Sun exposure jumpstarts premature skin aging

While so many people are working hard to stay and look young, one common thing they tend to overlook is how unprotected sun exposure can prematurely age their skin.

A sun-kissed look might be attractive, but that sun exposure jumpstarts early texture irregularities that can add on years.

Premature skin aging can be broken down into two categories: intrinsic and extrinsic.

Basically, intrinsic aging comes from within, such as genetics. On the flipside, extrinsic aging comes from outside and environmental causes. And unshielded sun protection is at the top of the list when it comes to premature aging. In fact, it’s estimated that nearly 80 percent of environmental factors is attributed to ultra violet rays.

Yes, aging is a natural process, but if environmental factors aren’t addressed, than that aging process will move full speed ahead.

In addition to the sun, other extrinsic causes include:

• Excessive alcohol
• Gravity
• Repeated facial expressions
• Sleeping positions face down or fetal
• Smoking

Skin damage from the sun can appear in a variety of forms. It can show up in either one or more of the following ways:

• Age spots
• Blotchy pigmentation and tone
• Facial spider veins
• Fine wrinkles
• Freckles
• Loss of tone and firmness
• Roughness

Above all, sun exposure is the number one reason for skin cancer.

The word, photoaging, is a term skin care professionals refer to when a person’s skin has been exposed to the sun. And this just isn’t for one summer, but rather, over a person’s lifetime.

As the years wear on, the skin is unable to repair itself from the ongoing harm of sun penetration.

Things that a skin care professional take into consideration are a person’s skin tone and their sun experience history even back to their childhood years.

Some sun worshipers or those who play and work outdoors may show photoaging signs as early as in their twenties.

Professionals say that those with a light skin color will have more photoaging side effects as compared to darker skin tones which reveal more fine wrinkles and some blotchiness.

Products and treatments for repairing sun damaged skin may include vitami
A (tretinoin), glycolic acid, laser therapy, microdermabrasions, chemical peels and more.

It’s never too late to incorporate a sun protection routine. Before walking out the door, be sure to use a sunscreen which has ingredients such as:

• Avobenzone
• Ecamsule
• Oxybenzone
• Sulisobenzone
• Titanium dioxide
• Zinc oxide

These broad spectrum formulas (UVA and UVB protection), along with sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat are maximum sun protectors which help reduce future signs of premature aging skin.