Spending time in the sun is what makes a summer so relaxing. We get it and we can’t expect you to never go outdoors, but when you are out we strongly recommend taking the right precautions. These are the things we all know we should be doing but still do not do! For example wearing sunblock and a hat, wearing protective clothing if you are exercising outdoors and sitting in the shade when possible. Sounds simple, right?
If you are reading this article because your pigmentation has darkened because you were in the sun, go and apply your SPF right now!
At Atlantic Dermatology and Laser, we are here to help you and this is how we advise you to start.
If you come in for a treatment with a tan or sunburn, we will not be able to treat you.
So the first step is to stop further sun damage. I suggest an SPF of 50, and reapplying it every two hours if you are going to be outside. I know reapplying is a mission especially if you are wearing makeup, but think about replacing your foundation with a tinted SPF, like Heliocare 360. You could also apply a Zinc Stick on areas of pigmentation. Zinc stick is a physical SPF 50 and blocks the sun from your skin. You can get this in a shade that suits your skin tone which makes it easy to reapply when you are on the go.
Next step is to get your homecare routine back on track by hydrating and repairing. You will need to replenish the nutrients your skin is lacking and help strengthen the barrier. Hyaluronic acid is an easy way to add hydration to the skin without feeling too greasy or oily, you can get this in Skinceuticals B5 Hydrating serum, or Dr Vanessa Lapiner’s Root 4 Complete serum.
Adding in a specific tyrosinase inhibitor is also a must! We will need to do a skin assessment and see which one is safe for you and would suit your skin best. This is such an important step, because a tyrosinase inhibitor is going to help slow down the production of melanin in the skin and treat the skin a little bit each day. Slow and steady wins the race.
We need to treat the pigmentation with some TLC.
After 4 weeks of proper skin “rehab” we can then start treating the pigmentation with either BBL laser, depigmentation peels or resurfacing.
Book a skin consultation with one of our Skin & Laser Specialists
Written by Skin & Laser Specialist, Nadia Kulz
Growing up in a household with 3 sisters definitely influenced my life in a feminine way. I always loved makeup and skincare, and I remember asking for facial products for Christmas as early as 9 years old. So I have always known that skin is my passion. This made entering the beauty industry a must for me.
After achieving my international qualifications in health and skincare and working at Spa in Cape Town for a few years, I wanted to combine this passion for skin with traveling so I decided to work aboard luxury brand cruise lines, such as Disney and Silverseas. I did this for the following 8 years.
Traveling the world while working in the industry with the latest technologies was an amazing learning opportunity and allowed for a lot of personal growth. I then stepped up into management to keep learning and challenging myself. However I knew that working on cruise ships would not be forever, and I wanted to start my own family. I decided that it was time to come home. I continued my studies once returning to Cape Town. This allowed me to reignite my love for performing the most advanced treatments the aesthetics industry has to offer as well as settle down and start a family.