How can I treat sun damage?

Sun damage creates brown spots, lines, wrinkles, yellow uneven surface contour from damaged elastic tissue below the skin surface, bruising, thinning of the skin, precancers and skin cancers.

Some prescription creams and resurfacing treatments, including chemical peels, laser resurfacing (both minimally invasive and invasive) and dermabrasion, can treat this damage. Certain lasers can specifically treat individual brown spots and others can treat unwanted facial red capillary blood vessels.

Sun damage on skin can take several forms. This can include “sun spots”, which are usually brown flat spots on sun exposed skin. “Red spots” or “spider veins” can also occur from sun damage. “Red spots” are made up of a small collection of blood vessels. Other damage can include fine lines and wrinkles, which get deeper over time. Skin is less elastic with sun exposure, and can look wrinkled and saggy before its time. I’m not even mentioning more serious issues like skin cancer here- this should have anyone thinking twice about getting a “healthy tan!”

What can be done about sun damage? Here’s what treatments I perform most often in my office in Southwest Florida:

• Intense Pulsed Light: this can decrease “brown spots” and “red spots”, including “spider veins” (which are commonly seen around the nose). Sometimes, I must wait until my patients’ tans have faded before I can get an effective treatment- their skin can be burned otherwise.
• Laser Skin Resurfacing: I use this not only for “brown spots,” but also for fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. I have seen great results in my office with the Fraxel laser when appropriate settings are used. Again, skin should not be tanned for best results.
• Microdermabrasion with Chemical Peels: When medical-grade equipment is used, I have seen a decrease in fine lines and wrinkles - although not as much as with laser skin resurfacing. Stronger, more effective chemical peels can be done in a doctor’s office compared with a salon or spa.
• Skin Fillers: For lines at rest at the lower face, I often use Restylane, Juvederm and Perlane. These can soften “smile lines” from the nose to mouth, and “Marionette Lines” from the corners of the mouth down. Sun damage often makes these lines appear earlier in life.
• Botox: Lines between the eyes, “crow’s feet” and forehead lines can be treated with Botox. Keep in mind that Botox decreases lines in motion, and helps little with lines at rest, if at all. Sun damaged skin usually already has lines, and Botox may only slow the “etching in” of the lines. Of course, preventing excess sun exposure is the best treatment plan. It’s a lot easier than trying to reverse signs of sun damage, and greatly reduces risk of skin cancer.
• Sun block should be applied whenever you’re exposed to the sun. In fact, moisturizer with sun block applied once in the morning and once mid-day is a good idea, even if you’re not planning to be in the sun.
• When you are in the sun, SPF 30 or higher sunblock reapplied every 2 hours is best, along with protective clothing (sunglasses, wide brimmed hat, long sleeves and pants).
• Choose the shade over baking in the sun. This may sound tedious, but I see a lot of sun damage in my office. It is preventable if you make the right decisions about your skin. Remember- It’s your face we’re talking about! See a medical doctor about what treatments are best for you, and take steps now to stop additional sun damage!