What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance. ~Jane Austen
Although the sun may provide life-giving nutrients, such as Vitamin D, as well as regulate our body clock, there’s also a major downside to too much sun exposure—wrinkles, dry skin, sun burn, age spots, and possibly even, cancer.
Symptoms of Sun Damaged Skin
Dry Skin
Too much sun exposure will cause skin to turn dry and flaky. You might even notice some wrinkles have begun to form. Salt water and chlorine makes skin even drier. Dry skin also causes itching, blisters and tightness.
Here’s a rundown of what to look out for:
Tightness – Skin feels tight, but uncomfortably so especially after being in the water (bathing, swimming, etc.)
Sun exposure can lead to skin pigmentations. Image courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net
Shrunken and Dehydrated – Remember how the skin on your fingertips would “prune up” after staying too long in the tub or pool? Yep, that’s what it looks like. Only thing is, it’s not because you spent too much time in the water and it’s not going away.
Rough, Scaly, Flaking Skin – Skin feels rough and scratchy, almost like sandpaper which may appear flaky, scaly and even start peeling.
Itching (Pruritus) and Redness – Itchy, red, rough skin that can sometimes be intense. You may even begin to develop open sores or an infection from scratching (if this happens, see a doctor right away).
Fine Lines or Cracks – Fine lines begin to form. The sun-exposed skin has more lines compared to areas that were hidden from the sun.
Deep fissures that may bleed in severe cases – Skin begins to crack and bleed.
TIP: Besides always using sunscreen, moisturize your skin with Diana Stalder Skin Revitilizer (which contains Vitamins A, C, D, and E and protects skin from free radicals) and care for your body with the Diana Stalder Moisturizing Skin Lotion.
Sunburn
(Mild) sunburnt skin is red, painful and sensitive to the touch. Often, the sun-exposed area is clearly darker, redder than while the unexposed areas (usually the area covered by the bathing suit, clothing such as short sleeves) is much lighter. While severe sunburnt skin may develop painful blusters and after extreme exposure, a person could develop nausea, dizziness and even heatstroke.
TIP: Shed the damaged, sunburnt layer of skin and show off the fresh, new, clear skin with the Diana Stalder Nourishing Creme. It soothes and exofoliates dead skin cells and helps maintain its elasticity.
Actinic Keratosis
Actinic Keratosis is when a patch of scaly, peeling skin has a sharp, jagged surface with pink, yellow, red or brownish colouring. It usually starts out small – the size of a pimple – and is tender to the touch.
TIP: Soothe inflamed skin with the Diana Stalder Licorice Beauty Bar, which cleans, softens and lightens skin. It has anti-inflammatory properties that calms down aggravated skin.
Premature wrinkles can be caused by sun exposure. Image courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net
Collagen Changes
One will know when collagen begins to erode when fine lines, wrinkles appear. Skin feels thicker and the sun-exposed areas are susceptible to bruising.
TIP: Nourish, moisturize and keep your skin looking you wit the Diana Stalder Collagen Cream. It also contains sunscreen to prevent your skin from further damage.
Too much exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause long-term sun damage. Sun damage, often referred to by doctor’s as “photo damage” are the changes in the skin after too time in the sun. UV radiation is part of the radiation beyond the violet end of visible light (some of the sun’s electromagnetic radiation make up the colours of the rainbow) is thus called ultraviolet radiation which our eyes cannot see.
There are two kinds of UV rays – UVA and UVB. Although there is another category of UV rays, UVC, it does not reach the past the earth’s surface, rather it is absorbed by the ozone layer. However, even if it does not pose any direct damage to our skin, the damage we do to the environment – inevitably stripping away the ozone layer – increases the possibility of exposure (which is deadly).
1) UVA – UVA rays remain the same strength throughout the year. UVA was once believed to be the “safer” kind of sun exposure, but recent studies have proven that it was in fact, the more detrimental kind of UV ray. Too much UVA exposure not only causes long-term skin damage, but it also causes skin cancer. As 5% of the sun’s rays, it can pass through clear glass and penetrate deep into the layers of the skin. It is also 20 times more abundant than UVB rays and is not affected by change in weather. Thus, just because it’s a cloudy day doesn’t mean that UVA rays aren’t reaching your skin.
