Education

While we need the sun- it’s plays a crucial part in our bodies functions through vitamin D absorption, it helps our mood and our sense of well being- over time  the signs of sun damage to our skin begin to show.

Photo-damage that start to show up are things like dilated capillaries: small  blood vessels  filled with stagnant blood that show up just below the skin’s surface, leading to a look of flushing in the cheeks and chin area, around the creases of the nose  and sometimes on the forehead. Hyperpigmentation: brown freckles and large spots that show up on the nose, the orbital bone and eventually all over the cheeks and forehead. These are also commonly called age spots. Wrinkles that are due to sun damage look like fine criss-crossing lines- these are not wrinkles that are due to facial expressions, but specifically due to the break down of the supportive fibers that keep the skin firm and taught. Loss of volume also occurs and manifest in sagging of the skin and ill-defined facial contours around the chin and jawline.

This is all a little bit disheartening- however, thanks to advancements in medical aesthetic technology, we can slow down and prevent a great deal of the aging process. One of the best treatments for photo-damaged skin is Broad Band Light therapy or photorejuvenation. By pulsing wavelengths of light into the depths of the skin, we can target pigmented cells and dilated capillaries to even out the skin tone. As the light scatters in the skin, it has rejuvenating effects on the collagen fibres, stimulating collagen synthesis. This improves skin firmness, refines pores and softens fine lines.

By combining photorejuvenation with microdermabrasion, we can improve the skin quality even more by retexture the epidermis. Microdermabrasion sloughs away the upper layers of the skin to reveal fresh hydrated skin and stimulate cell renewal from the bottom layers of the epidermis, effectively softening and revitalizing the skin.

It’s best to begin this series of treatments earlier on- before the signs of sun damage really take hold. Integrating a series of photorejuvenation and microdermabrasion treatments every few years after 30 is a good time to start. This way, the degradation of the dermis can be effectively prevented and heavier pigmentation and redness can be avoided  all together.

In the mean time. regular facials and effective home-care keep the balance in place to maintain healthy and beautiful skin for life.

As the fall approaches, it is a good time to plan ahead to begin Broad Band Light therapy for your skin and work on reducing and reversing sun damage in your skin. Keep your eyes out for upcoming specials, promotions and pop-up specials via our Facebook group page and Twitter posts.

Here’s an excellent article I found on Gwyneth Paltrow’s web site GOOP about approaching sun exposure from a balanced and healthy place.

Okay- so this may be a bit anti-climactic seeing as the weather here in Vancouver has been less than summer-like, but perhaps it’s kind of a “If you build it they will come” scenario, like in Field of Dreams. Don’t ask me why I’m quoting a dated Kevin Costner film in a skin care blog! But it just seems appropriate as, perhaps if we get ready for summer, it will actually come.

1. Blast away dead skin that has built up over the winter season. Having a full body exfoliation is such a brilliant experience. If you’ve never done it- you must give it a try. Although it’s pretty easy to just give yourself a full body exfoliation at home, there’s nothing quite like lying on a treatment table and having someone scrub you down. Somehow- your skin is just that much softer and smoother- not to mention that you’re not sore from having to bend down and twist all over to reach every inch of your skin. Oh- and there’s no clean up, you get to just rinse away the salts and oils in the rain and water tile shower. ¤This month, receive a complimentary Lab Scrub when you purchase $200 or more in Dermalogica products.

2. Protect your skin from sun damage. I would never advocate simply living your life under an umbrella in the pursuit of perfect skin. Ultimately, we must all enjoy our lives and live in the moment. However, that doesn’t mean that we should be striving to damage our skin in pursuit of the perfect tan either. Sun exposure has it’s pros and cons, the cons being skin cancer, the pros being vitamin D and the happy feeling we get from a day spent at the beach. We can have to pros while preventing the cons quite easily- simply by dedicatedly putting on our sfp when the sun is out. And sun screen doesn’t have to be smelly, gooey or slick. ¤Dermalogica has a superb range of skin care quality sun screens for the face and body. Sunscreens that are remarkably un-sunscreen-like. They have a new Day Light Defense Kit, featuring a range of their best Day Light Defense Products for $50

Dermalogica Day Light Defense

Did you know that any spf over 30 does not actually increase the efficacy of the sun protection you’re getting? Basically, the only benefit is that you don’t have to reapply your sunscreen as often, but you’re increasing the amount of chemicals that you’re applying to your skin by two fold or more. So I say- reapply fewer chemicals every few hours and you’ll avoid the clogged pores that can go along with the higher spf chemical sunscreens.

And with that I will cross my fingers and hopefully some sun will poke through the clouds and stick around for more than one day!

‘Sun damage’, once a vague and oft-misunderstood term has become a part of the commonplace language of skin care. 

Uneven pigmentation (which look like freckles), dilated capillaries (which appear as redness in the skin) and a leathery appearance and texture are the mainstays of sun damaged skin.  

