What helps sun damaged skin?

What does sun damage look like?

Sunlight damages healthy skin cells, and repeated exposure lets that damage build up. Visible signs include freckles, age spots and wrinkles; some people also develop precancerous growths or skin cancer. Not all sun damage is visible to the naked eye. Improving the surface appearance and protecting skin from further damage are both part of care.1

Photoageing means skin ageing caused by repeated ultraviolet exposure. It commonly affects exposed areas such as the face, neck and arms, causing roughness, uneven colour and deep wrinkles. Natural ageing also happens in skin protected from sunlight. Sun damage is an extra process layered on top, rather than another name for every change that comes with age.3

Start by preventing more damage

Protect your skin every day, including when it is cold or overcast, and stop using tanning beds. Continued UV exposure can interfere with treatment results and cause treatment side effects as well as further damage. Protecting already damaged skin also reduces the risk of additional sun related growths and skin cancer.24

1. 1Choose sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and protection against both UVA and UVB. On UK labels, look for at least four UVA stars or the UVA circle.
2. 2Apply sunscreen to all exposed skin, including your face, neck and ears. For a whole adult body, use around six to eight teaspoons; applying too little reduces protection.
3. 3If you will be outside long enough to risk burning, apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out and again just before leaving.
4. 4Reapply every two hours outdoors and straight after swimming, sweating or towel drying, including when the sunscreen is water resistant.

Add shade, a wide brimmed hat and clothing that covers exposed skin. Sunscreen is not permission to stay outside longer. In the UK, the strongest sun is generally between 11am and 3pm from March to October. People of every skin tone can get skin cancer, even though darker skin has some natural UV protection.5

Which creams help?

Moisturizer helps dry and flaky skin, which is a more useful job than pretending the calendar can be moisturized away. It is also one option for improving the appearance of wrinkles. Treating dryness is useful, but a moisturizer does not replace sun protection or assessment of a suspicious patch.3

Prescription retinoids are used for wrinkles, age spots, loose skin and an uneven or ruddy complexion. Other topical options include alpha hydroxy acids and vitamin C. With regular, long term application, these can reduce dryness and may improve fine wrinkles and uneven pigmentation. Many other products marketed for ageing skin have unclear benefits.23

Choose treatment around the change you want to improve: dryness, fine lines, pigmentation or deeper folds. A cream aimed at dryness and a procedure aimed at deep furrows do different jobs. Topical care is a long term approach; there is no single timetable for all creams or all signs of damage.3

Which treatments help which signs?

Treatment is matched to wrinkles, spots, redness or looseness, because sun damage is not one job with one bottle. A dermatologist can combine treatments to address different changes rather than expecting a single procedure to handle everything.2

For prominent expression lines or deep furrows, fillers and botulinum toxin injections are options. Visible facial veins can be treated with vascular lasers. More substantial sagging can require a surgical approach. These are different targets, so an assessment of your skin, health and skin type should come before choosing a procedure.23

What should you expect from fractional laser?

Fractional laser is used for sun damage, pigmentation and facial lines. It targets the surface skin and the deeper layer containing collagen, encouraging replacement of pigmented surface cells and collagen renewal. Fractional laser treats small zones while leaving surrounding tissue intact, rather than treating the entire surface as a renovation site.6

Recovery depends on the device and treatment intensity. After a Fraxel treatment, swelling usually settles in two to three days and a pink tone can last three to five days. Bronzing and flaking can follow. Ablative lasers, which remove skin tissue, are more aggressive and take longer to recover from than nonablative devices.6

A Fraxel course commonly involves four to five treatments spaced a month apart, with best improvement developing over three to four months. That schedule is specific to Fraxel, not every laser. During healing and for several months afterwards, protect the treated area with SPF 50 or higher, protective clothing and a wide brimmed hat.6

Fractional laser can be used across skin types, but technique must be tailored. Darker skin and a history of melasma or pigmentation after inflammation increase the risk of darkening after treatment. Other complications include infection and contact dermatitis. Discuss these risks before treatment, including any history of cold sores.6

Which changes need a doctor?

Do not assume every rough patch is dryness. Actinic keratoses are sun related growths that can feel like sandpaper before they are easy to see. They can be skin coloured, pink, red or brown. Most are harmless, but some progress to squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. Have persistent rough patches assessed rather than treating them only as a cosmetic problem.4

Examine your skin every few months. See a doctor if a lump or patch becomes painful, bleeds, thickens or develops an open sore. A growing spot that does not heal also needs assessment. Skin cancer can be painless, and some cancers look like a scaly red mark or an area that repeatedly scabs without healing completely.4

Have skin checked before cosmetic treatment for presumed age spots. A board certified dermatologist can identify skin cancer before treatment; treating cancer as an ordinary age spot can allow it to spread.2

What if you mean a recent sunburn?

For a recent burn, cool skin with water and apply soothing aftersun, such as aloe vera. Stay out of the sun until redness has gone. Seek medical help if you feel unwell or develop severe swelling or blisters.5