Although most people love the warmth and light of the sun, too much sun exposure can significantly damage human skin. The sun’s heat dries out areas of unprotected skin and depletes the skin’s supply of natural lubricating oils. In addition, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause burning and long-term changes in the skin’s structure.The most common types of sun damage to the skin are:
The most common types of sun damage to the skin are:
- Dry skin — Sun-exposed skin can gradually lose moisture and essential oils, making it appear dry, flaky and prematurely wrinkled, even in younger people.
- Sunburn — Sunburn is the common name for the skin injury that appears immediately after the skin is exposed to UV radiation. Mild sunburn causes only painful reddening of the skin, but more severe cases can produce tiny fluid-filled bumps (vesicles) or larger blisters.
- Actinic keratosis — This is a tiny bump that feels like sandpaper or a small, scaly patch of sun-damaged skin that has a pink, red, yellow or brownish tint. Unlike suntan markings or sunburns, an actinic keratosis does not usually go away unless it is frozen, chemically treated or removed by a doctor. An actinic keratosis develops in areas of skin that have undergone repeated or long-term exposure to the sun’s UV light, and it is a warning sign of increased risk of skin cancer. About 10% to 15% of actinic keratoses eventually change into squamous cell cancers of the skin.
- Long-term changes in the skin’s collagen (a structural protein) — These changes include photoaging (premature aging of the skin because of sun exposure) and actinic purpura (bleeding from fragile blood vessels beneath the skin surface). In photoaging, the skin develops wrinkles and fine lines because of changes in the collagen of a deep layer of the skin called the dermis. In actinic purpura, UV radiation damages the structural collagen that supports the walls of the skin’s tiny blood vessels. Particularly in older people, this collagen damage makes blood vessels more fragile and more likely to rupture following a slight impact.
The red and infrared light therapy used in the Photizo Blush has been shown to help with improving the overall look and feel of sun-damaged skin, creating a smoother and more youthful appearance.
How will light therapy help to improve sun-damaged skin?
- Increases circulation and the formation of new capillaries. This brings an immediate healthy glow to the skin, as new capillaries mean more oxygen and nutrients to each skin cell.
- Increases lymph system activity. This reduces swelling and puffiness, as the lymph system is actually made more efficient over time, resulting in healthier skin overall.
- Stimulates the production of collagen and fibroblasts. Collagen is what is responsible for the elasticity, firmness, and fullness of your skin. The increased production of collagen and fibroblasts is what smooths the texture of the skin.
- Causes the release of ATP, or raw cellular energy. This provides energy to the cells to make the most of the additional blood, oxygen, nutrients, detoxification, growth, and repair.
