What is skin damage?
In our day to day lives, there are many things that can damage your skin.
- Sun exposure (the most common and damaging factor)
- Dehydration
- Stress
- Poor diet
- Lack of exercise
- Cigarette smoke
- Harsh/drying chemicals in products
One or more of these factors can cause the skin cells to break down and weaken the protective outside layer called the “epidermis”. When this layer is weakened, it leaves you vulnerable to damage from UV rays, bacteria and more.
Did you know that by middle age, the skin’s ability to self-repair can decline by over 50%? Seem’s a little unfair, huh?
Skin damage can also be caused by sun beds, some experts even believe that sunbeds are more damaging than the sun as a sunbed can emit roughly 12 times more UV light than natural sunlight would.
Signs of skin damage
Visible signs of skin damage to take notice of are:
- Dry/flaky skin
- Wrinkles
- Hyperpigmentation
- Redness
- Loss of elasticity
- Rashes
How to protect yourself from skin damage
Sun damage is the most common and harshest form of skin damage.
You must get into the habit of applying sun cream (and lots of it!), wear hats, limit your sun exposure and take care of your skin to limit the amount of skin damage.
We know that everyone loves a tan on holiday, but a spray tan is a far safer alternative to a sun tan!
Get a spray tan before your holiday and save your skin!
A spray tan uses no UV rays, and the products we spray with at WAT are paraben-free and include lots of skin-friendly nutrients and oils. Contrary to popular belief, you can go swimming with a spray tan. It may cause your tan to fade a bit faster so we would recommend taking a top-up product but it is perfectly safe to swim.
Keep a healthy diet! Now, everyone has their favourite treats, and eating healthy does not mean cutting out everything you love. Adding in more vitamins, healthier foods, and hydration is key for your skin and body.
Look at your skincare products, look at the ingredients, are they natural or filled with chemicals? Doing research into your skincare products can help you use more natural and effective products, no one wants to spend money on something that won’t work or can make your skin worse! At Wild About Tan, we use Vani-T products which are premium organic based & paraben free, to give you the safest and best tan possible.
How to reverse skin damage
If you spent your teenage years feeling too cool for sun cream and are now feeling the consequences then this is for you. There are ways to internally and externally repair skin damage, improve the appearance of skin and support your body’s ability to repair itself.
Internal
Eat Vitamin-C rich foods such as citrus fruits and spinach to aid in the production of collagen (this increases firmness and helps skin structure.)
Eat protein like meats, fish and tofu to help rebuild skin cells.
Reduce the junk food (it’s hard I know!) as eating too much sugar, salt and trans fats will not help your skin and can increase premature ageing. Eat healthily and you will notice the difference!
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drink lots of water to keep your skin hydrated.
External
Keeping yourself healthy internally is the first step to healthy skin! However, there are products and natural ingredients which are shown to help skin damage.
Firming creams can help the appearance of skin by subtly tightening up loose skin. Use a cream that contains retinoids and collagen for anti-ageing properties.
Another way to improve your skin’s appearance is to take supplements, especially if your diet may be lacking. Vitamin C supplements are a great choice to repair damaged skin cells, protect the skin, and aid in collagen production. Collagen peptides (as the name suggests) replenishes the collagen in your body that is broken down.
Cosmetic procedures
As well as helping your skin naturally, there are also cosmetic procedures that can give you a more noticeable change especially if natural methods have not worked for you.
Chemical peels- A minimally invasive procedure that improves skin texture by removing damaged skin cells on the epidermis. This procedure can be done on the face but also the neck and hands.
Laser resurfacing- Two lasers can be used for this (carbon dioxide or erbium). Carbon dioxide is helpful to remove scars and wrinkles whereas erbium is better for fine lines. This requires multiple sessions but results can last up to 5 years.
Ultrasound skin tightening- This is used to tighten the skin using heat and promotes collagen production. This treatment will lead to firmer and smoother skin especially after multiple treatments.
If you don’t want a cosmetic procedure but do want something to feel good in your skin, get a spray tan! Here are Wild About Tan, we want everyone to have healthy skin that they feel beautiful in. If a spray tan is up your alley, book in your WAT spray tan now!