Although wrinkles can signify wisdom, most people nowadays would rather not have them. Many products and procedures promise to reduce wrinkles. Some do little or nothing (like the products that claim they reduce "the appearance of fine lines," which means that they don't reduce the lines themselves). Others can achieve a fair amount of success.

Skin ages all over the body, but much more where there has been sun exposure. Changes brought on by sun damage (photoaging) include "dryness" (really roughness), sagginess, skin growths like keratoses ("liver spots"), and wrinkles.

Most wrinkles appear on the parts of the body where sun exposure is greatest. These especially include the face, neck, the backs of the hands, and the tops of the forearms. Wrinkles come in two categories: fine surface lines and deep furrows. Wrinkle treatments are in general much more effective for fine lines. Deeper creases may require more aggressive techniques, such injection of fillers or plastic surgery . Such drastic and expensive steps can be avoided.

 

Aging Effects of the Sun and Wrinkles

 

Exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB, from sunlight accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature aging of the skin including wrinkles. Most of the photo aging effects occur by age 20. The amount of damage to the skin caused by the sun is determined by the total lifetime amount of radiation exposure and the person's pigment protection.

Wind, heat and chemicals and the natural affects of aging cause a certain amount of wrinkling in everyone, but it is much worse in people who spend a lot of time in the sun. Years of exposure to the sun cause "photoaging," which includes freckles, yellowing, roughness, visible blood vessels, and dark spots, as well as wrinkling.

Years of sun exposure cause the supporting structures of the skin, primarily the collagen and elastin, to weaken and break down. In addition, as a person ages, the sweat and oil glands of the skin become less numerous and smaller in size. This causes the skin to lose moisture and to dry out. Dry skin with weak collagen and elastin will sag, shrivel, and wrinkle. The skin around the eyelids, jaw, and neck is especially thin, and therefore more naturally prone to aging.

The difference between a normal and UV photograph can give you an indication of the hidden damaged already incurred. Freckles, wrinkles and lines caused suddenly appear, making a beautiful, young girl with clear skin look old and speckled.

Here is an image of a more serious case. This lady after years of not protecting her face while sunbathing had her skin checked using a UV light. Note the damage to her skin on the right and how this does not show up in a normal photo. Could this be you?

 

Regular Photo	UV- Filtered Photo

Also take a minute to look at this video highlighting skin damage caused by the sun using a UV light.

» Click To View The UV Video - click here

How the Cush’n Shade can help prevent wrinkles

 

Everyone knows the sun is the Number 1 cause of skin damage and anti-ageing effects such as wrinkles. While sunscreens with higher SPF are becoming more popular, we need to do more! Your face is constantly exposed to the sun so when sunbathing you need to give it the best protection possible!


 

» The Shade has been designed and independently tested to give the users face the highest UV protection possible from the Sun’s UVA and UVB rays. » The certified 50+ Ultra Violet sun shade will provide the extra protection required to sunbathe safely and help reduce and prevent skin damage on the face and the anti-ageing effects such as wrinkles. » The Shade will also provide the users hair with the highest UV protection available keeping it out of the Sun rays which is the number one cause of damaged hair and prevents weakened, dry and brittle hair. » Squinting of the eyes also leads to wrinkles around the eye area. The shade will reduce squinting dramatically, even without sun glasses. » The patented ratchet mechanism allows the user to adjust the angle of the frame and shade to accommodate the movements of the sun allowing the user to always sunbathe in comfort at a simple flick of the wrist.

Treatment of Wrinkles

The most critical step in the treatment of wrinkles is sun avoidance and sunscreen use. Without these steps, more aggressive wrinkle treatments may be futile. Sunscreens of 30+ should be used at all times and when sunbathing a Cush’n Shade should also be used to provide the best protection for the users face against the further damage cause by UV radiation.

Some physicians may recommend daily moisturizing creams, including those with hydroxy acids as well as sunscreen (SPF 15 or greater).

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Prevention of Wrinkles

Onset of wrinkles and further progression of those already present can be prevented by following these tips:

» Never use a sunlamp or tanning bed or lie in the sun to get a tan with out a high SPF protection. » Wear a sunscreen on your face and hands every day. Many companies make daily moisturizing creams that also contain sunscreen. » When exposure to the sun cannot be avoided, wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and tightly-woven clothing. The sun can cause damage even on cloudy and winter days, especially between 10 AM and 3 PM. » About 30 minutes before you go out in the sun, apply a sunscreen with a sun-protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. If you have a fair complexion or sun-sensitive skin, you may need a higher SPF, such as 30 or even 45, especially in a southern climate or at a high altitude. Remember that water, sand, snow, and concrete reflect the sun's rays and increase the likelihood of sunburn. Rub plenty of sunscreen on all exposed skin, paying special attention to the back of the neck, ears, nose, and shoulders. » Reapply sunscreen after swimming, perspiring heavily, or toweling off. » When lying in the sun, always use a Cush’n Shade for added protection for your face.