One thing I find is that as people start noticing these changes in their skin, they want an explanation of what could have caused them to appear. However, sun damage that starts coming to the surface isn’t necessarily triggered by current circumstances; it’s usually the result of years of sun exposure dating back to childhood. 

Exceptions to this rule are areas of pigmentation that arise due to hormonal fluctuations also known as melamsa or pregnancy mask. This type of pigmentation is treatable with topical solutions or professional treatments when the hormonal disruption or change is over. 

There are solutions that will greatly improve the overall tone and appearance of the skin and reverse some of the damage that has been done.

In this series of articles we’ll look at some different products and how they work to treat sun damaged skin.

At Spruce Body Lab we recently hosted a UV education event with Coppertone which involved taking UV photos of people’s skin.  The UV camera literally sees under the skin’s surface to show areas of accumulative sun damage.  While this is a fascinating proposition to me as a Skin Therapist- I wasn’t really surprised to find that  most people feared knowing about the unseen damage beneath their skin.

The concept of wearing sunscreen isn’t new- people are aware of the damaging effects of the sun, but it doesn’t always seem to translate into actions with their skin care routines. When I’m  Face Mapping clients during a skin treatment and asking them about how often they wear sunscreen, more often than not- people confess that they only wear sunscreen if it’s sunny outside or if they know they will be in the sun for long periods of time.  I really do cringe a little when I hear this.

There are also the culprits who use tanning beds, but they cover up their faces or people who are afraid that they are not getting adequate vitamin D if they wear sunscreen. Something I recently learned is that sunscreen only protects our skin from 55% of the free radical inflammation caused by sun exposure. As with all areas of research and development, there will be misinformation and out-dated ideas that can lead to some of the aforementioned approaches to dealing with sun exposure.  The Skin Therapists at Spruce Body Lab make a point of staying up to date and keeping clients informed about new products, ingredients and research.

Something I always educate my clients about is the vital difference between UVA and UVB rays and their effects on the skin. UVB comes through the atmosphere in abundance on sunny days and is responsible for sun burns.  Most sun screens provide very effective protection from UVB rays. UVA rays come through the atmosphere on even the most cloudy days. These rays penetrate deeply into the skin and have been shown to cause DNA damage; they are responsible for the majority of skin aging. Sunscreens won’t effectively block these rays unless they contain ingredients such as zinc oxide and avobenzone.

If you look at protecting your skin in terms of exposure to daylight- it really changes how you think about sun damage.  Let’s say you commute to work for 30 minutes in the morning and at night.  Even with just that 60 minutes of day light exposure you’re taking in 5 hours  of sunlight per week, 20 hours per month etc.  If you look at sun exposure as accumulative throughout your lifetime, it really sinks in how important UV protection is to skin health, no matter what the weather is like outside. 

If there’s one message that I want relay about protecting skin from UV radiation, it’s that you don’t have to have wear a visor, unflattering UV protection clothing or carry around a parasol.  It’s as simple as putting sunscreen on exposed skin every day before you go outside.  It means carrying a small bottle of sunscreen with you in the summer months to reapply when you find yourself outside for longer than you planned.  It’s simple and it’s THE MOST effective tool we have to prevent aging and keep our skin looking it’s best for as long as possible.

We all want the beautiful glow of sun-kissed skin, but we don’t want the consequential sun damage that comes with it. One of major signs of accumulated sun damage is an uneven skin tone. More and more people are looking for ways to treat this condition known as hyper pigmentation.

Scientists have extensively studied the process by which our skin gains its pigment, which is referred to as melanin. They do not yet fully understand why our skin’s melanin can become unevenly distributed with age. On a positive note- there are effective ways to treat sun-induced hyper pigmentation.

One ingredient that has been used to treat hyper pigmentation effectively is hydroquinone. Doctors in North America commonly prescribe hydroquinone. However, it has been banned in most of the world because it has a highly sensitizing effect on the skin. In some cases it can cause contact dermatitis and photosensitivity.

Brightening ingredients are one of the simplest and gentlest ways to treat hyper pigmentation. Licorice, bearberry, mulberry, and vitamin C are examples of the ingredients that prevent the formation of pigmentation. Also, lactic acid in 5% formulation is an alpha hydroxy acid that has been shown to effectively inhibit the enzyme that plays a central role in melanin formation.

In addition to topical applications, professional treatment such as chemical peels, microdermabrasion and laser treatments can produce accelerated results. It is best to consult a skin care professional to determine what treatment method is best for you. Results vary and it usually takes at least eight weeks to see visible lightening of the spots. A 75% lightening of the treated areas is considered a good outcome.

The most important thing to remember is that prevention is the key. Always where a sunscreen with a minimum SPF 15- even on a cloudy winter day! Use tinted moisturizers or self-tanners to get that bronzed glow.