There is nothing more pleasant than the sun’s warmth on your face. Sunlight is extraordinarily useful and provides your body with essential minerals. However, it may surprise you that excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can be hazardous. After overexposure to sunlight, here are some common warning signs of sun damage Fort Worth on your skin you should watch out for.
- Tan
The presence of a tan is certainly proof of molecular skin damage. Once this occurs shortly after sunlight exposure, Ultraviolet light is to blame. If it happens several days after sun exposure, UVB radiation is most likely responsible. It is essential to keep in mind that there is nothing like a natural tan.
- Sunburn
This type of skin damage is visible to most people due to the redness and discomfort of sunburn. First-degree sunburns are less severe; though, the skin could become crimson and painful to the touch.
On the other hand, second-degree sunburns could induce skin blistering and tissue damage. Besides, childhood sunburns could dramatically raise the likelihood of acquiring skin cancer, specifically melanoma, in adults.
- Irregular pigmentation
The skin could manufacture additional melanin pigment to defend itself from the sun’s destructive effects. It could make the skin appear darker, like a tan, but sometimes the pigment development is irregular, resulting in discolored skin. Additionally, sun exposure could induce persistent stretching or dilation of blood vessels, resulting in reddened or blotchy skin.
- Freckles
Freckles are flat, brown, or beige areas with enhanced pigmentation. Typically, they appear on sun-exposed parts of the body, including the chest, forearms, and face.
Freckles could become darker over the summer due to greater exposure. The predisposition to produce freckles is inherited. Nonetheless, the emergence of these lesions is strongly tied to sunlight exposure and damage.
- Melasma
Melasma is an uneven pigmentation or darkening of the skin that typically appears on the nose, chin, forehead, upper lip, and cheeks. Besides UV damage, this issue is also profoundly affected by hormonal fluctuations, like those that occur during pregnancy or using contraceptive pills.
- Age Spots
Age spots are flat brown blotches in chronically exposed areas to ultraviolet radiation. These concerns, also known as lentigines, result from exposure to the sun or tanning beds and could increase in frequency with age. Age spots resemble freckles, although freckles tend to vanish over the colder months, whereas age spots remain steady.
- Solar Elastosis
Solar elastosis manifests as thickened or yellowed skin with deep, permanent creases. This condition often results from prolonged sunlight exposure. However, solar elastosis can also develop due to the degradation of fibrous tissue, which includes the deeper layers of your skin’s structure, comprising collagen fibers and elastin.
- Actinic Keratoses
Actinic keratoses are scaly, rough areas of skin that could be brown, tan, or pink in hue. These lesions are precancerous lesions; thus, they may develop into squamous cell carcinoma if neglected.
You are never too old or young to begin safeguarding against sun-induced skin disorders. Begin with simple everyday practices like avoiding prolonged sunlight exposure, donning UV-protective garments, and using sunscreen when outside. Likewise, you should always consult your dermatologist regularly for a yearly check to identify any developing skin issues.
