What is Photoageing?
“Sun damage causes most of the skin Aging”
Sun exposure certainly has its benefits but there are downsides to prolonged UV exposure. Sunlight is composed of a spectrum of rays 10% of these are ultraviolet radiation. Prolonged UV exposure can cause skin cancers, but it will almost certainly cause premature ageing of the skin known as photo ageing.
Photoaging is when the sun prematurely ages the skin which exhibits adverse changes in the skin in some cases can lead to skin cancers.
Other terms include Sun damage- solar damage- photo damage
This damage occurs beneath the skin, deep down in the dermis the thicker layer of skin below the epidermis. The epidermis has five layers which look like layers of a brick wall. The dermis sandwiched between the epidermis and the fat layer contains the glands, hair follicles, blood vessels and is composed of collagen and elastin tissue. Collagen and elastin fibres provide tensile strength and elasticity, as you age the amount and quality of these proteins reduce. Elastin increases during UV exposure, but this production is of poor quality. Resulting in compromised collagen and elastin which gives the skin less tensile strength, less snap therefore deeper more pronounced wrinkles.
The sun damage caused in the dermal layer of the skin takes years to present itself, in some cases this can be as early as your twenties.
Symptoms include:
Wrinkles
Pigment changes
Decreased elasticity
Uneven texture
Broken capillaries
Redness and blotchiness
Photo ageing, why you must take sunlight protection seriously
There are two ‘skins’ to compare with ageing. The skin which will make you appear older than your years, the skin which has not been protected against UV and other external aggressors.
Skin which has normal intrinsic (internal) or chronological ageing without environmental assault. Visibly this ‘skin’ is smooth, thicker, reasonably unblemished with normal deep lines of expression. Under the skin there is flattening between the layers and the proteins are breaking down.
Extrinsically (externally) aged skin with excess environmental assault
This ‘skin’ is wrinkled not only in the lines of expression but has other lines which criss cross across the midface, dimpling on the chin and excess lines on the brow.
The colouring is sallow has areas of mottled pigmentation or larger pigmentation marks known as age spots. This will be noticeable not only on the face but the neck, chest and arms. The neck may have discolouration on either side of the neck which is reddish and mottled pigment.
The skin has noticeable loss of tone, elasticity, broken capillaries, skin is thin and fragile.
Beneath the skin the layers of the skin are compacted with visible protein degeneration.
The cumulative result of years of unprotected exposure to UV almost certainly will cause adverse effects and photoaging.
Sun damage causes most of the skin Aging:
Sunlight contains ultraviolet light this is responsible for damage of your DNA and reducing natural antioxidants both contributing to aging of the skin. The free radical damage causes wrinkles, pigmentation, and visible capillaries, rough and loose skin.
If it is daylight the sun is there, and we need to protect from its rays using a full spectrum block of UVA and UVB protection.
What is UVB?
SPF only measures the sunscreen ability to filter UVB rays. UVB rays are the rays related to sunburn and skin cancer.
What is UVA?
UVA is around every day it is related to increase in skin cancer, UVA rays penetrate deeper than UVB rays and cause aging, influences collagen and darkens the skin.
Sunscreen with the active ingredient zinc oxide contained protects against UVA and UVB rays an ingredient that acts as a natural sunscreen physically blocking rather than chemically blocking the UV rays.
SPF does not measure UVA rays. The only way to protect against these rays is to use a full spectrum block. It must be mentioned that UVA rays can penetrate through windows.
Prevention is better than cure especially with sunlight, avoid sun exposure when it is at its peak, utilise shade and protective clothing but the non negotiable is always sun protection cream.
If you already have some physical effects of photoaging, there’s no cause for alarm. Consult Jody Taylor at Skin Deep to begin a treatment plan for you.