Aesthetic Medicine Physicians & Surgeons Erase The Wrinkles Painless Laser Makeovers 
Clinical Information
Protection:
Obviously the avoidance of direct sunlight and tanning beds is the most effective protectant. There is no such thing as a “healthy tan”. Protective outerwear including hats, swimwear and shirts, such as used in Australia are important. Special UV rated clothing is now available. Sunscreens with both UV A and UV B blockers are necessary and the higher the number the better. Complete blocks using “clear” zinc oxide are now available at Aesthetic Medicine.. Make up with sunscreens is now commonplace. UV rays even penetrate car and house windows except in newer homes and vehicles. Most patients have the worst sun damage on the left side of the face or the left arm because of exposure during driving time. Tanning solutions are far better than real tans, but do not appear to afford much protection.
Types of Sun Damage:
Freckles can be conceived as sun damage since they appear when patients are overexposed. The light skin is simply trying to protect itself. The same is true of tanning as the skin attempts to reduce the amount of UV radiation that penetrates the epidermis or outer layers. Sun spots or liver spots represent the next level of damage. Sometimes these become raised of elevated above the skin and are known as sebhorreic keratoses. Areas of redness which always look irritated and raw are precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses. Given enough time these will become squamaous cell cancers. So called broken blood vessels on the face can also be caused by sun damage. Basal cell carcinomas are only locally invasive but require surgery to be removed. Squamaous cell cancers and melanomas can spread to other areas causing death and destruction of tissues. Any mole which changes color or which bleeds or grows should be suspected of being a melanoma. Also any area which doesn’t heal or remains raw looking should be examined.
Obviously the avoidance of direct sunlight and tanning beds is the most effective protectant. There is no such thing as a “healthy tan”. Protective outerwear including hats, swimwear and shirts, such as used in Australia are important. Special UV rated clothing is now available. Sunscreens with both UV A and UV B blockers are necessary and the higher the number the better. Complete blocks using “clear” zinc oxide are now available at Aesthetic Medicine.. Make up with sunscreens is now commonplace. UV rays even penetrate car and house windows except in newer homes and vehicles. Most patients have the worst sun damage on the left side of the face or the left arm because of exposure during driving time. Tanning solutions are far better than real tans, but do not appear to afford much protection.
Types of Sun Damage:
Freckles can be conceived as sun damage since they appear when patients are overexposed. The light skin is simply trying to protect itself. The same is true of tanning as the skin attempts to reduce the amount of UV radiation that penetrates the epidermis or outer layers. Sun spots or liver spots represent the next level of damage. Sometimes these become raised of elevated above the skin and are known as sebhorreic keratoses. Areas of redness which always look irritated and raw are precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses. Given enough time these will become squamaous cell cancers. So called broken blood vessels on the face can also be caused by sun damage. Basal cell carcinomas are only locally invasive but require surgery to be removed. Squamaous cell cancers and melanomas can spread to other areas causing death and destruction of tissues. Any mole which changes color or which bleeds or grows should be suspected of being a melanoma. Also any area which doesn’t heal or remains raw looking should be examined.
