Did you know that the number one cause of premature aging of the skin is sun exposure? In fact, without protection from the sun’s damaging rays, just a few minutes of exposure each day over the years can cause significant aging of your skin. Incidental sun exposure (such as walking to your mailbox or to your car) can result in freckles, age spots, spider veins on the face, rough and leathery skin, wrinkles and a blotchy complexion.

 

But fear not! By adopting comprehensive sun protection measures, you can prevent the premature aging (or photo-damage) caused by the sun. The most important step you can take to protect your skin is the daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen. Regardless of the season or the weather, you should never leave your house without first applying sunscreen to your face.

When looking for a good daily sunscreen, choose one that provides “broad-spectrum” protection. A sunscreen labeled “broad-spectrum” will protect against both UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays cause sunburn (“B” for burning) and UVA rays cause premature aging (“A” for aging). UVA rays penetrate clouds, glass and are present year-round and in all types of weather. Your sunscreen must protect against both types of UV rays in order to effectively combat photo-damage.

Sunscreens are made up of either physical or chemical ingredients. Physical sunscreen reflects or scatters UV radiation, while chemical sunscreens absorb UV radiation and the UV rays dissipate as heat.

 

At BodyLase®, we recommend a broad-spectrum, physical sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher. We love our eltaMD sunscreens, made from zinc oxide, which is a natural mineral and is safe on post-procedure and extremely sensitive skin. They provide extensive sun protection, are extremely light-weight and are very reasonably priced!

 

If you suffer from sun damage, BodyLase® offers a number of treatments to help repair damaged skin. Visit our website www.getbodylase.com for more information on the wide variety of procedures we offer. For example, injectable fillers and Botox are excellent treatments for people with busy lifestyles. Laser resurfacing, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion can restore skin, giving it a smoother and refreshed appearance. We offer consultations and would love to personally meet with you to see what treatments would be best for your skin. Give us a call in Raleigh (919) 954-2288 or Cary (919) 851-8989 to schedule your consultation today!