Sun Damage Skin Treatment

With Summer almost over (hello, Fall!) and the kids back to school, you can tell your skin has paid the price for all those luxurious afternoons at the beach and outdoor activities. Maybe you weren’t as meticulous as you could have been about applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen or wearing a hat. Unfortunately, sun damage is one of the chief causes of aging skin and free radical formation, leading to ruddy, dull skin with enlarged pores and brown spots.

Here’s a list of skin care steps you can take to make it look like you barely stepped out into the sun this summer!

• Vitamin C application: Vitamin C has been proven to provide powerful antioxidant anti-aging protection that can help repair damage by fighting free radicals that destroy your healthy cells. It also boosts collagen and elastin production and gives your skin a beautiful glow. It also provides a bit of sun protection, but this doesn’t mean you can skip the sunscreen.
• Retinoid: This is a longer-term solution, but retinoid (Vitamin A derivative) stimulates cellular growth and collagen synthesis over time. Apply only at night, though, because it causes skin sensitivity to sunlight and when exposed to the sun, free radicals damage occurs.
• Supplements: Though popping a supplement won’t turn your skin into a baby’s bottom, there is some evidence that vitamins such as Vitamins B3, C and A can help sun-damaged skin. Vitamin B3 and Vitamin C help stimulate new collagen growth and some say Vitamin A helps prevent damage before it occurs.
• IPL treatments: Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) laser treatments have been proven to treat brown spots, broken blood vessels and discoloration associated with sun damage, with minimal downtime. IPL focuses targeted light to break up discolored areas.
• Exfoliation: Exfoliation—whether through peels, scrubs or microdermabrasion—renews skin damaged by the sun by ridding it of dead skin cells, speeding up cell turnover and helping your other products (like Vitamin C and retinoid) work more efficiently.

Now that you know how to treat the sun damage you incurred this summer, don’t repeat the same mistakes next year. Being meticulous about sun exposure means you can keep your skin young and fresh as long as possible. Minimize exposure, wear sunblock and wide-brim hats year round.