Best home care for sun damage

What can home care actually improve?

Photoaging means premature skin aging caused by ultraviolet radiation from sunlight or tanning equipment. Signs include uneven pigmentation, rough texture, fine lines, loss of elasticity and visible small blood vessels. The face, neck, upper chest and backs of the hands are common places to notice it. Treatments can improve appearance, but they cannot reverse DNA damage already caused by UV radiation. Retinoids, the vitamin A family that includes retinol, give their best benefit for early signs of photoaging. They encourage skin cell turnover and collagen production, helping with fine lines, age spots and roughness. Dark spots and fine lines can improve with topical treatment, even if the word "reverse" is doing more work than it should.3

What is the best home care for sun protection?

Use sunscreen every day, alongside shade and protective clothing. Daily sunscreen use reduces skin aging compared with not using sunscreen daily. Covering up with clothing and a hat, and seeking shade especially between 10 AM and 4 PM, reduces further exposure. Sunscreen is one part of the plan, not permission to spend longer in the sun. Everyone can develop sun damage, including people with darker skin who are less likely to burn. Take particular care if you burn easily, work outdoors or have had substantial sun exposure over the years.134

• Choose broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, and cover all skin not covered by clothing.
• Reapply sunscreen at least every two hours outdoors and after swimming or sweating.
• Wear long sleeves, trousers and a wide brimmed hat, and seek shade.
• Wear sunglasses with UV protection and use lip balm with SPF 30 or higher outdoors.
• If you take isotretinoin, your skin can become more sensitive to sunlight. A mineral sunscreen containing zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or both can help with sensitive skin.

What is the best skin care regimen for sun damage?

1. 1Make sun protection your daily foundation. Retinol addresses visible changes; sunscreen, clothing and shade help limit further damage.
2. 2Introduce retinol at night a couple of times a week. Use a minimal amount rather than treating a larger application as a shortcut.
3. 3Increase applications only if your skin is not irritated. Redness, dryness and peeling are reasons to reduce use, not push through.
4. 4Use moisturizer to help manage dryness. A light, oil free moisturizer can help reduce irritation from topical retinoids.
5. 5Keep checking your skin for suspicious growths or other changes. A cosmetic routine should not replace getting a new or changing lesion assessed.

Which retinol should you choose?

Retinol products vary in strength and come in different formulas, including gels and creams. Prescription options are generally stronger. There is no single percentage that is best for every sun damaged face; choose a formula and strength with your dermatologist if you are unsure, especially if your skin is sensitive. Retinol can help fade brown spots, even out pigmentation, soften rough texture and diminish fine lines. Do not use retinol during pregnancy. Prescription topical retinoids should not be prescribed during pregnancy either.14

How long does improvement take?

There is no fixed home treatment deadline for spots, wrinkles or texture. Retinol strength and formulation vary, and irritation can limit how often you use it. Build up only as tolerated rather than increasing applications to chase a date. A fading tan is a different process: the color fades as new skin cells reach the surface and tanned cells are shed. That change in color does not mean every effect of UV exposure has disappeared.136

Are vitamin C and exfoliating acids worth adding?

Vitamin C and other antioxidants can slow skin damage and reduce collagen breakdown. Alpha hydroxy acids exfoliate by encouraging skin cell turnover. Lightening agents such as hydroquinone can target sunspots and uneven pigmentation. These are additional options, not a requirement to buy several treatments at once. The most effective choice among the many cosmetic preparations is not settled. A serum is not automatically the most effective option, however much administrative authority the bottle seems to have. Skin care products can cause stinging, burning or dermatitis, meaning inflamed skin. Stop a product that causes persistent irritation and get medical advice if the inflammation does not settle.34

How should you care for a fresh sunburn?

1. 1Get out of the sun and avoid further irritation.
2. 2Take a cool shower and apply a gentle moisturizer.
3. 3Stay well hydrated. Aloe vera or an anti itch cream can offer some relief.
4. 4Avoid touching the area unnecessarily, and do not pick peeling skin or disturb blisters.

Seek medical help if a sunburn worsens or does not improve. Fever, vomiting, lightheadedness or signs of infection need medical attention rather than more home treatment. A burn is an injury, not the right setting for products that add irritation.2

When does sun damage need a dermatologist?

Have suspicious growths or changing areas checked. Red, rough, scaly patches can be actinic keratoses, which are precancerous skin changes. Retinol is not a reliable way to remove these lesions, and cosmetic creams are not treatments for skin cancer. Some diagnosed superficial lesions can be treated at home with medicines such as fluorouracil or imiquimod under medical supervision. These treatments can cause substantial inflammation and skin erosion. They are not substitutes for an ordinary cosmetic routine. Strong trichloracetic acid peels require specific training and can cause permanent pigment loss or scarring.346

Ask your pharmacist or prescriber whether your medicines increase sensitivity to sunlight. Some immune conditions and medicines also increase the risk of sun damage. If you have recently had acne scar treatment, follow your dermatologist's aftercare instructions rather than adding a new sun damage treatment. Treated skin can be sensitive, and sun exposure can darken it. Apply the recommended sunscreen every day, including before brief trips outdoors.37