Sun Spots & Sun Damaged skin

What is sun damaged skin and sun spots?

Sun damaged skin is a skin condition that takes place when ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun’s rays hits the skin without sunscreen regularly and for prolonged periods of time. It changes DNA on a cellular level, resulting in premature ageing skin called photoageing, and it can even lead to skin cancer. It can take years for the symptoms of sun damage to show up, typically presenting itself as sun spots on the surface of the skin that look small, flat, and dark. They vary in size and usually appear on the face, hands, shoulders, and arms. 

What causes sun damaged skin and sun spots?

Sun damaged skin is caused by two types of UV radiation, UVA and UVB light. The former affects the skin on all levels, from the surface layer (epidermis) to the dermis, damaging collagen and elastin fibres that give skin its bouncy youthful appearance and elasticity. This type of sun damage also affects the epidermal cells and tiny blood vessels called capillaries. Turning our attention to UVB light, this causes more damage to DNA and can trigger photoageing and may cause precancerous cells to form called actinic keratoses. 

Years of sun exposure without sunscreen usually leads to sun spots on the skin, which result from UV light speeding up the production of melanin (the natural pigment that gives skin its colour). This is a natural process as your skin tries to protect itself from more sun damage and skin damage, leading to sun spots forming when the melanin becomes clumped or is produced in very high concentrations. 

What treatments are available for sun damaged skin and sun spots?

If you’re wondering how to get rid of sun spots, you’ve come to the right place. At Cardiff Cosmetic Clinic, our aesthetic specialists treat sun damage and related benign sun spots using state-of-the-art aesthetic treatments for skin repair at the cutting-edge of medical science. These range from IPL powered Lumecca (laser treatment for sun damage), stem cell focused AnteAGE MD, NeoGen PSR for plasma skin rejuvenation, and the classic microneedling skin resurfacing treatment. Our treatments target all layers of the skin without going under the knife to encourage the formation of new and healthy skin, eliminate or reduce sun spots, and boost the production of collagen and elastin. The end result is skin that’s renewed, healthier, and clearer. It also helps with a range of additional skin conditions, including skin discolouration, uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation for a holistic approach to skin rejuvenation. 

We offer non-surgical and non-ablative solutions to sun damaged skin and age spots with minimal downtime, so you can get back on your feet in no time after treatment.