Ah, summer. Sand, waves, and a good beach read. Many of us dream of having this kind of downtime, helping us to recharge and regroup.

However, those summer rays can do some damage if you’re not careful. Remember your freckles as a kid? Or that vacation where your shoulders and face burned?  Or, if you’re of a “certain age,” maybe you laid out with baby oil. On foil. Yikes.

All of these examples can cause or are signs of sun-damaged skin, which can appear as early as our teens or 20s.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, if you’ve received five or more sunburns over your lifetime, you have doubled your risk for melanoma. Further, 90 percent of “skin aging is caused by the sun.” Sun damage is also cumulative. Each year of too much sun exposure can increase damage to your skin. 

But all’s not lost. The damage to sun-soaked skin can be reversed if you know your options. 

Read on to learn about how Botox can help reverse your sun-damaged skin.

Signs of Sun-Damaged Skin

Signs of sun-damaged skin are numerous, depending on the pigmentation of your skin and your exposure. However, common signs include:

• wrinkles, 
• dark or sunspots, 
• uneven skin tone, 
• blotchiness or redness, or
• dry, coarse, or leathery skin texture. 

When the sun damages our skin, it essentially breaks down the skin’s structure, weakening it.  Further, the resulting damage often does not appear until years after the exposure.  

How to Protect Yourself

The best way to protect yourself from sun exposure is to—well—stay out of the sun.  Although this is an impossibility for most of us, the theory itself can be extended to everyday life.

For example, you can wear a hat to shield the sensitive skin on your face from the sun. You can sit in the shade or under a beach umbrella, preventing the sun’s rays from wrinkling or blotching your skin. 

Further, unlike the lack of advice in the 70s and 80s, now, it’s common to hear about the benefits of sunscreen, for your face, body, and lips. According to Cleveland Clinic, most people should use sunscreen with lead at 30 sun protection factors (SPF). If you’ve had skin cancer yourself or your family has a history of skin cancer, you should wear a higher SPF.

You can also use facial moisturizers and creams containing retinoids, vitamin C, and antioxidants. These elements can reduce the appearance of sunspots as well as the size of your pores, giving you a more youthful look. 

Don’t forget to shed those dull, dead skin cells with exfoliants, helping with uneven skin tones, dry skin, and clogged pores. 

With proper guidance, you can also pursue chemical peels, laser therapy, or lightening agents, evening out your skin tone while removing sunspots and blemishes caused by sun exposure. Again, be sure you work with someone skilled in these procedures, giving your look a boost. 

How Does Botox Help to Reverse Sun Damaged Skin?

Botox Is one of the “most versatile medical tools” available today. In addition to treating migraines, bladder disorders, and TMJ, Botox is most used “to eliminate the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the face and neck,” including those caused by sun exposure.

The drug Botox is typically administered through an injection, weakening and paralyzing the underlying muscle. Because of this paralysis, Botox can reduce the appearance of wrinkles by smoothing the skin. With the sun potentially causing deeper lines and wrinkles, Botox injections may be an ideal treatment.

 It’s important to know that Botox doesn’t eliminate wrinkles.  However, with proper use of Botox and as advised by your dermatologist or plastic surgeon, you can reduce the appearance of sun damage for three to six months before you need another injection. Over time, you may find that you only need two injections yearly to maintain your desired appearance. 

Even if your teens or 20s are well in the past, it’s never too late to protect your skin from sun exposure. However, just like with any procedure, cutting corners is not advised. Instead, a qualified and experienced physician can analyze previous damage to your skin, informing you of the best approach forward. So, to get that youthful, smooth skin, contact us today!