Have you ever noticed the way your skin changes after spending time in the sun, or wondered why the warm glow of summer often leaves behind subtle signs of ageing on your face? If so, you're not alone. In this article, we'll dive into the concepts of photoaging and sun damage, and uncover the secrets to maintaining healthy skin. Learn the essentials of skincare and how you can protect yourself from the sun's rays without missing out on the joy of summer.
Sunshine and Skin: Fast Facts
- Up to 90% of visible changes attributed to ageing are caused by sun exposure.
- More than 2 in 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime.
- Daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing melanoma by 50%.
- Up to 80% of UV rays can pass through clouds
- All types of sunburn, whether serious or mild, can cause permanent and irreversible skin damage.
A Temporary Tan: The Gateway to Permanent Skin Damage
The sun emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which significantly impacts skin health through UVA and UVB rays. While UVB rays are primarily responsible for sunburns, UVA rays delve deeper, damaging the DNA in our skin cells, leading to premature ageing, or photoaging, and increasing the risk of skin cancer.
Photoaging manifests as wrinkles, fine lines, uneven skin tone, and textural changes, detracting from the skin's natural beauty and health. The golden glow you achieve from spending endless hours under the sun might make you look good for the summer, but a temporary tan is hardly worth the permanent damage that comes with it.
Shielding Your Skin: Effective Protection Strategies
Now we've established the critical importance of shielding your skin from the sun's harmful rays, let's delve into the best approaches to maintain your skin's radiance and youthfulness:
- Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen: Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 daily, even on cloudy days, to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Some excellent products containing SPF 50+ include the mesoestetic mesoprotech melan 130 pigment control sunscreen and mesoestetic mesoprotech light water veil. Apart from offering a strong shield against UV rays, they also help to combat wrinkles and hyperpigmentation thanks to their inclusion of active ingredients aimed at brightening and hydrating skin.
- Reapply Regularly: Sunscreen wears off, especially after swimming or sweating. Reapply every two hours for continuous protection.
- Seek Shade: The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Seek shade during these hours to minimise UV exposure.
- Wear Protective Clothing: Long-sleeved shirts, pants, wide-brimmed hats, and UV-blocking sunglasses can shield your skin from direct sun exposure.
- Be Mindful of Reflections: Water, sand, and snow can reflect and intensify UV rays, increasing your risk of sunburn and damage.
- Hydration & Antioxidants: Quench your skin's thirst from within by staying hydrated and fueling up on antioxidant-rich foods such as blueberries and tomatoes. This internal shield can bolster your skin's defence against the sun.
Beyond the Basics: The Best Skincare & Treatments for Sun Worshippers
While sunscreen and protective measures go a long way, often more is needed to remedy the visible effects of sun exposure and fortify your skin against further damage. At Total Body Clinics we have a variety of advanced cosmetic solutions that can help improve the health and appearance of sunkissed skin.
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Medical-Grade Skincare Products: We offer medical-grade skincare products from the mesoestetic range to provide your skin with a high concentration of active ingredients such as Niacinamide, Retinol, Vitamin C, Peptides, and Hyaluronic Acid. Unlike your typical over-the-counter skincare solutions, these products have strong formulations that are clinically proven to reverse and protect against sun damage.
- HIFU Treatments: Dive beneath the skin’s surface with our HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) treatments. These treatments address the deeper, unseen damages inflicted by the sun, promoting a firmer, uplifted complexion. HIFU is an excellent non-surgical treatment to lift, firm and tighten the skin.
- Facials & Skin Rejuvenation LED Therapy: Kickstart your skin's recovery process with our tailored facials and LED therapy, designed to enhance texture, boost collagen, and illuminate your skin from within. Our popular Hollywood Plump & Glow RF Facial combines medical-grade skincare, radio frequency technology and LED light therapy to rejuvenate sun damaged skin.
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Cosmetic Injectables: It's no secret you can reduce and prevent wrinkles and lines caused by the sun with cosmetic injections. Our highly qualified nurses can administer precision-targeted injectables to help you quickly achieve smoother, more revitalised skin.
With the right approach to sun protection and skincare, you can significantly reduce the risk of sun damage and maintain youthful, healthy skin. We are dedicated to providing you with the expertise, treatments, and products necessary to achieve this goal. For the best results, we highly recommend you book a complimentary consultation with one of our experts so we can help you select the right products and treatments.