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Sun Damage
What is Sun Damage?
Sun exposure causes most of the sun damaging skin changes which we associate with aging. The sun's ultraviolet (UV) light, over time, damages the collagen and elastin fibers in our skin. When these fibers break down, the skin begins to sag, stretch, and lose its ability to go back into place after stretching. The skin also bruises and becomes more fragile, therefore taking longer to heal. The sun damage to the skin may not be apparent when you're young. But as you get older, it can appear in many different ways.
What are the different types of Sun Damage?
- Age spots - Age Spots, also called liver spots and solar lentigines, age spots are flat, gray, brown or black spots. They vary in size and usually appear on the face, hands, shoulders and arms — areas most exposed to the sun. Though age spots are very common in adults older than age 40, they can affect younger people as well.
- Liver spots - see age spots
- Fine lines and coarse wrinkles - Wrinkling in skin is caused by habitual facial expressions, aging, sun damage, smoking, poor hydration, and various other factors.
- Freckles - Freckles are clusters of concentrated melanin. A freckle also is called an "ephelis." Ephelides is a genetic trait. It’s used to describe a freckle that is flat, light brown or red, and fades in the winter. Ephelides are more common in those with light complexions.
- Rosacea - Rosacea is a skin disease typically appearing in people during their 30s and 40s. It is marked by redness (erythema) or flushing of the face and skin. Small visible spider-like veins called telangiectasias also can occur. It also is not uncommon for sufferers of rosacea to have hard pimples (papules) and pus filled pimples (pustules) appear in the red or flushed area. In later stages of the disease, the face may swell and the nose may take on a bulb-like appearance called rhinophyma.
- Vascular lesions - Vascular lesions are a rupture or malformation of blood vessels near the skin's surface. Common types include broken capillaries, spider veins, cherry angioma, and port wine stains.
- Sallowness - Sallowness is a yellow discoloration of the skin.
- Telangiectasias - Telangiectasias are small dilated blood vessels near the surface of the skin. Telangiectasias sometimes are referred to as spider angioma or angioma. They typically occur on the face but can be found on other parts of the body.
- Elastosis - Elastosis is a condition marked by loss of elasticity of the skin due to degeneration of connective tissue. Elastosis generally occurs in elderly people.
