Unless you live underground, some degree of sun damage is inevitable. The sun’s rays do provide some very necessary health benefits such as vitamin D. However, this is not a blanket excuse to hit the beach slathered in baby oil as it only takes about 15 minutes of sun exposure in the early morning to get your daily dose of D.
Furthermore, the potential downsides of too much UVA and UVB light far outweigh the positives considering that you can take a vitamin D supplement, but undoing sun damage may be arduous. Patients will always ask me: “What are the best procedures to reverse sun damage?”. Here are my recommendations.
Embrace a Robust Skincare Regime
The single best way to improve sun damage is to minimize your exposure in the first place. Daily use of a broad-band sunscreen of at least SPF 30 is probably the number way to reduce not just sun spots, but aging in the skin. Sunscreen can help to prevent or slow down the appearance of:
- Brown spots
- Hyperpigmentation
- Redness
- Fine lines & wrinkles
- Loose, sagging skin
- “Crepey” uneven skin texture
So no matter your age, ethnicity or gender, I always recommend sunscreen as part of a skincare regime. I am a big fan of EltaMD, but the important thing is to find one that you like enough to use daily. The rest of your skincare regime must be individualized to your unique anatomy and needs.
This is why it’s a good idea to schedule an in-person consultation with a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon. The skin is your body’s largest organ. It is also always on display so taking good care of it will help you not just look your best, but feel your best as well.
Treatment Options to Reduce Sun Damage
While the optimum way of reversing sun damage is to avoid the sun, it is also important to live your life. Luckily, there are a number of effective non-surgical procedures to address sun damage. The right one for you is going to depend on:
- Degree of sun damage
- Tolerance for downtime
- Budget
- Age
Treatment options include:
- TCA Chemical Peel
- Intense Pulse Light (IPL)
- PICOSure Laser
- Non-ablative Fractional Laser Resurfacing
- Ablative Laser Resurfacing
In general, younger patients make ideal candidates for a less invasive procedure such as IPL as they haven’t accrued as much cumulative damage versus an older patient who may need a more aggressive treatment option such as an ablative laser.
Chemical Peel or Lasers to Treat Sun Damage in Boston
How do you decide if you are a better candidate for a chemical peel or some type of laser to address your sun damage? You don’t. Again, this is something that needs to be assessed in-person by an MD. Many patients come in to see me requesting a specific laser because someone online got it and looks terrific. This can be the downside of the internet. It does not know the specifics of your skin. And a procedure is only effective if it is the correct one to address your needs, anatomy and lifestyle.
Consider the Cost
Another factor that I always discuss with a potential patient is budget. Some patients may be a better candidate for a more intense procedure but don’t want to deal with the associated downtime. They’d rather have a series of less intense treatments over time. This is fine, but it is important to understand that this is going to cost more in the long run. When I’m devising your ideal treatment plan, I am always looking for the procedure that is going to get the job done while also delivering the best bang for your buck.
To find out more about skincare, a chemical peel or lasers to treat sun damage, or any other surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Sean Doherty at his Boston or Chestnut Hill office, contact us today or call (617) 450-0070 to schedule a consultation.