Understanding sun damaged skin and treating it with Fraxel laser skin resurfacing in New York City
In youth, we often take our skin for granted. It is usually smooth, soft, and even-toned. It is resilient enough to look good without moisturizer, exfoliation, or sun protection. Concerns such as skin cancer and premature aging may fall victim to youthful feelings of invincibility and living for the moment. Unfortunately, youthful carelessness catches up with us, usually far sooner than we expect. If sun exposure has damaged your skin, we can help you restore it, and protect it in the future.
How sun damages your skin
There are three types of UV rays with different wavelengths, classified as UVA, UVB, and UVC. The shortest rays of the three are UVC. They are too short to penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere, and therefore do not pose a risk. UVA rays are the longest. They penetrate the atmosphere, cloud cover, most glass, and reach deep layers of skin. These harmful rays are present all day in winter as well as summer. UVB rays are the next shortest. They are more intense than UVA, but they are unable to penetrate thick cloud cover. The presence of UVB rays differentiates between daylight, and sunshine.
Both UVA and UVB rays are harmful to your skin, as is indoor tanning. In fact, the golden glow that we call a suntan is actually caused by your skin producing more pigment, in response to damage. Radiation from UV rays can damage the tissue on a cellular level, injuring collagen, causing genetic mutations, and more. It is important to understand that if you've been exposed to enough sun to have cosmetic concerns, you are at high risk for skin cancer. Please don’t forget to have a professional cancer screening, and perform regular self-checks.
UV exposure can lead to:
- Dry skin
- Pigmentation problems
- Wrinkles
- Leathery skin texture
- Premature aging
- Precancerous lesions
- Skin cancer
How Fraxel helps
Fraxel laser skin resurfacing in New York is a noninvasive treatment that can improve pigmented spots, skin texture, and other common effects of sun exposure and aging. It achieves considerable improvement in a single session with minimal downtime. Unlike traditional (non-fractionated) lasers, Fraxel treatment leaves microscopic islands of unaffected skin, facilitating comfortable, rapid healing.
If you still have sun damage from last summer, this is the ideal time to reverse them with Fraxel Dual. As the sun exposure is a no-go after the treatment you may consider to get it done now before the end of winter.
Ready to find out more about Fraxel Laser Skin Resurfacing New York City?
If you are seeking world-class dermatology and dermasurgery, turn to the name quality-conscious NYC residents trust. Call Dr. Ron Shelton at (212) 593-1818 and schedule an appointment.