How it affects your skin:
UVA rays penetrate the outer layer of your skin (the epidermis) and spreading into the dermis (your “true skin”) layer. This is especially damaging because the production of new skin cells in the dermis layer slows down for most people in their late twenties. Thus, exposure to UVA rays speeds up the ageing process. What happens when UVA rays attack the dermis is that it destroys and shrinks the collagen and elastin of the lower layers of the skin, causing the epidermis to ‘sink’ and wrinkle. Moreover, whatever melanocyte cells are left spread out in the dermis which causes dark spots.
2) UVB – UVB rays may not cause the same degree of long-term damage as UVA rays, but it’s still important to protect oneself with sunscreen. UVB may give you a nice tan, but it also causes sunburn. It plays a role in 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancer as well as cataracts.
It accounts for 0.5 percent of the sun’s rays and varies with the weather conditions.
However, UVB rays also helps the body build vitamin D which alleviates mood disorders, helps the body maintain calcium levels (and facilitates calcium absorption) and is vital to the proper formation of bones. In addition, another positive aspect about UVB rays is that people can protect themselves from it – UVB cannot penetrate SPF (Sun Protection Factor) in sunscreens and cannot pass through glass.
How it affects your skin:
UVB rays can only penetrate the surface layer of the skin (epidermis), which is only .05 mm at the thinnest part (eyelids) and 1.5 mm at its thickest (palms and soles of feet). Therefore, it does not reach blood vessels or nerve endings. However, it triggers the skin (via melanocyte cells) to produce more melanin (pigmentation). Thus, what often occurs after some exposure to UVB rays is a suntan, or a painful sunburn. It also causes freckles, brown or age spots, and hyperpigmentation (chloasma / melasma).
So What Happens During a Sunburn?
Sun damage not only affects your skin’s short-term appearance, but also reaches beneath the surface layer of the skin and may cause long term problems.
Getting that perfect tan can be damaging to your skin.
Solar Keratosis – Also known as actinic keratosis, this refers to the changes that go on beneath the surface of your epidermis. Skin cells change size, shape and order which ofen results in crusty or scaly lesions or extreme dryness, as well as sensitive, prickly skin. It often affects the thin areas of the skin – face (including lips, ears, scalp), neck, and forearms.
Skin Color Changes – Pigment changes such as brown spots (solar lentigos) appear. Some people develop age spots, freckles or even white spots on the legs and back.
Moles – Moles, or nevi, may be potential indicators for melanoma. However, before becoming alarmed, know that moles don’t always mean cancer and that most people (especially children and young adults) often acquire new moles (caused by the sun). However, if you have a lot of moles or freckles, it’s important that you have yourself regularly checked since the proliferation of moles (especially large and/or oddly shaped ones in non-sun exposed areas) is an indicator that a person may have an increased likelihood of developing skin cancer.
Things to look out for (in new and old moles):
- oddly coloured and shaped
- ragged edges
- change in color
- bleeding
- large moles (larger than a pencil eraser)
- flush with skin
Other Warning Signs to Look Out For:
- Red, scaly lesions (on the face, ears, and backs of hands)
- Lesions on the lower lip – These lesions are known as actinic keratose (on the lip, it’s called actinic cheilitis). 1 in 100 cases per year develop into squamous cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer).
Therefore, if you suspect any changes or even if you’ve had a simple sunburn, see your doctor at once. Also, protect yourself before disaster strikes. Invest in a quality skin care routine (to slough away dirt, grime and dead skin cells from the heat) like the Diana Stalder Multi-Fruit Exofoliant. Products like the Diana Stalder Surely White Melasma Kit will help you remove troublesome dark spots, while a lightweight sunscreen, such as the Diana Stalder Sunblock Gel, will keep the sun’s harsh rays from damaging your skin.
Posted by pgesmundo 
