Featuring Dr. Mandy Wong, BMSc., MD, Aesthetic Physician The Effects of Sun Damage On Skin Duration: 2 minutes, 32 seconds

Most of what people are searching when they're asking for the improvement of the appearance of their skin is produced by sun damage.

So the round blotchy spots, the red lines that they see around their nose and cheeks, are actually signs that sun damage has occurred. And this sun damage accumulates over time to a point where you don't like the appearance of your skin and you want improvement.

If you were going to invest in treatments that are going to enable your skin to look brighter and more even toned, get rid of the brown blotchy spots and the red lines, there are really important things that you can do yourself every day.

And probably the most important thing is sunscreen. Beyond that, skin products like antioxidants and retinols – they are very important, very well proven – and the best place to get these products is from your skin specialists. They will have products that have the right amount of these active ingredients that you will not necessarily find in the over-the-counter products.

There are many treatments available for treatment of sun-damaged skin. This can range from the no downtime and noninvasive treatments like the broadband light treatment to fractionated technologies using lasers where there is some interruption of the skin's surface to full resurfacing which requires much more downtime.

With the broadband light treatments – also called intense pulse light or photodynamic therapy – there is no break in the skin meaning that you can go right back outside and back to your normal life activities after your treatment and nobody will know that you've had anything done.

With fractionated treatments, because there is a break in the skin, your skin will look red. It might look like you have a sunburn – you'll have some peeling – and this will take anywhere from four to seven days depending on the technology and the depth of treatment.

For fully ablated treatments, this will take about seven to ten days to heal and you will probably need to take time off work or your usual activities. The laser will correct your skin for the time, but, to protect your investment, you have to remember that staying out of the sun during the hottest times of the day and wearing your sunscreen and your other skincare products are absolutely essential to maintain your investment and your results.

If you think you have signs of sun damage and you'd like to improve the appearance and the overall health of your skin, it's best to find a local skincare practitioner who can help guide you as to the treatments available and what is best suited to your lifestyle.

Presenter: Dr. Mandy Wong, Family Doctor, Kelowna, BC

Local Practitioners: Family Doctor