- I wanna tell you a little secret.
I see pigmentation.
Hi, I'm James Vivian, and let's turn
that sun damage into none damage.
Every week I hear someone say a number referring
to the amount of damage that the sun contributes
to our skin, sometimes it's 70, 80, even 90%.
But no matter what the number is,
let's just all agree that the sun contributes greatly
to the rate and the manner at which our skin ages.
It's terrifying.
So what is sun damage?
When we expose our skin to the sun,
UV radiation penetrates our skin at different layers.
UVB radiation penetrates our skin most superficially
and is responsible for burning our skin.
Think UVB, burning rays.
UBV radiation has the ability to damage
the DNA of our skin cells, which over time
can mutate and turn into skin cancers.
Our body has an inbuilt mechanism
to try to reduce this DNA damage,
and that is by creating pigmentation over the DNA,
also known as a tan.
And this is why when people say
there's nothing healthy about a tan, there isn't,
this is our skin saying our DNA is being damaged, help.
Help me, please.
Other signs of UVB damage are permanent changes
to the color of our skin.
The sun can damage our pigment producing cells
to the point where they actually stop working,
think white patches in the skin,
or when they've actually lost their ability
to stop making that excess pigment,
think permanent brown spots on the skin.
UVA radiation, think A for appearance,
penetrates deeper in our skin
and creates more structural changes to the skin.
Think wrinkles, thickened textures, and loss of volume.
When looking at reducing the signs
and symptoms of sun damage, generally,
good sun habits should be an all day, everyday commitment.
Every day.
On the lighter side of UV exposure,
we do need some sun to help synthesize vitamin D
for strong healthy bones and other health benefits.
But don't use getting sun exposure as an excuse.
Changes in skin color is also known as hyperpigmentation.
Hyper, meaning more, and pigmentation, meaning color.
Another commonly known form of hyperpigmentation is melasma.
And whilst this certainly does appear
to get darker in the sun, it's not related to sun exposure,
more due to hormones and other internal imbalances.
Melasma loathes heat and light,
which is why it definitely gets darker, not only in the sun,
but also in hot, humid environments.
Hot tip from, me when it comes to treating
these two types of pigmentation,
be it sun damage or melasma,
it's really important that you have them diagnosed
because one treatment for one
can make the other one a lot worse.
When it comes to treatment for sun damage in clinic,
ideally the professional you're talking to
will tell you that it all starts with home care.
Sunscreen is number one, applied daily,
reapplied every two hours when outside,
and in 1/4 teaspoon dose to the face.
Disclaimer.
(gentle upbeat music)
Daily use of antioxidants, such as vitamin C and B,
not only help to repair previous sun damage,
but also help to prevent more sun damage from occurring.
A dedicated pigment product,
such as Aspect's Pigment Punch Plus,
helps to reduce the rate at which excessive pigment forms,
and also helps to even out your skin tone over time.
Nightly use of vitamin A,
in appropriate dose for your skin
so as to not cause further photosensitization.
When used nightly, vitamin A helps to repair DNA damage
that occurred the day prior.
And lastly, exfoliation, my favorite.
Not only will exfoliation help to penetrate
all the ingredients that we just discussed,
but it also helps to move hyperpigmentation
through the skin for a more even skin tone.
So once you've got your home-care perfect,
if you still wanna work on your sun damage,
head into a clinic and have your pigment diagnosed
by a professional.
Start off with a consultation, so you can learn
about all the sorts of therapies that are suitable
to your skin and your type of pigmentation.
Think chemical peels, LED, lasers,
other light-based therapies and skin needling.
So if you pig out in the sun,
you'll get pig-ment.
- [Woman] How do you come up with this?
- I don't know.
So whilst we don't expect you to live
in a dark room for the rest of your life,
we do encourage you to use safe sun measures.
Sun-safe measures? Safe sun measures.
Sun, to practice safe sex.
The first of those is avoidance,
and if you can't avoid the sun,
then cover yourself in sunscreen.
We hope you've learned lots from us today.
Any questions, comment below.
See you next time.
Slip, slap slop, they're making me say this.
(woman laughs)
'Cause it's not slip, slop, slap, anymore.
It's slip, slop, slap, soak, like,
it's not soak, there's more.
Slip, slop, slap, shade, slam.
(playful upbeat music)