Sun Damage |
What will I see on my skin? How can I prevent sun damage? What treatment will I need if I have sun damage? Help yourself |
Throughout our lives, from childhood onwards, our skin is exposed to sunlight. Sunbathing or holidaying in hot countries causes large amounts of damage to our skin. But even walking around outside in summer causes more gradual damage. Over the years the sun damage builds up and from mid-life onwards the effects are clearly visible.
Sun damage causes wrinkles around the eyes, face and neck, and flat
brown spots and freckling on the back of your hands, your arms and on your
chest. When the damage becomes worse, crusty patches develop on the
surface of the skin, and these may be difficult to heal. The skin often
becomes very red and bruises easily. Skin cancers such as rodent ulcers
(basal cell cancers) can develop. Any areas of skin which look unusual or
develop ulcers and will not heal should be shown to your doctor.
Check your moles regularly; ask a friend or partner to check the ones on
your back. Moles which are changing into melanomas (a type of skin cancer
common even in young people) will usually grow in size, become irregular
in shape, become itchy, change colour, or bleed. If you notice any of
these things happening to any of your moles, see your doctor immediately.
People with lots of moles or pale skin are most at risk of melanomas.
The areas most likely to be affected by sun damage are your face, your
ears, the backs of your hands, and the lower part of the legs in women.
However, people who have sunbathed extensively throughout the course of
their lives may get sun damage and skin cancers on any part of their body.
People who work out of doors, eg farmers, gardeners and outdoor labourers
are particularly at risk, as are people with pale skin and blonde or red
hair.
Prevention begins in childhood. Babies and toddlers should be kept out
of the sun - use a sun umbrella over the pram or pushchair when out
walking on sunny days. Make sure that children wear T-shirts and hats when
playing outside in the summer months, even when paddling and swimming.
Adults and children should use a high factor sun protection cream on all
exposed skin when outside during the summer months. Reapply the sun cream
after swimming. Try to stay out of the sun between 10am and 2pm each day
when the sun is at its most damaging. Wear a wide brimmed hat to protect
your face and neck.
Once you have sun damage, it is not possible to repair your skin
completely. However, you must start to use total sunblock on all exposed
skin when you are outside. This will prevent further sun damage and help
prevent skin cancers from developing.
If you develop any unusual areas on your skin, see your doctor. If your
doctor thinks this might be skin cancer, he or she will arrange for the
piece of the skin to be removed and examined under the microscope. About
two weeks later your doctor will be able to give you the results and tell
you if you need further treatment.
Crusty patches or flat brown areas of sun damage which are getting bigger,
will usually be treated by spraying them with liquid nitrogen. This makes
the skin blister, and heal with a white scar.
Some skin cancers can be treated with radiotherapy, especially if they are
in a place where it would be difficult to cut them out. Whichever
treatment is used, you will need to have your skin checked regularly. Tell
your doctor immediately if you develop any other unusual areas on your
skin between appointments.
Most skin cancers do not spread to other parts of the body, so they can be
treated just by removing them. However, if you have had one, you are more
likely to develop others - watch your skin carefully.