Skin ageing

Extrinsic causes of aging are things that occur outside of the body such as sun exposure, nutrition, smoking and stress. They are things we can control though! Sun exposure for example is the biggest contributor to aging, hence why any self-respecting aesthetic clinician will mention SPF at least 10 times during a consultation!

There is no point in spending lots of money on treatments if you aren’t doing the basics to protect your skin from UV rays. Other terms you may see for aging related to sun exposure are photoaging or photodamage.

UV light penetrates the skin and damages the DNA within your skin cells. Therefore, if you use SPF, this damage is reduced because it blocks the UV light. So, if you have freckles – these are actually a sign of skin damage, even though they can look lovely

Ultraviolet radiation

There are two types of ultraviolet (UV) radiation which cause DNA damage. UVA damages the skin at all levels – from the epidermis to the dermis. 

UVB tends to be an issue for the epidermis but is more potent than UVA. At present the guidelines are to use an SPF of 30 or over. Paler skins do benefit from SPF 50 in most cases. This should be reapplied every 2 hours if you are out in the sun, and sooner if you are swimming or exercising.

UV radiation has the potential to cause cancers. Therefore, if you see a mole that has changed shape or colour, that is bleeding spontaneously, is painful or itching, seek help from your GP as soon as possible. Many skin cancers are curable if caught early.

Intrinsic aging

Intrinsic causes come from within the body, and these are not as easy to control. Genetics often make up a significant amount of aging along with skin colour. Those with more protective melanin (darker skin colours), have slower aging generally.