Top Skin Treatments to Soothe Summer Sun Damage
Summer is a wonderful time of year – a chance to enjoy relaxing outdoors in the warmth of the sun. But your skin can pay a price for the extra sun exposure. Now that summer is over, you’re probably noticing how the sun has dried your skin. New lines and wrinkles may have formed, and you may see new areas of uneven pigmentation. Fall is the perfect time to soothe and repair your skin. Here are four valuable skin treatments that can help restore your sun-damaged skin to health.
Chemical Peel
A chemical peel removes dead and roughened cells from the skin’s outer layer and stimulates the production of smoother young cells to replace them. In addition to replacing thickened and damaged skin with fresh, youthful cells, a chemical peel can eliminate skin discoloration and uneven pigmentation, reduce wrinkles, and tighten loose skin.
Fall is the perfect time for a chemical peel. The treatment requires time out of the sun while the new skin replaces the old, and at this time of year, it’s natural to spend more time indoors. Your doctor may recommend a series of mild chemical peels, one every few weeks, or a single moderate-strength or deep peel for optimal results.
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is another technique for removing the sun-damaged outer layer of skin and stimulating its replacement. In microdermabrasion, fine crystals are rubbed across the skin using a medically-calibrated wand, loosening and removing the skin’s rough outer layer. After treatment, moisturizer is applied to the area to protect and nurture the new skin.
Microdermabrasion can eliminate dull, unevenly colored and textured skin and give you a brighter, smoother, more uniform complexion. This, too, is an excellent option for fall skin treatment. It speeds the skin’s natural process of sloughing off damaged skin and gives you a fresher, younger, and healthier glow for the new season.
Laser Skin Rejuvenation
Laser skin rejuvenation, also known as laser skin resurfacing or a laser peel, uses another technology — a concentrated beam of light — to gently exfoliate the skin’s sun-damaged outer layer. The treatment also heats the underlying skin, accelerating its growth as it replaces the damaged tissue with fresh-looking, smooth new skin. It does this by stimulating the production of collagen in the new skin.
In addition to healing and restoring sun-damaged skin, laser skin rejuvenation can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, tighten sagging skin, and eliminate uneven pigmentation. It can also be used to erase scarring from acne, chickenpox, or an injury or surgery. Because of its versatility, laser treatment is an excellent option if you have more than one concern about your skin that you’d like to address.
Retinol Creams
Made from vitamin A, retinol is a potent ingredient in many restorative skin-care products. It works by boosting the production of collagen in your skin and speeding up the natural process of renewal. With higher levels of collagen, the skin retains more moisture and becomes plumper, filling in and softening fine lines and wrinkles.
Fall is a good time to use retinol, not just because your skin needs restoration after the summer, but because the treatment makes your skin more vulnerable to additional sun damage. It is important to follow instructions to moisturize the skin during use and keep out of the sun while the new skin is growing. Be careful, too, not to overdo the treatment, as too much retinol can result in dry, irritated skin.
Dr. Florence Mussat is a board-certified plastic surgeon in downtown Chicago. Call our office at (312) 751-900 today or contact us online to schedule a personal consultation and find out which treatments will best meet your skin-restoration needs.