How does exposure to the sun speed up the skins aging process?
Repeated exposure to the sun (called photo-aging) breaks down collagen and impairs the creation of new collagen. It also affects another essential protein for youthful-looking skin and elastin. As a result of sun exposure, the skin loses its ability to resist gravity and “spring back” from repetitive facial expressions. Photo-aging is evidenced by lines, deep grooves, age spots, freckles, fine wrinkles and spider veins on the face. The worst-case scenario is loose, wrinkled and leathery skin on the face and neck. The damage from photo aging accumulates beneath the surface of the skin for years before it is visible to the naked eye. The amount of damage to the dermis can be determined by using UV photography. People who live in sun-intense areas such as Arizona and even California can show signs of photo-aging as early as in there 20s.
