Tips for repairing skin that’s been damaged by exposure to the sun

Prevention of sun damage is always better than a cure. But are there ways to reverse the signs of sun damage?

Download your Free 18 page Guide to Facial Rejuvenation treatments in Melbourne

When you are sitting poolside, soaking up the warmth of the sun and getting that perfect tan, the last thing on your mind is the long-term effects of the ultraviolet (UV) rays that are beaming down onto your exposed skin. Our rich, golden glow may look fantastic now, but the wrinkles and age spots that we will develop in a few years will be less than appealing.

While some sun is good for our health, such as helping with the body’s production and absorption of Vitamin D, TOO MUCH sun can be damaging or even life-threatening.

Excessive sun exposure can lead to the development of actinic keratosis (pre-cancerous lesions), freckles, wrinkles, benign tumors, elastosis (damage to the elasticity and collagen in the skin) and skin cancer.

You’ll definitely want to PREVENT rather than TREAT these skin conditions whenever possible.

Hence, prevention is always the BEST way to avoid sun damage and premature skin ageing as well as hyper-pigmented skin.

Preventative measures include wearing a quality, highly-protective sunscreen or sunblock, covering up when outdoors, and avoiding the sun during the hours when it’s at it’s most highly damaging time range).

It is never too late to begin a skincare regiment that will both prevent further injury and repair and rejuvenate your skin. Let’s take a look at a few simple tips that can help you reverse the signs of sun damage:

Choose Medical Grade Skin Care Products

Not all skincare products are the same. In fact, all those serums and creams lining the shelves at the local market will not give you the protection and rejuvenation that your skin is needing.

When you take a look at the active ingredients in medical-grade, also known as cosmeceutical, skincare products, you will see a much longer list of youth-preserving elements such as:

Zinc – to protect skin from the sun
Vitamin B – to improve cell production
AHA/BHA – to exfoliate and renew the skin
Retinoids – to lighten dark spots and slow down the breakdown of collagen
Anti-oxidants – to help with environmental conditions
Growth factors – to help regenerate the skin
Other newly evolving formulations of highly active materials

There are also a number of excellent SERUMS that aim to help improve your skin’s cellular turnover and increase collagen whilst reducing wrinkles.

Let A Skin Care Professional Assess the Condition of Your Skin and help you figure out what you need to get better skin

A medical skincare professional or Dermal Clinician can help you determine what products will suit your skin.

They can accurately help you choose the right active ingredient products for your specific skincare (or sun-damage) recovery needs.

As previously mentioned, not all skincare products are the same, so you don’t want to randomly choose a product that is not suitable for your skin type or medical condition.

That’s what makes a professional skincare assessment so worthwhile!

After your assessment, you will know exactly what cleansers, creams or serums you will need to help regain a youthful, smoother and more evenly pigmented skin appearance.

Skin damage from the sun appears to be cumulative.

So it’s important to practice Serious Sun-Protection EVERY day!

The best thing you can do to repair and guard your skin from the sun is simply to be diligent in protecting your skin from additional damaging rays.

Wear sunscreen even when it is cloudy, and stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day
Wear a wide-brimmed hat and high quality, large sunglasses – as part of your daily routine
Be careful of how much sun exposure you are inadvertently getting when driving your car – it’s often far more than you would think!
No matter what your skin tone and how easily you can tan without burning, the sun will still damage your skin and increase your skin cancer risks – so wear sun protection whenever you go outside or drive a car.

Our Dermal Clinicians and Aesthetic Physician and Injectables Team offer the best in medical-grade skincare products.

These include the revolutionary DNA Renewal Skin Care Range, PCA Skin and Cosmedix Skin Care products.

Want glowing, healthy skin? Here are our top tips for reviving your skin

If your skin needs reviving after a long winter, dry summer or lots of travelling – here are some great tips for glowing skin and healthy complexion

1. Moisturise after you shower

Moisturising your skin is such an important step in any beauty routine in order to help maintain hydrated, healthy & glowing skin. As many of you will know, applying a hydrating moisturiser (that is suitable for your skin type) day & night should be a top skincare priority.

Although, what you may not know is the best time to apply your moisturiser is as soon as you leave your bath or shower. This is because the skin is still porous and is vulnerable to products that are applied following your bath or shower, allowing for better absorption.

2. Invest in a top-quality Moisturiser

You should always be mindful of the products you are putting on your skin. Your choice of moisturiser is especially important to maintain glowing, soft skin without clogging your pores or causing unwanted breakouts.

Our tip for a high-quality moisturiser that is suitable for most skin types is the Obagi Hydrate Facial Moisturiser. Make sure you visit our Monthly Skin Care Specials page as we have NEW special offers on Obagi products and our range of top-quality Cosmeceutical Skin Care every month.

