Protecting your skin from the sun is so important because sun damage can increase your risk of skin cancer and it will also leave lasting damage. But we’re not always good at following this advice and some people find that they end up with very sun damaged skin. People also get caught out because they only protect themselves when it’s hot, but that isn’t the only time that the sun can damage your skin. If you have a lot of sun damage, you may get excess lines and wrinkles, and dark spots on the skin. In some cases, if the damage is too severe, there is nothing that you can do about it. But if you act early enough, you can usually improve your skin. These are the best ways to reverse the sun damage to your skin.
Skin Resurfacing
The most effective way to reverse the damage to your skin and make it look more youthful is to undergo a skin resurfacing treatment. If you find a good plastic surgeon, they will be able to administer laser treatments to the skin that strip back the damaged layers at the top and allow healthier, new skin to grow through. The new skin will regenerate over the next six months, leaving you with better skin. It’s the best way to get rid of the dark spots and you will get long term results.
Niacinamide
When you are buying skin products, there are certain ingredients that you should look out for if you want to reverse the effects of sun damage, and Niacinamide is one of the main ones. It acts as an antioxidant, improves skin elasticity, reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and most importantly, reduces blotchiness and dark patches in the skin. It’s also great at improving the protective barrier on your skin so it can help to prevent more damage in the future. You can find lots of great serums and moisturizers that contain Niacinamide, so it’s easy to add it to your routine.
Vitamin C
Products that contain vitamin C will help to boost collagen production in the skin, which makes it more elastic and reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Vitamin C can also increase free radicals which protect the skin from sun damage in the first place, so you give yourself an added layer of protection at the same time as repairing some of the damage.
Sun Protection
Once you have started to repair the damage that you did previously, it’s important that you continue to protect your skin properly, especially in the summer. Try to use a moisturizer that has SPF protection so you are always protected, even in the winter. During the summer months, make sure that you are using strong sun protection and look for ones that have a high level of UVA and UVB protection. This will ensure that you are protected from the rays that penetrate the skin as well as the ones that burn the surface.
It’s not too late to reverse the damage to your skin, but you need to make sure that you protect yourself properly from now on.
