Did you apply sunscreen this morning? If not, it’s time to rethink your beauty routine because SPF should be the most important tool in your beauty arsenal. Here are 4 surprising reasons why:
1. Sunscreen helps you age beautifully in the long term.
Those pesky signs of aging—from fines and wrinkles to age spots, sun spots, and crepey skin—aren’t solely signs of aging. Most are the result of years of sun damage. Ultraviolet (UV) rays pass deep into your skin, destroying skin cells and breaking down elastin fibers to reveal frail, stretched, sun-damaged skin. Experts estimate that up to 90 percent our skin’s “aging” is the direct result of UV damage—not Father Time. We hope this statistic empowers you, because the bottom line is that you have more control over the aging process than you think. It’s never too late to protect your skin!
2. Sunscreen makes your skin look better in the short run.
While we know sunscreen helps skin age better over time, it can also help your skin to look better in the short run. A recent study followed SPF users for a year. Researchers expected the participants to reveal status-quo skin that had maintained itself with no further signs of sun damage. Instead, they discovered that SPF users actually revealed better-looking skin with diminished lines, wrinkles, more even skin tone, and other improvements. Researchers speculate that when skin cells are consistently protected, they are free to do what they do best—renew and strengthen skin. If that doesn’t inspire you to drop everything and apply SPF right now, then nothing will!
3. Sunscreen dramatically reduces your risk of skin cancer.
We all know that wearing sunscreen is the most important thing you can do to protect your skin from the devastating effects of the sun. Ultraviolet radiation is the number-one cause of skin cancer, and one in five Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their lifetime. Fortunately, it’s never too late to protect your skin and prevent sun damage! You can also reverse existing sun damage by treating your skin to revitalizing skin treatments which spur healthy, new collagen and elastin growth. Our leading selection of treatments include IPL photofacials, laser skin resurfacing, chemical peels, HydraFacials, and microneedling.
4. The month of May is Melanoma Awareness month!
Perhaps the most important reason of all to use a sunscreen year-round is to prevent your skin from developing cancer. The good news is that 95 percent of all skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell cancer, are highly curable when treated early. Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, has a 99 percent 5-year survival rate when detected and treated in its early stages.
Get yourself to a doctor immediately if you discover a suspicious lesion on your skin, such as a new mole or a mole that changes in shape or size. An easy way to remember the warning signs of skin cancer is the ABCDE rule: Asymmetry, Border (ragged or blurred edges), Color (uneven shades of brown, black, tan, red, white, blue), Diameter (change in size), Evolving (new spot or mole that is changing in color, shape, or size).
For help protecting your skin and maintaining its radiance, schedule a skin care consultation with us today. You can also learn more about our services by listening to Young Medical Spa’s podcast, “It’s a Young Thing,” available on iTunes and SoundCloud, wherein nurse Paula Young, RN, discusses all aspects of aesthetic medicine, from frequently asked questions to technological advancements, in a relatable, easy-to-digest way.
Young Medical Spa is easily accessible to patients in the Philadelphia, Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton areas