Sun Damage: A Major Cause of Wrinkling and Premature Aging


Most of us love the warmth of the sun, but over exposure can cause significant damage to our skin. The sun's ultraviolet rays (UV) can cause our skin to dry out and lose essential oils and decades of tanning, burning and over exposure to the sun may cause changes in our skin's structure.

Unprotected skin exposed to the sun can gradually lose essential oils, making it dry, flaky and prematurely wrinkled. Repeated episodes of sunburn, although they appear to heal on the surface, can lead to permanent skin damage over time.

Excessive over exposure to the sun can cause changes in the skin's collagen called photoaging. These changes can take the form of wrinkles and fine lines, decreased skin elasticity (sagging skin), or a thickened skin textured. UV radiation can damage the collagen that supports the walls of the skin's blood vessels, causing them to be more fragile. A symptom of this is easy bruising on sun-exposed areas such as the back of hands.

Over the years, repeated sunburns and unprotected exposure to the sun can increase the risk of skin cancers including basal cell and malignant melanoma and other types of skin cancers..

Prevention is the key to avoiding photoaging and more serious skin damage. Here are some ways you can protect your skin from the harmful UV rays:

ALWAYS apply a sunscreen before you go outdoors, especially to your face, neck and hands. That means 365 days a year, rain, shine or clouds. Choose a sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more, with a broad spectrum of protection against both UV-A and UV-B rays.

Use a sunblock on your lips, preferably with an SPF of 20 or above.

Wear sunglasses with UV-A and UV-B light protection.

Wear long pants, a shirt with long sleeves and a hat with a wide brim.

Limit your time outdoors when the sun is at its highest (about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Certain medications such as antibiotics can increase your vulnerability to sunburn. Check with your doctor.

What to do if you think you already have skin damage

Be sure to see your doctor immediately if you have any unusual looking moles or changes in your skin. Don't wait.

You may be able to improve the appearance of moderately sun damaged skin with alpha-hydroxy acids, which remove dead skin cells from the out layers of your skin, leaving it softer and smoother. Chemical peels, laser resurfacing or microdermabrasion may also be helpful.

Valerie Goettsch is webmaster of the site Skin-Sage.com which is dedicated to reviewing anti-aging and anti-wrinkle skin care products and offering tips on having younger looking skin.

MORE RESOURCES:
RELATED ARTICLES
Natural Prescription for Eczema
-Identify food allergies and eliminate the offending foods from you diet. Eggs, milk, cheese, chocolate, peanuts, soy, potatoes, and the glutens in wheat are common allergenic foods.
Wearable Art: The Great Conversation Starter
Ok, you are heading to a small get together or large party and you know that you will not know many of the other guests. Alternatively, you want people (or maybe that cutie!) to have an easy way to approach you.
How to Choose the Right Sunless Tanning Product
Sunless tanning products come in several forms. The efficacy and results of these methods vary.
Tanning Bed Pillows - A Great Addon to Your Tanning Bed Experience!
Remember the last time you were on a plain vanilla tanning bed trying hard to get a tan and feeling uncomfortable with the posture? Now you can say good bye to those times for tanning bed pillows are here!! With the use of quality tanning bed pillows, every experience will prove to be delightful, prove to be enjoyable and prove to be effective!!The concept of tanning bed pillows as an integral part of tanning bed supplies is a relatively recent phenomenon but which is spreading rapidly, more than matching the meteoric rise of the tanning bed itself. Along with tanning lotions, the tanning bed pillow completes the basic comprehensive set of tanning bed accessories that are needed to ensure productive tanning stints.
Chemical Peels
Generally, chemical peels can be arranged into three categories of light, medium and deep. Light peels are used to help dry skin, acne, liver spots, sun spots, diminish fine facial wrinkles and pore size and improve overall skin texture.
The Controversy Behind Sunless Tanning Pills
For convenience and ease of use, people may be tempted to turn to the sunless tanning pill for an effortless tan. Tanning pills are controversial and thought to be unsafe.
Taming The Frizz
My daughter hates her hair. Several of my friends hate their hair, too.
Non Prescription Cats Eye Contact Lenses - Animal Attraction!
Long gone are the days when a set of contact lenses were the domain of the visually impaired. These days, non prescription lenses are available to all, even if you are blessed with 20:20 vision.
Face Off
The other day, I indulged in one of my many guilty pleasures. Specifically, I watched a programme called "Face Lifts From Hell.
The Swan on the Chopping Block
When Anderson wrote "The Ugly Duckling", he was imagining a natural transformation from awkward youth to mature beauty. His vision did not include a meat cleaver.
Sunless Tanning Information & Methods
Tanning products, both sunless and sun, go to work on the epidermis, or the outside layer of your skin, and not the dermis or inner layer. However, the layer of epidermis that is affected by sunless versus the layer affected by sun tanning products differs.
Beauty Tips for Luscious Lips
The last step in your makeup regime is lipstick application. Some women say if they could have only one beauty item it would be lipstick.
The Pedicure - A Treat for Your Feet!
So often we take our feet for granted as they carry us around each and every day. We pamper our hair and faces but tend not to give our feet a second thought.
Indoor Tanning Beds - All You Wanted to Know!
So you are nearing the end of your search for the formula to look the modern day Adonis or Helen. Good news.
What are Fusion Hair Extensions?
Hair extensions can be attached to your head in many different ways, including gluing, tubing, sewing, and clipping on. Different methods have different advantages.
Slather On That Tanning Bed Lotion
Tanning bed lotions abound. How do you choose from all the tanning bed lotions available?There are tanning bed lotions that are in cream form.
Beating Dry Skin and Dandruff the Natural Way
For most of my life I've struggled with dry skin and dandruff. I've gone through every cream and shampoo available on the market without any acceptable results.
Holiday Hair Style: How to Look Perfect in Summer
Keeping your holiday hair style under control isn't just about keeping your expensive up-do from falling down while you're dancing. It's about healthy-looking hair during those wet, hot, and sticky months of summer, whether at home or on vacation.
Skin Care: Caring for your Skin in Cold Weather
When temperatures drop it is time to think of how cold weather, chilling winds and dry air will affect your skin. We naturally think of bundling up during those frosty months but there are a few other considerations.
Breast Growth - Stimulating Further Breast Growth in Women and Men
Breast growth occurs in teenage women as a normal part of puberty. This is caused by hormonal changes in the body, mainly associated with the adrenal gland, and the female sex hormone estrogen.