SUN DAMAGE: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Get ready for your close-up!  If you are in your forties, or even thirties, there is one thing that is an ABSOLUTE MUST.  Run, do not walk to your nearest dermatologist and get a UV photo taken of your face.  Trust me, you’ll thank me later. 

No, the photo won’t be pretty.  It will show all the dreaded sun damage your face has accumulated throughout the seasons – and it can be quite shocking to see - but the good news is, you CAN target these areas and reverse some of the damage.

Here are a few things you can try:

Topical anti-oxidants – Anti-oxidants fight free radicals.  Vitamin C combined with Vitamin E are even proven to boost the efficacy of sunscreen, helping to prevent sun damage in the first place.

Prevage MD contains a rockin’ anti-oxidant called idebenone that helps correct sun damage.  It was found to be more effective than other topical anti-oxidants like the ones I'm sure you've heard of like kinetin, coenzyme Q10, lipoic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin E.  Idebenone has the highest EPF rating – a rating of how effective an antioxidant is…it scores a whopping 95 out of 100.

You used to only be able to get Prevage MD from your doctor, but it's been creeping up for purchase on SkincareRX.com and I've also spied it at Costco.

Prevage MD contains 1% idebenone.  There is also a version called simply "Prevage" made by Elizabeth Arden.

This product by Elizabeth Arden contains .5% idebenone.  I’m hearing that with both Prevage MD and Prevage, you’ll need to do a sensitivity test, as some people have gotten cases of the rashies with both these products.

Retin A – Prescription Retin A does a great job in helping to actually reverse ultra violent damage to the skin.  The effects are cumulative, but if you keep at it, you may see a decline in sunspots and lines.  Retin-A can be a little irritating to your skin and must be used sparingly, so if you have sensitive skin, you can try a cream with retinol.   Retin A also may make your skin sensitive to the sun, so don’t skip sunscreen with this one.

If your sun damage is severe, you can work with your dermatologist.  He or she may recommend a chemical peel or IPL (Intense Pulsed Light treatment) to help correct damage.

I did a UV photo taken several years back – and boy was I glad I did!  My fab dermatologist found some pre-cancer skin cells on my face!  Stress on the word "pre."

Liquid nitrogen on those cells killed those puppies dead.  (Actually, not as painful as you would imagine.) Then, later, she gave me a chemical peel to help regenerate cells.   A little scary to hear the words “pre-cancer” but can you imagine if I DIDN’T get the UV photo?

Worth WAY more than a thousand words in my book!