What is Photoaging? How to Treat It?

 What is Photoaging? How to Treat It?

The sun’s rays can greatly damage your skin. In fact, they can create both short-term effects and long–term consequences lurking within the skin, even if you do not have a burn. Moreover, the sun can age the skin prematurely, which is called photoaging. That can sometimes also lead to cancer.

Skin specialists usually refer to the damage to the skin by Sunrays with many names. These include photoaging, photodamage, sun damage, or solar damage. The reason is that when ultraviolet UV light hits any skin which is unprotected by sunscreen, it causes DNA changes at a cellular level of the skin. However, as this process occurs in the deepest level of the skin, the dermis, before emerging into the surfaces and becoming visible, it can take years to heal properly.

What are the signs of photoaging?

It is not a normal aging process. In general, chronological aging happens by age and genetics, while photoaging occurs when ultraviolet light from the sun permanently damages the skin’s structure. To check the difference between photoaging and chronological aging, compare skin on an area of your body exposed to the sun-like face with the skin that is not exposed. 

Symptoms of photoaging start in the teen to early twenties. Some most common of which include the following

  1. Wrinkling

  2. Pigmentation changes such as age spots, freckles, and liver spots. This is also called solar lentigines.

  3. Loss of skin tone with decreased elasticity

  4. Rough, uneven skin texture

  5. Broken capillaries (spider veins) that usually around the chest and nose

  6. Blotchiness

  7. Redness of skin, and many more.

To some extent, a professional dermatologist can treat all of these.

What causes photoaging?

DNA changes in the skin due to ultraviolet radiation can significantly lead to premature aging and sometimes even to skin cancer. Typically, there are two types of UV light:

  1. UVA light

This particular type of solar ray greatly damages the skin at all levels. That means from the surface layer epidermis to down deep into the dermis. In addition, many other parts of the skin including collagen and elastin fibers, that give the skin elasticity and youthful tautness, are also affected within those layers.  Moreover, the epidermal cells and tiny blood vessels called capillaries are also affected by these UV rays to some extent.

  1. UVB light

This type of solar radiation is usually exposed to the outer layer of the skin. UVB is even more dangerous than UVA as it can damage DNA more potently in the epidermis of the skin. Additionally, UVB light rays can cause photoaging, as well as the formation of precancerous cells, also called actinic keratoses.

Who is susceptible to photoaging?

Almost everyone is susceptible to photoaging. But it greatly depends on how much-unprotected sun exposure you have over time. In addition, it also depends on your skin type geographical factors, including your climate and latitude. 

Mostly lighter skin tone is considered more susceptible to photoaging and skin cancer. Darker skin can also develop skin cancer and photoaging, but skin tone primarily develops uneven dark patches (melasma). However, high-qualified and professional skin specialists generally use Fitzpatrick’s scale to diagnose and determine skin phototypes and to know about the risk of photodamage.

Types of Photoaging

Type 1

Pale skin, blond or red hair, light-colored eyes. It does not tan but always burns the skin.

Type 2

Fair skin tone with light-colored eyes. Mostly burns but may tan skin to some extent.

Type 3

Medium-light skin that burns initially and then tans over time.

Type 4

Light brown skin tone that causes minimal burning.

Type 5

Medium brown skin that seldom burns the skin.

Type 6 

Dark brown or black tone skin that never burns but tans easily.

What can dermatologists do to treat photoaging?

As photodamage cannot be cured completely, the following skin treatments can help in minimizing its effects.

Lasers

The fractional resurfacing uses laser energy to minimize the appearance of dark spots and fine lines and rejuvenate the skin. In addition, these lasers help improve the texture and appearance of enlarged pores. 

In addition, the lasers, like pulsed dye laser, helps in removing broken blood vessels and redness caused by too much exposure to the sun. Moreover, the laser also helps in making your skin healthier. Another benefit of laser treatment is that it can treat precancerous changes.

Chemical peels

Skin specialists can reliably remove brown spots and actinic keratoses by applying chemical substances like trichloroacetic acid or glycolic acid to the skin. Both these can greatly improve the texture and tone of photoaged skin.

Photodynamic therapy

This particular treatment can remove precancerous spots that can result from sun exposure. The dermatologists first apply a topical medication on the skin. After that, they use blue or red fluorescent lights to activate the medication. That, as a result, destroys precancerous cells while preserving normal cells of the skin.

Topical medications

A few skin specialists may also suggest many medicines like topical retinoid medication (tretinoin) for the treatment of photoaging. They can even out the skin tone to some extent. In addition, they can also reduce roughness and fine lines that result from photoaging.

Cryotherapy

Sometimes liquid nitrogen is used to freeze noncancerous age spots or actinic keratoses. The spots become dark and shed off after a few days.

How can you prevent photoaging?

For preventing future photodamages, you have to practice good sun protection. Usually, dermatologists suggest a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays. Moreover, you should look for a sun protection factor SPF of 30 or higher for your safety. Furthermore, formulas that are water-resistance are encouraged. While swimming or exercising, reapply them after every two hours or sooner.

When should you see a skin specialist for photoaging?

If you continue to have a lot of sun damage in your childhood, including blistering sunburns, then see a dermatologist as soon as possible. He can estimate the extent of your photodamage and can also detect signs of skin cancer at early stages when it is most treatable.

In addition to that, a skin specialist can also examine and suggest you a proper skincare treatment plan. He can give you complete guidance on sun protection so that you can avoid more sun damage. Therefore, if you are self-conscious about your appearance of the skin, then visit a dermatologist frequently.

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