How To Protect Your Skin From the Sun

How To Protect Your Skin From the Sun: Sun Damage Prevention and Treatment For Healthier Looking Skin

Most of us enjoy spending time in the sun, whether it’s a brisk walk in the park or a day of fun at the beach. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures.  And though exposure to sunshine is crucial for both emotional and physical health, it can also wreak havoc on your skin.  The problem is if left unchecked, it can really do a number on your skin.

Sun exposure is hard to avoid completely, nor would you even want to do that.  Most of the damage we receive occurs over time – it’s a cumulative effect of short bursts of time outdoors.  And because the ozone layer no longer protects us as it did in the past, the amount of sun exposure we receive increases as the years pass by.

So the question is, how can you prevent more damage to your skin –  and what can you do to treat the damage you already have?

Sun Damage Prevention

As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The best time to start minimizing sun damage is in childhood. Protective hats and clothes that are closely woven offer the most protection.  And though it’s tempting to forego the hats once we get older, if you’re concerned about your skin, it’s wise not to do so.

And of course, don’t forget the sunscreen.

Sunscreens have vastly improved over the years and you can’t discount their effectiveness.  They work by adding a layer of protection to your skin against the sun’s ultraviolet rays.  These rays, ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B, are the rays that cause sunburns and increase skin cancer risks.  So make sure you choose a sunscreen that protects against both.

Not only does the effective use of sunscreen (that means careful reapplication while you’re in the sun, too) prevent painful burning, the added advantage is it can help prevent photodamage – wrinkling and brown spots caused by the sun.  This is really important if you want to maintain healthy and youthful looking skin as you age.

But the most crucial reason to make sure you apply sunscreen is to significantly decrease your risks of certain skin cancers.

Sun Damage Treatment

If you’re like most people, your skin may be showing the effects of sun damage.  Deep wrinkles, a leathery appearance, and unsightly brown spots – these are the price to pay for unprotected time in the sun or lusting over a golden tan.  However, don’t despair.  There are treatments available to help reverse the damage and to some degree, turn back time.

Medical treatments in the form of creams or gels have been proven to reverse skin damage to some degree.  They work by smoothing and thickening skin layers as well as reducing brown spots.  Used over a period of many months there is a visible decrease in wrinkling.

Chemical peels are gaining in popularity as they safely and successfully treat sun-damaged skin revealing a more youthful appearance.  They work by gently removing, or peeling away, the upper layer of the skin.  Some peels actually go deeper than that.  A doctor or certified skin technician applies acids or other chemicals to the skin to remove dead skin cells.  Doing this also produces new skin cells so your appearance is much younger looking.

If you are concerned about how to protect your skin from the sun, we can help. Vivia Center helps people concerned about the telltale signs of photodamage. Our Obagi products help diminish blotchy skin and brown patches so you can recapture a healthy, youthful glow.  Find out more about what Obagi products can do for your appearance, then contact Vivia Center to order them.

Vivia Center offers skin care treatments covering a wide range of needs utilizing the latest technologies, giving patients a superior service from a medical team they know and trust.

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