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Sun damage is typically thought of as sunburns, which are painful to the touch and eventually go fade away. Some burns either turn into a tan, or they peel as part of the healing process. Some people may think that simply treating the burn with aloe vera (which helps with soothing the burn to hopefully prevent the unsightly peeling process) is enough. The truth is that regardless of how the burn heals itself, the damage has been done—and it can continue to build up into something far worse.
Simply put, any exposure to the sun accelerates skin aging. Sun damage, then, can be said to happen whenever you expose your skin to the sun without any protection. And while burns are the most immediate signs of sun damage, it will show itself in other ways—skin can become tan and leathery, develop wrinkles, and your complexion can become mottled and blotchy due to melanin overproducing in some places but not others. Sun damage can also develop into skin cancer, which one in five Americans will develop in his or her lifetime. While not all skin cancers are deadly, dealing with them may require surgery and may result in scarring. This is why it is so important to visit your dermatologist for an annual head-to-toe skin exam to look for any unusual moles, so you can catch signs of skin cancer early before it develops further.
Taking all of this into consideration, you can take preventative steps against further sun damage The first step is obvious: wear sunscreen every day, especially on areas that will be exposed to the sun. Even when you are driving, your hands, arms, and face are susceptible to sun exposure since the sun reflects through the sun’s windows. While you may want to reach for a sunscreen with a high SPF like SPF 100, the difference between SPF 30 and 100 is marginal. Our Sheer Fluid Sun Shield has SPF 30, which blocks 97 percent of UV rays while also protecting skin from photo-aging and free radicals in the air. Our sunscreen feels weightless on your skin, making it an ideal primer.
Once you have already accumulated sun damage, there are steps that you can take to improve the appearance of it. One way is to exfoliate. What appears as a blotchy complexion is can be a buildup of the top layer of your skin, or stratum corneum, in the form of dead skin cells. This may also be why your skin, particularly sunburned or exposed areas, appear duller than normal. You can remove this layer with our Polish, which is part of The Lancer Method. Available for both the face and body, our Polish contains natural minerals that are all uniform in size and shape so you can target the area without abrading your skin or causing uneven exfoliation. You will also experience the powerful exfoliation power of pumpkin and pomegranate extracts as they also help remove the dead skin cells, while brown sea algae helps the hydration balance. These ingredients help skin look plumper, clearer, and healthier than ever before.
You will also want to look into products that will hydrate sun damaged areas and reduce the appearance of brown or age spots caused by sun damage. As part of our Advanced Treatment line, you can use our Retexturizing Treatment Cream, which contains glycolic acid that breaks down skin cells while also increasing skin’s ability to hold moisture. If you’re more concerned with age spots, try the Fade Serum Intense, a lightweight fluid that contains our LES-10 Brightening Complex and sugar cane extract to gently exfoliate skin and lessen the appearance of pigmentation. These are only a few offerings and tips on how to improve the appearance of sun damaged skin. You can find more products specifically for sun damaged skin on the sun damage concerns page, but we also offer products for other concerns as well. Just remember that it’s never too late to incorporate products that will help put your sun damage concerns at ease—just be diligent about using them, and visit your dermatologist to find out what other steps you can take towards healthier, younger-looking skin.
Dr. Lancer. Younger: The Breakthrough Anti-Aging Method for Radiant Skin. p. 49-9.
Skin Cancer Foundation. “Repair (and Even Reverse) Signs of Sun Damage.” Skin Cancer Foundation Online. <http://www.skincancer.org/healthy-lifestyle/anti-aging/repair-and-even-reverse-signs-of-sun-damage>.
