BEAUTY: SUN DAMAGED SKIN

We tend to drool over a tanned, athletic body, rather than the snow white, nerd look. Unfortunately in the quest to achieve an all-year-round tanned look, most South Africans of European heritage pay a very high price – not only does sun exposure lead to premature aging, it also leads to the development of skin discolouration, spider veins and facial redness.

Awareness campaigns about the danger of sun exposure may save the younger generation from becoming beach bodies, but what about those of us who have already damaged our skins?

If you didn’t grow up with a nagging mother that prohibited you from leaving the house without a layer of sunscreen or at least a hat, chances are good that your skin is freckled, discoloured, red, blotchy or covered in brown spots. Luckily we live in the age of new technology, new innovations and medical breakthroughs!

If your sun damaged skin bothers you, visit your nearest skin specialist such as a Skin Renewal centre. They will analyse your skin and give you the best advice as different discolorations or lesions will require different treatment options in order to remove them successfully.

Laser therapy for instance cannot be used for the removal of lesions that are cancerous or suspected of being cancerous. If there is any suspicion that the lesion may be suspicious in any way, you will be requested to consult a dermatologist without delay.

Limelight™ is a new treatment that can be used on any sun damaged area of the body, especially the face, neck upper chest, hands, arms, legs and back.

How does Limelight work?

There are three treatment programs to choose from. By selecting Program A, B or C, your treatment will be customised to your skin type and the red or brown spots on your facial skin will be treated selectively. It’s the heating of the pigmented brown or red cells that causes the therapeutic effect.

Immediately after the treatment, brown spots will start to darken and your skin may be slightly red. Within one to three weeks, the darkened spots will flake off and fade. With the A treatment program, diffused redness or spider veins will decrease and your mottled complexion will improve.

When should one start Limelight rejuvenation?

As one ages the skin’s texture and colour declines dramatically, and superficial veins and sun spots become evident. With the advent of photo rejuvenation devices, virtually any patient in their twenties or above can be a candidate for a little brightening of their skin.

Laser therapy

In the past, electrocautery has been used to treat certain skin discolorations and veins, but this modality often resulted in intolerable pain and sometimes scarring.

Since the advent of lasers, the NdYAG laser has been used for the treatment of unwanted small veins on the skin. A few treatments may be required to achieve an acceptable level of improvement

At Skin Renewal a highly professional team led by a medical doctor assesses every patient and an appropriate combination treatment together with long term maintenance program is recommended. They plan their treatments carefully to ensure the best cosmetic outcome.

So, whether you’re going to wear nice short sleeve designer shirts and funky shorts when summer arrives, is now truly in your hands. Use the remaining winter period to remove any skin discolorations and be ready to expose yourself during the summer holidays.