Many of us who are in our 50s and 60s grew up spending hours by the pool, without sunscreen, using tanning oils and even, sometimes, aluminum foil in order to absorb as much sun as possible! Now, we live in sunny Colorado and most of us love being outside. We’re hopefully smarter and use good quality sunscreens, but sun exposure can still occur, exacerbating what we did to our skin when we were younger.
Immediate effects of sun damage are usually visualized as a sunburn, with redness and possibly swelling. Long term effects of sun exposure include brown spots (letigines), rough skin texture, dull looking skin and wrinkles. Not only do these make us look older, but they can also progress into skin cancer. Therefore, it is important to negate the effects of sun exposure. Fortunately, there are many treatments and products that may help with sun damage repair.
Important products that help with sun damage repair are topical Vitamin C, retinols, growth factors and, of course, sunscreen. When the sun’s UV rays are absorbed by our skin cells, free radicals are formed. These free radicals eventually cause the visual effects that we don’t like – wrinkles, brown spots, poor texture and even skin cancer. Multiple studies have shown that the daily application of a topical Vitamin C aids in sun damage repair.1 Topical Vitamin C neutralizes the free radicals before they can damage the skin. Vitamin C is difficult to compound in ways that keep it stable over time and it is important to have a high concentration of Vitamin C,2 so a medical grade Vitamin C product is a must. Over-the-counter products will be a waste of your money. Genesis MedSpa has many topical Vitamin C products and our skin-care specialists can recommend the one that will be the best to help you with sun damage repair.
Sun Damage Repair & Treatment
Retinols are a critical product in the fight for sun damage repair because they stimulate our skin cells to turn over more quickly.3 This process slows as we age, especially when we have had significant sun exposure. If the cells are not turning over quickly, then a thick layer of dead skin cells accumulates, resulting in rough looking and feeling skin. In addition, when that layer thickens, any products that we apply cannot penetrate deep enough to affect the living skin cells. Genesis MedSpa recommends starting with a low-dose retinol and increasing the potency as your skin gets accustomed to the product.
Growth factors are another powerful weapon in the fight for sun damage repair. The amount of growth factors in our blood decreases as we age. Growth factors are critical for repairing cellular damage of any sort, so medical grade products that contain growth factors are helpful for sun damage repair.4 Once again, it is important to purchase medical-grade products which have a higher percentage of growth factors than do over the counter products and are produced in more pure formulations. Genesis MedSpa’s staff can discuss with you exactly which product is best for your skin.
Sun Damage Repair Sunscreens
Lastly, are good sunscreens in order to prevent additional damage. We should all apply at least an SPF 20 each morning and at least an SPF 50 if we are going to be doing any outside activities. The important thing to remember, though, is that sunscreen must be reapplied throughout the day if it is going to continue to protect your skin. It is also important to remember that UVA rays penetrate clouds and are just as harmful at sea level as up in the mountains. So, if you are at the beach on a cloudy day, you will receive as much UVA exposure as if you were on the top of Pikes Peak on a sunny day! Therefore, we should never be without sunscreen.
Many treatments can also be beneficial with sun damage repair. Chemical peels, laser treatments, and Skin Pen microneedling treatments all improve texture, fine lines and brown spots.5 Many of these have little to no down time and are well tolerated by all skin types. So, if your skin needs sun damage repair, call Genesis MedSpa today and schedule your free consultation. Our staff will put together a customized treatment plan based upon the needs of your skin, your budget and your goals. Get started on your sun damage repair today!
