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Even on the beach, when we are not wearing a light-colored dress and we are not holding a glass of red wine in our hand, we must be careful with stains. Getting rid of those that the sun sometimes leaves on our skin is much more difficult than removing traces of wine from a dress.
Sun filters and tanning
A tan usually feels good. It is associated with summer, the beach, holidays, and a pleasant scent of skin warmed in the sun. When someone comes back from vacation tanned, intuition tells you that he must have had a really good time. Meanwhile, for the skin, tanning is like a storm of enemy troops: it is attacked by waves of ultraviolet radiation. He cannot respond with a counterattack, so he must at least defend himself effectively.
In order to protect the deeper layers of the skin against harmful radiation, the shallower ones contain a large portion of melanin, a natural pigment that determines the shade of the skin, hair and eyes. It takes fourteen different chemical processes to produce it, but the body pays off to undertake this effort, because UV radiation is extremely harmful to it. Thus, melanin is released in large amounts, our tissues fight for survival, and we get a tan as a bonus – a symbol of rest and relaxation.
However, not everyone is lucky enough to enjoy an even and beautiful tan. Some people do not sunbathe at all, others are first baked red for a long time, like crayfish, and a large group of people complain of stains on their skin after sunbathing.
If you have moles on your skin that should be protected against UV radiation, it is worth reaching for a protective cream with SPF50 + Floslek. It is available on Medonet Market at an attractive price.
Stains on the skin – causes of formation
After the summer holidays, patients of dermatology clinics take up the fight against spotted souvenirs from the sun and beg doctors for help in effectively removing stains.
Meanwhile, a dermatologist, Beata Pawlik-Stopińska, a member of the Association of Aesthetic Dermatologists and founder of the Biostudio medical cosmetics office in Podkowa Leśna, says:
“For a patient, something is just a stain on the skin.” For a doctor, on the other hand, it is a pigmented lesion, which, even if it is small and inconspicuous, can be neoplastic. That is why it is so important to differentiate these spots.
The doctor lists the most common types of discoloration resulting from the contact of the skin with the sun. Melasma is very common. Disfiguring discoloration of this type occurs most often on the forehead, nose, cheeks and above the upper lip – then they take the characteristic shape of a mustache. Their formation is initiated by sunlight, which is the strongest stimulus that produces melanin.
– The stimulus is so strong that melanocytes, cells that produce melanin, in a sense get out of control and go crazy – explains Beata Pawlik-Stopińska.
The ally of sunlight in the destructive work of creating stains are hormonal disorders in women or the synthetic hormones they are taking: birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. Leaflets attached to these drugs, as well as to some medications, should contain a warning that they may cause photosensitisation. Since hardly anyone reads the leaflets, we only find out about this side effect after the fact.
Another reason for the formation of stains on the skin can be reactions related to some inflammation or discoloration after exposure to the sun of perfumed skin – very difficult to remove. On the other hand, some people are prone, often hereditary, to freckles. Fortunately, these harmless tiny spots are no longer a cause for shame, on the contrary: the charm they add to the face is appreciated.
Still another type of sun-sensitive spots on the skin are lentil spots, less elegantly known as senile or liver spots. They are brown and sometimes even black in color, round or oval, and appear mainly on the skin of the hands, but also on the face and décolleté.
– They are usually harmless, although it is not easy to distinguish ordinary lentil stains from malignant ones, so they should be monitored by a dermatologist – BeataPawlik-Stopińska notes.
It also draws attention to another type of exposed discoloration, sometimes difficult to detect even by the “carrier” itself. We are talking about poikilodermia, characterized by the formation of disfiguring red-brown spots on the side of the neck. They are caused by changes in blood vessels, and more specifically by inflammation in the smallest vessels – capillaries. Unfortunately, they are difficult to eliminate. The only effective method is laser irradiation, and even this does not give XNUMX% certainty.
Skin spots and body care
Discoloration can be dealt with in various ways, depending on its type, size and depth. Starting with the use of creams that lighten discolored areas, containing e.g. ascorbic acid, kojic acid or arbutin, through deep chemical peelings, performed in dermatological and cosmetic offices, microdermabrasion treatments, i.e. mechanical abrasion of the epidermis, ending with laser therapy, and sometimes even surgical removal of pigmented lesions. Often these methods are combined with each other, which increases their effectiveness.
It is also worth mentioning, adds Beata Pawlik-Stopińska, that the depigmentation specific, Hydroquinone, known for decades, cannot be used in Poland at present, because it is not on the list of registered products..
People who treat hyperpigmentation should be aware that, unless the root cause is eliminated, they cannot count on the skin gradually becoming accustomed to sunlight. That is why, for example, women taking contraceptive pills must use a sunscreen (from the medical point of view the factor 30 is already high), and preferably during the hours when the sun is the strongest, i.e. between 12 and 15pm, avoid sunny places at all.
Stains on the skin – prevention
If we know that our skin has a tendency to discoloration that fades in the winter and comes to life in the summer, we should use synergistic prophylaxis throughout the summer period, i.e. combined prophylaxis, which consists of a mandatory sunscreen, in exceptional situations, applied even every hour, even when we have not had contact with water, and creams that block melanin synthesis. For summer, acid-free products are best, as they exfoliate the skin. This combination is the best blocker for the discoloration mechanism.
And one more very important thing to keep in mind before the sunbathing season begins: Spring is the best time to have your skin and moles checked by a dermatologist. Suspected pigmented lesions can be immediately checked using a dermatoscope, i.e. a microscope for dermatologists. The mole is smeared with a special oil and assessed by a doctor under high magnification.
- Removing moles – why is it worth going to the procedure?
If a dermatologist is concerned about something, it is better to find out about it before giving your skin a collision with a powerful dose of UV radiation. Such a pre-vacation visit can save us from dangerous consequences.
– If, however, we delayed the examination, remember that after the summer, the skin and pigmented moles will be “swollen” for some time after permanent contact with the sun, so the examination should be waited for about a month – says Beata Pawlik-Stopińska, a dermatologist.