Outdoor sports. Afternoons on the water or at the beach. Yard work. Or just going about your daily business. If only you’d known what all that time in the sun would do to your skin! Fortunately, the right rejuvenation treatment can reverse multiple types of sun damage to restore smoother, firmer, more youthful-looking skin.
Invisible UV Rays Cause Visible Damage
Sunlight robs your face and body skin of moisture, and it breaks down structural fibers and tiny capillaries that provide support and crucial blood flow. You can start seeing the effects as early as your teens or early 20s, and they aren’t pretty:
- Lines and wrinkles
- Laxity (decreased tone)
- Rough or uneven texture
- Spider veins (commonly on the nose or chest)
- Redness or blotchy patches
To protect yourself, medical professionals (including our own Dr. Elizabeth Hernandez) recommend you wear sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB light. Both of these types of ultraviolet radiation harm the skin, but in different ways:
- UVA light damages surface skin but also deeper layers of the dermis, where collagen and elastin exist to provide support and firmness.
- UVB light damages the surface skin and is often associated with precancerous lesions.
Sunscreen is a must, but what if you already have sun damage?
Make an Appointment to Take Corrective Action
At Eterna Cosmetic Surgery, we offer two excellent treatment options to restore sun-damaged skin – Halo Hybrid Fractional Laser Treatment and BBL Hero Light Therapy. Halo is safe and effective for all skin tones and types, and BBL Hero is suitable for all but the darkest skin tones. Both are highly customizable and treat both surface and deeper problems, making them ideal to treat sun damage.
Halo Hybrid Fractional Laser Treatment
This is a unique, fractional laser treatment that uses two wavelengths simultaneously so we can resurface skin and treat sub-surface issues at the same time. Halo is faster and gentler than other types of lasers, yet it is impressively effective. We especially like the results we can achieve using Halo to address fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation problems, and uneven tone and texture. Also, as noted,
Halo resurfaces the skin so it looks healthier and more radiant.
Halo treatments are not painful, especially since we will apply a topical numbing cream. That requires some time to take effect, so you will want to allot about an hour and a half for your appointment even though the treatment itself doesn’t take long.
Many patients require just one Halo treatment to achieve the results they desire, though in some cases Dr. Hernandez may recommend a second treatment. Results are very long-lasting.
BBL Hero Light Therapy
Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy has been around for years, but BBL is a more advanced technology system that is faster, more powerful, and more precise yet still gentle on the skin and comfortable for patients. There is no downtime required. We especially love BBL Hero for repairing sun damage on the face, neck, chest, and hands. Dr. Hernandez can tailor each treatment to simultaneously correct pigmentation issues such as freckles and dark spots, restore elasticity, and improve overall texture and tone.
While BBL Hero can provide noticeable results after a single treatment, it works gradually so Dr. Hernandez usually recommends 3 to 6 treatments depending on your desired results. Regular BBL treatment is proven to help slow visible effects of aging.
Sunscreen: Don’t Leave Home without It
Don’t set yourself up for future skin damage – or skin cancer – caused by the sun. It’s important to wear sunscreen whenever you will be outdoors, even if only for a short time and even if it is cloudy. UV rays are relentless.
Meanwhile, let’s repair whatever sun damage has already occurred, so your skin can look smoother, firmer, and more youthful now and going forward.
