Tips on How to Protect Your Skin from Photoaging

Over time, we have come to realize that some people tend to look older facially. Their body tells a story and their face, another. This phenomenon is due to a number of factors of which photoaging is primary. In this exciting post, we will be taking an extensive look at what photoaging is, its effects and how its remedies.

Stay with us and you might find out the secrets to make your skin glow again, especially if you are having issues with photoaging.  

Photoaging, also known as dermatoheliosis, is the damage done to the skin which is caused by an excessive exposure to the Ultra-Violent A and Ultra- Violent B rays of the sun. No thanks to the depletion of the ozone layer, the sunlight that is emitted to the earth consists of two dangerous rays: The Ultra-Violet A (UVA) which is a long wave and the Ultra-Violet B (UVB) which is a shortwave.

These rays are so strong and powerful that they can penetrate the dermis, which is the thickest layer of the skin. The skin’s second layer is this same dermis, and it is responsible for making the skin look young and smooth. It contains important proteins and fibers that make the skin string and elastic.

Upon prolonged exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun, the cells in the dermis mobilize to produce an enzyme known as melanin. Before you know it, a dark patch or tan forms around the skin. This dark region is the skins defense mechanism against such, as it tends to stop the excess radiation from damaging the skin. 

Once the dermis has been deeply penetrated by the ultraviolet rays of the sun, the skin becomes plastic, and aging, which is supposed to be a slow progressive action, begins to occur more rapidly. Effects like wrinkles become visible around the eyes, lips and even on the hands.

Prolonged exposure of the skin to the ultraviolet rays of the sun should be avoided by all means as it can also lead to skin cancer. Some may ask if there is a difference between photoaging and normal aging. The answer you seek is in the next heading.

We all grow old and the increase in our age is quite irreversible. While it is true that we canno t stop aging, it is also true that we are able to control the influence that environmental factors have on our skin.

Environmental factors harmful to the skin are the pollutants in the air or those that we take (actively or passively): staying away from cigarette smoke, smog and various unhealthy foods can help us to slow down the aging process of the skin.

Sunlight and harmful pollutants can cause the formation of free radicals and the reduction of enzymes with antioxidant properties, two factors that are controllable. Let us now take a look at what free radicals and antioxidants are and the roles they play in altering the normal aging of the skin.

Free radicals, which is usually mentioned in lifestyle websites and magazines, are highly unstable chemical elements: in the presence of other molecules, in fact, they have a high reaction capacity that often causes damage to DNA and proteins. All this, in the specific case of skin aging, generates a loss of elasticity of the skin due to the reduction of the synthesis of collagen, a macromolecule becomes responsible for the elasticity and tone of the skin.

Enzymes are essential elements for the protection of the skin. However, when they are inhibited by any chemical reaction, in fact, they can cause oxidative stress, damaging - or killing - the cells. In the presence of favorable chemical conditions, however, the antioxidant enzymes favor neutralization of free natural enzymatic systems, thus defending the skin from premature aging.

If the skin is properly taken care of, normal aging can occur at natural intervals, but with photoaging, it becomes a lot faster and deteriorates the skin totally.

It is only normal for us to consider the signs and symptoms of photoaging on the skin so that people reading this post can now begin to determine if they are being affected by it or not. Initially, when the skin of a person is being exposed to the ultraviolet rays of the sun, the person begins to experience the following signs:
 

• A phenomenon known as dyspigmentation, which is the formation of lined and wrinkles in the mouth, eyes and forehead.

• Even the lips begin to lose colour and doesn’t feel supple and lush.

• Spider veins begin to form around the face and neck regions of the body.

However, upon excessive exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun, the symptoms begin to worsen and cases like the following can now be seen:
 

• The same spider veins, but now seen in the chin also.

• Even when not frowning, the forehead produces frown lines and it appears as if one is frowning.

• The wrinkles on the face begin to deepen also.

• Age spots also appear on the face and hands.

• Red, scaly spots which are pre-cancerous tendencies start to appear on the body. 

Apart from the above mentioned symptoms, photoaging causes the keratinocytes (a cell that creates keratin) to mature in an orderly fashion and then the cell population of the dermis becomes surplus thereby causing inflammations to the skin.  

We have already stated expressly that photoaging is caused by a prolonged exposure of the skin to the ultra-violet rays of the sun. These rays are of two types. The UVA and the UVB. The UVB, which is shortwave, burns the skin in a scorching manner while the UVA which is long wave, makes the skin age rapidly.

Apart from the sunlight exposure, eating an unbalanced diet also aids photoaging. Other excesses like too much alcohol, smoking and gross negligence to skin care can also facilitate the effects of photoaging.

People should put measures in place to check the rate of exposure of their body to the sun rays. As this will go a long way to combat the effects of photoaging on the skin. Next, we will be considering the treatments that can help prevent and reverse the effects of photoaging on the skin. 

If photo aging occurs, there are still ways to put it in check. Some measures can be put in place, but for this article, we will be focusing on the beauty measures that can help tackle the issues of photoaging and try to restore the skin to its original state.

This remedy comes in three forms: meaning, medium and deep superficial. Depending on the gravity of the photoaging effect, it generally has to do with removing the outer layer of the skin with some chemical.

This measure does not only remedy photoaging, it also helps to reverse it and bring it back to normal. A sunscreen is a form of a lotion that is applied to the body and should contain zinc and titanium oxide. It helps to protect the skin and offers enhanced stability to the skin.

Taking medication that has niacin amide will help to reduce the effects of photoaging on the body, making the skin glow and look very young. Even wrinkles become less visible on the face. Apart from vitamin B3, other vitamins like vitamin A, C and E, are all essential to a healthy skin that is void of photoaging. 

This is another beauty remedy for photoaging. For a long time, it has been one of the most recommended ways of handling photoaging. It is usually used as the first step before any other procedure is performed. The acne that is associated with photoaging is usually the first to disappear with this treatment.

Photoaging is real and if not dealt with properly, it could lead to skin cancer. The skin should be properly taken care of and that is why we made this article. We hope that you found the information useful as you aim to take care of your skin better and look awesome.