 

UV Radiation

The sun gives off ultraviolet (UV) radiation that we divide into categories based on the wavelength. UVC radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and does not cause skin damage. UVB radiation affects the outer layer of skin, the epidermis, and is the primary agent responsible for sunburns.

UVB does not penetrate glass, and the intensity of UVB radiation depends on the time of day and the season. UVA radiation penetrates deeper into the skin and works more efficiently. The intensity of UVA radiation is more constant than UVB without the variations during the day and throughout the year. UVA is also not filtered by glass.


UV Radiation and Wrinkles

Both UVA and UVB radiation cause wrinkles by breaking down collagen, creating free radicals, and inhibiting the natural repair mechanisms of the skin. A popular classification system of sun-sensitivity is the Skin Phototype (SPT) classification. People with skin types I and II are at the highest risk for photoaging effects including wrinkles and skin cancer. The proper use of sunscreen and using a Cush’n Shade when sunbathing to block both UVA and UVB radiation is an important weapon in the battle against wrinkles.

Texture Changes Caused by the Sun

UV exposure causes thickening and thinning of the skin. Thick skin is found in coarse wrinkles especially on the back of the neck that do not disappear when the skin is stretched. A condition called solar elastosis is seen as thickened, coarse wrinkling and yellow discoloration of the skin. A common effect of UV exposure is thinning of the skin causing fine wrinkles, easy bruising, and skin tearing.

Blood Vessel Changes Caused by the Sun

UV radiation causes the walls of blood vessels to become thinner leading to bruising with only minor trauma in sun-exposed areas. For example, most of the bruising that occurs on sun-damaged skin occurs on the backs of the hands and forearms not on the inside of the upper arm or even the inside of the forearm. The sun also causes the appearance of telangiectasias, tiny blood vessels, in the skin especially on the face.

Pigment Changes Caused by the Sun

The most noticeable sun-induced pigment change is a freckle or solar lentigo. Light-skinned people tend to freckle more noticeably. A freckle is caused when the melanin-producing cell, or melanocyte, is damaged causing it to get bigger. Large freckles, also known as age spots or liver spots, can be seen on the backs of the hands, chest, shoulders, arms, and upper back. These are not actually age related but sun-damage related. UV exposure can also cause white spots especially on the legs, but also on the backs of the hands and arms, as melanocytes are destroyed.

Skin Bumps Caused by the Sun

UV radiation causes an increased number of moles in sun-exposed areas. Sun exposure also causes precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses that develop especially on the face, ears, and backs of the hands. The are small crusty bumps that can often be felt better than they can be seen. Actinic keratoses are felt to be premalignant lesions because 1 in 100 cases per year will develop into squamous cell carcinoma. UV exposure also causes seborrheic keratoses, which are warty looking lesions that appear to be "stuck on" the skin. In contrast to actinic keratoses, seborrheic keratoses do not become cancerous.


Hair Damage and the Sun

There is great awareness of the damage that over exposure to the sun causes our skin, however we are not always as conscious of how damaging unprotected sun exposure is to the hair. The sun’s ultra violet energy impacts on the cuticle (outer protective layer of hair) almost the same way as bleaching a hair. Repeated or prolonged sun exposure literally wears away the hair’s cuticle by breaking down its keratin protein composition. Depending on the amount of exposure and how damaged or porous your hair is, you end up with weakened, dry and brittle hair.
Besides the damage that the sun causes to the structure of the hair, it can also affect hair color. Color pigment in the hair is held in a group of molecules that are relatively fragile and unstable. That comes in handy if we want to change the color of our hair because it means the pigment can be altered with the right chemical dyes. The bad news is that prolonged, unprotected sun exposure can have a similar effect by breaking down the pigment molecules inside the cortex, causing color loss. The destruction of hair color in this way is another cause if damage to the cortex, the heart of the hair.
It is difficult to protect your hair with hair care products. The FDA do not allow hair– care products to have an SPF rating because sunscreen ingredients do not cling to hair very well. Leave –in conditioners or hair styling products with sunscreens have a better chance of staying on your hair but after the hair is styled with blow driers or flat irons these ingredients are more or less destroyed.

How can you protect your hair when out in the sun?

Two options :
1. Take a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher rating, which you normally apply to your skin and apply a really generous amount evenly throughout your hair after it has been dried . This SPF 15 sun screen must also contain UVA protective ingredients like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.
2. Wear a hat and sunglasses when you are walking around and use the 50+ UV Protection Cush’n Shade® when you are sitting in the sun.