Sun Damage

How Does Sun Exposure Damage Your Skin?

A beautiful sunny day can perk up anyone’s mood and put a smile on your face. Too much of that sun, though, is not so kind to your skin and you can end up with major skin damage. It’s a good thing there are plenty of skin care products that can help with prevention and repair.

When you think about the risks of too much sun exposure, skin cancer is probably the first thing that comes to mind. In this case, the UV radiation from the sun damages the DNA in your cells in a way that causes tumors to form. From a skin care and aesthetics standpoint, though, sun damage usually refers to the visible signs of sun exposure. Those types of damage include brown spots (AKA age spots) and changing the texture of your skin to be tougher and more leathery. Sun damage also breaks down the proteins that keep your skin firm and smooth, so sun damage leads to premature wrinkles and sagging skin.

Can You Undo Sun Damage?

This is a common misunderstanding in skin care. Technically, you can’t undo the damage that UV radiation has done to your skin and your skin cells’ DNA. You can, though, repair the visible effects of that damage to some extent. You can do this through skin care products or professional skin treatments (or a combination of both).

These products and treatments don’t take away the sun damage but they can address specific symptoms of sun damage. For example, some products can reduce age spots and give your skin a more even tone while others can smooth fine lines and wrinkles.

How Do You Prevent Sun Damage to Your Skin?

Since there’s only so much you can do to repair sun damage after it happens, prevention is the name of the game. The obvious way to protect your skin from sun damage is with sunscreen, but there are some other strategies you can use too.

A wide-brimmed hat can do a great job of shading your face from the sun. Large-rimmed sunglasses can protect the fragile skin around your eyes from sun damage (and look stylish at the same time, of course).

Pro Tip: Sun Damage Doesn’t Just Happen on Your Face

Most people think of sun damage as it applies to their face, understandably because that’s the area of our skin that’s most visible and noticeable. But sun damage can happen anywhere on your body, especially in areas where your skin is exposed most of the time. The hands and chest are common places where people end up accumulating visible sun damage without realizing it, so take the extra few minutes to put sunscreen on these and other areas too.

Enjoying a sunny day is one of life’s little pleasures that everyone can love, and you don’t have to lock yourself inside to prevent sun damage. Just take some precautions and invest in quality skin care and you’re good to go!