Sun Damage Specialist

What is sun damage?

When the sun emits its warm glow, your skin soaks up ultraviolet rays that damage your skin and cause sunburn. Wrinkles, dark spots, and pre-cancerous lesions (called solar keratoses) may occur from too much sun exposure. Skin cancer can also result from many years after your time worshipping the sun.

How can I prevent sun damage?

Prevention is key to avoiding skin cancer. Protective clothes, such as light, long-sleeved shirts, and pants, along with the use of broad-spectrum sunscreen, helps reduce UV exposure. Avoiding sunburns is extremely important.

What are age spots and hyperpigmentation?

Age spots really occur due to sun exposure, not aging. These brown spots, known as lentigos, develop due to collections of melanin, the skin’s pigment. With sun exposure, your skin produces more melanin.

Freckles are another common form of hyperpigmentation and are aggravated by frequent sun exposure. Melasma, which are patches of darkened skin that may look brown or gray, can be made worse with sun exposure.

How is sun damage treated?

At Knight Dermatology Institute: A Forefront Dermatology Practice, your provider may recommend topical creams and laser treatments to effectively treat age spots, hyperpigmentation, and freckles. Topical creams prescribed by your provider contain hydroquinone, tretinoin, and cortisone. They effectively treat hyperpigmentation but take about three to six months to take effect.

The fractional CO2 laser known as Lumenis UltraPulse FX™ is the latest, most comprehensive technology in treating sun damage. While laser treatment is more aggressive than topical creams or facials, it is the most effective in clearing unwanted age spots and hyperpigmentation. The Lumenis UltraPulse FX used at Knight Dermatology Institute: A Forefront Dermatology Practice is the gold standard treatment for hyperpigmentation. Its results are unmatched by any other technology on the market.

The Lumenis UltraPulse FX has a small, precise target beam of energy that penetrates deep below the surface of the skin to break up discoloration and promote skin repair. The laser treatment is extremely effective and safe.

Topical and laser treatments to reduce sun damage are usually permanent, especially if you commit to prevention in the future. You must always protect yourself from the sun every day to avoid undoing the work of the treatments.

To learn how you can reduce the damage done by years spent in the sun, call Knight Dermatology Institute: A Forefront Dermatology Practice or book an appointment using the online booking agent.