It’s officially fall, which means the days of spending hours in the warm sun are coming to an end – for most of us anyway. This also means that many people may be starting to notice the effects the sun has had on them this summer. Fall is the perfect time to perform any necessary treatments to reverse these effects and a great time to market certain treatments to your patients. It’s also a great time because we spend less time in the sun, which is crucial for any healing or downtime that may be required, and is before the holidays when we spend a lot of time with friends and family.
Great Treatments to Reverse Sun Damage
Topical Treatments
There are a number of topical treatments that you can recommend patients to use at home to help with their sun damage. These include retinols, Vitamin C, and even some skin lightening creams.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels are great for peeling off the superficial sun-damaged layer that can really age the skin. Peels increase collagen production, which helps reverse sun damage. Results depend on the strength and aggressiveness of the chemical peel. The more aggressive the peel, the longer the downtime as well.
Microneedling
Microneedling is one of the best techniques to help with sun damage as it works well with all skin types and has a low risk of hyperpigmentation. It uses fine needles to create tiny, invisible puncture wounds on the skin which stimulates cell turnover and collagen production. This in turn helps reduce the brown, blotchy, sun spots.
Lasers
Light-based laser treatments are great for patients with freckles and melasma from sun damage as they regenerate the skin cells. There is less downtime, but use this treatment with caution on individuals with darker skin as there is a risk of hyperpigmentation.
Lastly, it’s important to stress the use of sunscreen daily to prevent the effects of sun exposure, even in the fall and winter months. Encourage your patients to include the neck, decolletage, and dorsum of the hands as these are areas that get sun exposure and damage resulting in premature aging of the skin.
The effects of sun damage are becoming more prominent in today’s world and so these types of treatments will only continue to increase in popularity. Use the fall months as an opportunity to market these specific treatments to your patients. Be sure to consult with your patient on the best course of treatment for their skin and discuss what they can expect from each treatment.