3. Drink Water!

We’ll say it once, we’ll say it 100 times; up your water intake and your skin will thank you in return!

For those of you who have heard it all before and are sceptical about what water can really do for your skin, keep reading!

Water helps to plump up the skin, causing wrinkles and pores to look less visible as they are ‘filled in’. As water helps to hydrate & plump up the skin, it becomes less likely to let in external particles that may cause irritations and blemishes.

And for those concerned with ageing, a variety of structures in the skin that support collagen require water to work effectively, says Julius Few, M.D., director of The Few Institute and clinical professor of plastic surgery at the University of Chicago. [Source: http://www.fewinstitute.com/]

Water also helps to combat dehydration within the skin; dehydrated skin can cause excess sebum (oils) to be produced which in turn can attribute to blemishes.

So, there you have it. Your skin needs to be hydrated from the inside out so try to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

4. Healite II Low Light Therapy Facial

As Spring arrives and we bid farewell to the cold winter months, what better way to treat yourself and to help to put a glow back into your skin than with a Healite II Skin Rejuvenation Facial?

The relaxing low-level light therapy (LLLT) facial treatments at Coco Ruby use an award-winning technology. Healite II from Lutronics is top in the league of low-level light therapy treatments. Getting Healite sessions can do a lot for your skin’s condition and help to rejuvenate dull, winter skin.

Benefits for Healite Treatments include:

Skin Rejuvenation
Reducing fine lines and wrinkles
Subsiding Acne
Reducing Superficial skin lesions

5. Eat for your Skin

What you put in your mouth can be just as important as the products that you apply to your skin. The vitamin, minerals & amino acids that food is broken down into can help to build healthy, glowing skin.

Opt for nutrient-dense fruits & vegetables, as well as healthy sources of Omega-3.

Not sure where to start?

For a good dose of skin-strengthening Omega-3 fatty acids, you may want to include foods such as fish (tuna, salmon & sardines), flaxseed, walnuts, eggs and chia seeds.

For foods high in collagen-boosting Vitamin C, look to include Peppers, broccoli, kale, citrus foods & in your diet.

Lastly, to keep up your Vitamin A and E intake which are known to be rich in antioxidants, you may want to incorporate pumpkin, almonds, carrots, sweet potato, spinach & avocado into your diet.

6. Re-think your Skin routine

Do you find your skin feels dry and tight after cleansing? Many of us put dry skin down to the effects of Winter, although it may be your every-day skin products that are letting you down.

Cleansers, in particular, can often be quite drying on the skin. If you use a daily cleanser that contains glycolic or salicylic acid, this may be doing more harm than good by stripping your skin of its natural oils, causing dryness & dehydration.

You may find that switching to a gentler cleanser with fewer or no harsh chemicals or exfoliants may do wonders for your skin.

If you are unsure about whether your skin routine is working for you – maybe it is time to consult with a professional!

Our team of talented and highly experienced Dermal Clinicians provide Skin Assessments using the Canfield REVEAL Imaging System
The Canfield REVEAL Imaging System is a powerful visual consultation tool that can take ‘skin insight’ images which reveal more information about your skin’s appearance AND skin conditions than standard photograph(s).
This allows your Clinician greater insight into the overall skin health and pigmentation issues, which helps your Clinician to provide more targeted treatment recommendations.

Want to know more or think its time to have your skin looked at by a professional?

Call us on (03) 8849 1400 to book an appointment with one of our Dermal Clinicians today.

7. Protect your Skin with SPF

Not only is the sun our greatest enemy when it comes to ageing, it can also dry out your skin by stripping it of its natural oil. Exposure to the sun is unavoidable, but ensuring your skin is prepared and protected is a MUST!

Not only does sun protection help your skin from day-to-day, but the long-term anti-ageing benefits are also indisputable. The best thing you can do for your skin is also one of the easiest – Slip, slop slap!

We highly recommend you wear a daily moisturiser, foundation or BB Cream that contains SPF 30 or higher to help maintain hydrated, glowing skin as the weather begins to heat up!

8. Refresh your Skin with a Chemical Peel

OK, so winter is over and your skin just isn’t feeling right – maybe you need something more than just your regular at-home face mask or skin serum.

Chemical peels can help your skin to look smoother and younger. It involves the application of a specific solution to the surface of the skin. This peels away the outermost layers of the skin revealing fresh skin beneath after the healing process.

From hydrating skin peels to exfoliating peels, we have custom treatments to suit each skin type and occasion. Our expert Skin Team has hand chosen the most active and results-driven peels available on the market today

Chemical Skin Peels are helpful to treat the skin conditions including:

Acne or acne scars
Age and liver spots
Fine lines and wrinkles
Freckles
Irregular skin pigmentation
Rough skin and scaly patches
Scars
Sun-damaged skin

Reverse the Signs of Sun Damage for Healthier Skin