Photoaging is not a new concept. This refers to what happens to the skin with too much exposure to the sun. When skin is exposed to excessive UV radiation from the sun, it can become leathery and wrinkled, as well as develop saggy areas and folds. Other results are freckles and those small wart-like bumps called keratosis. The most extreme result of photoaging is skin cancer. People with fair skin, light hair, and blue eyes are more susceptible to photoaging because their skin has less pigmentation, called melanin.
Research suggests that about 90% of skin changes that come with age are caused by UV rays. On top of that, most of the damage from photoaging has already happened by the time a person reaches the age of 18, but it can take as long as 20 years for it to become visible.
The best treatment for photoaging is to prevent it from happening in the first place. There is no way to completely avoid sun exposure and the symptoms of photoaging short of staying inside all the time. The use of sunscreen when you plan to be in the sun can help, plus the daily use of lotions and makeup that contain sunscreen.
Besides the use of sunscreen, using oral and topical antioxidants is also highly recommended to prevent photoaging. Antioxidants protect the skin and other cells in the body from free radicals that the sun and other environmental factors bombard us with on a daily basis. Many moisturizers on the market contain antioxidants as well as sunscreen and dozens of dietary supplements have antioxidants. The Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that occurs naturally in things like fish, shellfish, spinach, and nuts. The human body produces it, but that production falls off as we age. Fish oil is a good example of a daily supplement you can take to replenish and add to your body’s Coenzyme Q10.
Using both an antioxidant cream and taking antioxidant supplements every day is considered the best approach to preventing photoaging, combined with the use of sunscreen.
Useful resources:
- http://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v125/n4/full/5603537a.html - Journal of Investigative Dermatology publication on photoaging