the face.
3. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated
The skin loves hydration and the best way to do this is via the inside out. You can lather yourself in moisturisers and oils but if you don’t drink enough water, your skin is just going to stay dry. So, make water your main drink and consume at least 1.5-2 litres a day. This is less a treatment for sun damaged skin on the face and more a bonus tip!
4. Visit our Dermal Therapists at Skin Deep Cosmetic Clinic to help treat your sun damage
We can help you to identify key problem areas and design a plan to address them. Our Dermal Therapists are highly qualified and experienced in treating sun damaged skin on the face and body and can help you achieve the results you’re looking for.
