Sun Damage
Why You Should Wear Sunscreen in the Car
As a health-conscious person, you’re probably already familiar with the risks of not wearing sunscreen when you step out into the sun. But should you slather on the SPF for a quick drive-thru run or weekend road trip? Yes! Your skin needs protection when exposed to the sun’s rays — including inside your car. Here’s the what, why, and how of in-vehicle sun protection.
Understanding How the Sun Can Do Damage Beneath the Visible Skin
UV or ultraviolet damage occurs when our skin gets exposed to sunlight, especially during the most intense hours at midday and in the summer. UV light encompasses a narrow portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between visible light and x-rays, up to about 380nm. This causes skin issues because of damage to cells and the possibility of mutating the skin’s DNA itself. While DNA damage is irreversible, cellular damage to the skin may eventually turn over and can be reversed in some situations. UV damage can cause wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, lentigo or […]
How to Choose the Right Sunscreen With So Many Options
If you’ve shopped the sunscreen aisle recently, you probably noticed that there are A LOT of options. This can be overwhelming, to say the least. Fortunately, with a little extra effort and a few pro pointers, you can be sure to find the right sunscreen for any activity as we look toward spring and summer weather. Why are there so many options? And with spring, is daily sunscreen necessary yet? There are a few reasons for all the different sunscreens you see on the shelf, which are more complex than […]
Let’s Talk About All Things Sun Damage
If the sun’s rays can damage furniture over time, then our skin is certainly not immune. Sun damage to our skin is primarily caused by ultraviolet radiation (or UV) light. UV light comprises UVA (slightly longer) and UVB (slightly shorter). Different types of UV light can cause unique sun damage and are critical to our skin’s health and appearance. More extended UVA sunlight (320-400nm) has been shown to cause premature skin aging, likely due to penetration deep into the tissue. UVB is slightly shorter (290-320nm) and is often associated with […]
Thinking About Our Skin as We Transition From Summer to Fall
With summer ending and cooler weather just around the corner, many of us spend our last weeks outdoors in the sun before the pumpkin spice and sweaters come out. And although temperatures may start to drop, it’s essential to keep practicing sun safety, even when the weather cools down. Keeping your skin safe means sun protection, even when it’s overcast or cooler outside. Fortunately, there are many options and ways we can do this. With so many different sun protection options and the overwhelming advice readily available online and on […]
Am I Missing Out on The Power of Lasers in My Skincare Routine?
You can’t turn to an online blog, fashion magazine, or social media feed without coming across incredible images and testimonials about the power of skincare lasers. And while the research and results seem impressive, the overwhelming amount of information is often not. How do we sort through all this information, weighing each laser, their effects, and which skin types they benefit from? And, importantly, when and where you should consider doing it? Let’s talk about these advances and where we are in this significant new era of dermatological technology.
Can You Reverse Sun Damage to Your Skin?
As temperatures rise, so do our opportunities to spend more time outdoors. The start of summer is right around the corner, meaning longer days under the sun and in the water. For most of us, we’ve been doing this summer thing all-out for as long as we can remember. Whether sunbathing, tanning, laying out, sun-worshipping — however, you want to phrase it, most of us have spent our fair share of time in the sun without adequate protection. And while we have multiple resources now, including social media, health and […]