Sun Damage

Your skin is very susceptible to damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure such as which occurs when you are out in the sun or use a tanning bed. Excessive UV exposure causes molecular and genetic changes in the skin that results in dark spots (age spots), freckles, lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone, appearance of superficial blood vessels (telangiectasia), thinning of the skin and skin cancers. The best treatment is prevention by using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a high SPF daily, wearing a wide brimmed hat, sunglasses and protective clothing when outdoors and avoiding all forms of tanning. Treatment of mild photoaging includes skin care products with retinoids or retinols, vitamin C and various acids. These can also be used as a maintenance program after treatment with lasers. For moderate photoaging, fractionated laser resurfacing can be quite rejuvenating. Intense pulsed light (IPL) can reduce age spots. Botox, Dysport, fillers, lasers (Alma ClearLift) and radiofrequency (Alma vShape Ultra) can be used to treat wrinkles.