We’ve tackled ways to reverse the effects of sun damage before, but we thought it would be a good idea to backtrack a little, and discuss different signs of sun damage. Some people equate sun damage with sunburn, but this is only one type of sun damage. Here are a few other things you might want to watch out for.
Sunburn
Sunburn is the most commonly known sign of skin damage. The main symptom of sunburn is redness, and sometimes pain, on sun-exposed skin. Usually, you can also see clear tan-lines, making it easy to distinguish sunburned from healthy skin.
Some more severe cases of sunburn are accompanied by painful blisters. Others may also suffer from nausea, dizziness, and other symptoms of heatstroke.
Dry skin
Sometimes, sun exposure does not result to redness, but this does not mean that no damage has been done. Without the obvious redness of sunburn, it’s quite easy to overlook dry skin caused by sun damage. When exposed to the sun, watch out for dry, flaky, and slightly wrinkled skin. If you’re lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) some itching can clue you in.
Sun spots
Also called hepatic stains, sun spots are small, flat, brownish spots on the skin caused by a boost in melanin production. They are usually found on the face, arms, and other areas that are exposed to the sun.
Though they can look scary, sun spots don’t usually lead to skin cancer. They are simply caused by an increase in melanin producing cells, and as such are more heavily pigmented than other areas of the skin.
If sun spots bother you, they can be treated by bleaching or chemical peels, or removed using liquid nitrogen.
Solar keratoses
You don’t really need to worry about sun spots, but you definitely need to take a good look at solar keratoses. Unlike sun spots, keratoses can come in different colors, including pink, red, yellow, or brown tints. They are also raised above the skin, often looking scaly or crusty. For this reason, they are sometimes easier to find by touch rather than by eye.
Solar keratoses indicate an increased risk of skin cancer, so it is important to contact your doctor if you find keratoses on your skin. Fortunately, less than 1% of keratoses degenerate into cancer cells.
Senile purpura
Prolonged exposure to UV radiation can sometimes lead to the thinning of blood vessels. This leads to burst blood vessels, causing blushing or even bruising in sun-damaged areas of the skin. This usually appears on the face, forearms, and the backs of the hands.
Bowen disease
While Bowen disease is technically a form of cancer, it is confined only to the skin, making it fairly easy to treat. It shows up as a red stain on an area of skin exposed to the sun, and can be removed by freezing with liquid nitrogen, surgical excision, or other ways.
While Bowen disease is a superficial cancer, timely treatment is still important to prevent it from degenerating into squamous cell carcinoma.
If you’re lucky, or if you’ve been diligent about putting on sunscreen (Diana Stalder Sunblock Cream is our choice), you won’t find any of these signs of sun damage on your skin. Also, you know better now – this means you probably won’t ignore important signs of sun damage, or worry needlessly about that spot or blemish you just found.
Are there any other signs of sun damage that you think we should know about? Please share them with us in the comments.
