We are living in one of the most beautiful warm locations in the world! Every year the sun blesses us with her light and warmth as her rays reach out to us.

But most of us enjoy it (maybe a little bit too much) that we expose our skin with no protection beyond the healthy advice of 15-20 minutes of exposure required to synthesis Vitamin D.

Sun damage is a function of cumulative time in the sun and intensity of the ultraviolet radiation (i.e. sun intensity). You can get accurate advise on the ultraviolet radiation (UV) index for your location from arpansa.gov.au.

Your skin may appear dry, flaky and slightly more wrinkled than skin on other parts of your body that have not been exposed to the sun as much. Dry skin is also one of the most common causes of itching.

You may also notice a more severe symptom known as actinic keratosis. An actinic keratosis appears as a small bump that feels like sandpaper or a persistent patch of scaly (peeling) skin that may have a jagged or even sharp surface and that has a pink, yellow, red or brownish tint. At first, an actinic keratosis may be the size of a pimple. Rarely, an actinic keratosis may itch or be slightly tender.

After continuous exposure to the sun, there may be long-term changes in the skin’s collagen. Symptoms of collagen changes can include fine lines, deeper wrinkles, a thickened skin texture and easy bruising on sun-exposed areas, especially the back of the hands and forearms.

Pigmentation is extremely common and presents itself in many different ways from freckles to melasma. Pigment can be genetic or due to external factors such as excessive sun exposure or trauma to the skin. Each type of pigmentation has a different pathway of formation. Therefore, treatment options will vary.

When treating any form of pigmentation there are non-negotiable products that will protect the skin from further UV damage and assist with shifting superficial pigments. You could expect your skin therapist to prescribe a pigment inhibitor and an SPF as a bare minimum.