LEADING CAUSE OF AGING SKIN .... THE SUN

When the skin burns on the outside it becomes damaged on the inside. Sun damage is cumulative and the years of sun exposure surfaces as we age. Brown spots, loss of elasticity and wrinkles creep up on us every year until one day we look in the mirror and ask, “how did this happen?”

The sun hits our skin with two types of ultraviolet lights UVA and UVB. The majority of rays that reach the earths surface are long - wave ultraviolet light called UVA. This ray deeply penetrates the skin and causes premature aging , wrinkles and skin cancer. The oxidative stress on the skin creates free radicals that affect the skin collagen leading to the breakdown of the skins structure. UVB rays are shorter in length and cause damage to the more superficial layers of the skin.

The Sun Damage cycle starts as soon as the skin is exposed to UV rays, which is possible even on a cloudy day. When UV Rays hit the skin they start a change in melanocytes. Melanin granules oxidize and move closer to the skins surface and the skins melanocytes activity increases to produce more pigment to build protection from the sun . Melanin is what gives skin the tanned look but it's actually skin damage. The more skin is exposed to the sun the more damage is created to the skins DNA.

To keep skin healthy, happy and looking young always protect the skin from the sun. Skincare products with antioxidant such as Vitamin C, E and Coenzyme Q10 along with sunscreen will protect the skin from damage but the best defence is to avoid or limit direct exposure to the sun.