Chronic sun exposure leads to the production of freckles, pre-cancers sun spots [actinic keratoses], age warts [seborrhoeic keratoses], crinkling of the skin [rhytides] and knobbly, yellowish changes known as solar elastosis. The textural changes eventually become difficult to cover with makeup. Though entirely natural, and almost all Australian Caucasians will suffer some to various degrees, there are treatments available that can improve the skin so that we look good for our age.
These treatments often involve chemical, heat, or light-based treatments that can remove the age- induced changes, induce a specific therapeutic injury that eventually leads to healing in a beneficial way. The post- treatment effect on the skin always involves a certain amount of recovery time before the skin looks good [often referred to as ‘down time’]. Generally speaking, the greater the intensity of the treatment, the greater the down time, the better the outcome. Sometimes a treatment plan may involve multiple smaller treatments rather than one large treatment; this limits the amount of down time after each treatment and may fit better into the busy schedule the modern Australian now lives.
Various prescription and photon-based treatments can be used for the correction of these sun- and age-related changes. Though these treatments are available through the practice, the Therapeutics Goods Administration in Australia have significant restrictions on how these agents are promoted and advertised, and severe penalties are imposed with such breaches. Please discuss you needs with your dermatologist.
