How To Fade Sun Damage
Written by Evan, Licensed Paramedical Esthetician, Acne Specialist
At the end of summer, you may notice some sun damage appearing as fine lines, hyperpigmentation, or even just rough texture (which can be a byproduct of sun damage). You also may have more congestion from the increased use of sunscreen or makeup during the warmer months.
Click here to read our previous blog on how to prevent these at the start of summer.
Now that we are at the tail end of summer and we will be heading into fall soon, you will likely start spending less time in the sun. This is a great time to start making progress on repairing that summer damage, as most of these treatments require downtime (aka staying out of the sun). You can start incorporating things at home to slowly and gradually repair your sun damage and rejuvenate your skin, but ultimately to see the most drastic results you’ll need to get a professional treatment from an esthetician.
WHAT CAN BE DONE AT HOME:
Retinol: If you discontinued retinol use for the summer to limit sensitivity to the sun, the transition to fall is the best time to start incorporating that back into your routine. This will speed up cell turnover and help you achieve results faster. Just keep in mind that you may want to reintroduce retinol gradually in order to avoid sensitivity and dryness, especially with stronger retinol products.
Our pick: Vivant’s Derm-A-Renew
Hydration: Hydration is really important for recovery from the summer but also to prep your skin for the colder months. Try adding a hyaluronic acid or glycerin based products to your routine to increase hydration levels, which may solve a handful of skin concerns like rough texture, redness, or even excessive oiliness.
Exfoliation: You can also incorporate different forms of exfoliation to help encourage lightening of any hyperpigmentation. Chemical exfoliation is the most effective way to even out skin tone at home. We recommend using a mandelic acid because it is gentle and tends to work best for these concerns. Physical exfoliation, like a scrub, could help improve skin texture from the summer sun, but be conscious to not over-exfoliate by using it too frequently because it could cause more dryness down the line.
Our pick: Vivant’s 8% Mandelic Acid Serum
Vitamin C: Summer sun UVA rays also damage our collagen, so it’s important to recover with Vitamin C and continue to protect with SPF. Vitamin C lightens and prevents the darkening of hyperpigmentation which allows for faster progress in evening out your skin tone. Vitamin C can also help increase collagen production and restore some of the damage from the summer. Use in the morning after your cleanser and before your moisturizing SPF.
Our pick: Vivant’s Pure C +E Serum
PROFESSIONAL SUN DAMAGE REPAIR TREATMENTS
Gentle Peels: Our gentle peels are a great introductory point for those new to peels OR for those seeking general maintenance. We offer 4 different ones: Lactic, Mandelic, Glycolic, and Salicylic (listed in order of most to least gentle)
Lactic: Our most gentle peel. It’s great for dullness and collagen stimulation but minimally sensitizing. An ideal candidate would be someone who is new to peels or looking for gentle maintenance
Mandelic: Great for hyperpigmentation and congestion. An ideal candidate would be someone who is looking to lighten dark marks or reduce blackheads. * This is also a great option for deeper skin tones.
Glycolic: Great for fine lines and breakout prevention. An ideal candidate would be someone who is more accustomed to chemical exfoliation and is looking to maintain a clear and bright complexion.
Salicylic: The strongest of our gentle peels. This one is more for deep breakouts rather than repairing sun damage. An ideal candidate would be someone who struggles with acne and is more accustomed to peels.
PCA Peel: The PCA peel is our most versatile category of peels. Great for treating hyperpigmentation, breakouts, reducing inflammation, dullness, and fine lines. It’s a bit stronger than our gentle peels, but we still have the ability to customize and adjust the strength of the treatment based on your needs. This peel is great for anyone looking for improvement with a specific skin concern. We definitely recommend starting with a package of 4 sessions for optimal results. The best candidate for the PCA peel would be somewhat familiar with peels or the sensation of chemical exfoliation, because it includes an exfoliating acid called TCA at different concentrations which is only available at the professional level
The Vivant ProPeel: The Vivant ProPeel is our strongest and most advanced peel (comparable to a VI peel) and actually includes pre-conditioning products and 3 separate visits including a consultation, treatment, and enzyme facial.
This peel is fantastic for anyone who is more experienced with chemical exfoliation and has more extreme skin conditions like acne or darker and more widespread hyperpigmentation.
The Vivant ProPeel program requires a commitment to the products provided to you both before and after the treatment.
