With the promise of spring and summer just around the corner, it is easy to throw oneself into the rays of sunshine with no thoughts of premature lines, wrinkles or aging. But tanning for prolonged periods can have serious repercussions on the integrity of elastin, collagen, leading to premature aging. It is the main reason why so many Americans are searching for new ways to recreate and maintain a youthful appearance.

Natural aging is usually manifested by a thinning of the skin and a deepening of normal facial expressions. Premature aging is evidenced by course wrinkles, dry rough skin and uneven skin tone. There are also dark sun spots, loss of firmness and skin discoloration. The neck can sometimes have diffuse redness and a “cobblestone” effect, appearing rough & bumpy.

Of course, the best prevention for photoaging is to stay out of the sun. But how many of us do that? The next step would be to stay out of the sun during the peak times of 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. However, this is sometimes difficult to do as well. The most effective would be to always wear a SPF of at least 15 or more whenever possible and wear a hat or cover up more during those peak times. Applications of sunscreen are essential, but remember, if you wear a sun screen in your foundation, powder, etc, the sunscreen is not cumulative. The last application of sunscreen is the protection that you have. It is necessary to apply at least one ounce over your entire body when at the beach. That means a tube of sunscreen, if it contains four ounces, should only last for applications for the entire body. Applying it at least 30 minutes before exposure to the sun is the most effective as it allows time to penetrate.

The good news is if sun damage has already occurred, there are several treatments available to reduce fine lines, increase collagen to give that firmness to the skin and improve skin tone.

Alpha Hydroxys and lactic acids when applied at home or professionally in the office can reduce photoaging, improve splotchy pigmentation and skin roughness. The term used most often when applying these agents is “exfoliation.” These acids are applied at bedtime and washed off in the morning. The pHs of these acids are most effective between 3 to 4.

Non-ablative skin rejuvenation has experienced tremendous growth in the number of aesthetic procedures performed growing from 30 percent in 2001 to 60 percent in 2003. Laser Genesis, also known as laser toning, is a unique non-ablative procedure that promotes healthy looking skin including the reduction of diffuse redness, reduced pore size and improved skin tone and texture. The procedure creates a gentle warming of the skin that patients enjoy and is truly a “no downtime” procedure.

There are also a few soft tissue augmentation procedures that can smooth out wrinkles. Botox is the most popular and the effects last up to three months. When injected into crows feet, frown lines or other wrinkles, it paralyzes the muscle creating those lines.

Laser skin resurfacing is also a popular treatment for photoaging. This high energy laser works by emitting a beam of light that is absorbed by the water is the skin cells. CO_ lasers continue to be extremely effective for treating patients with deep wrinkles and severe sun damage.

Some people choose to combine non-ablative treatment and in-office procedures such as microdermabrasion and acid peels. With so many options for the treatment of photoaging surgeons/practitioners and patients can try a combination of medical, surgical and cosmetic treatments until they create the desired result.